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AIBU?

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Original poster

To beg/ask for donations

37 replies

crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 15:55

lots of traffic here, need some answers/advice. Am a regular name-changer...

Has anyone ever set up a webpage/site to try and get donations for a non-charitable personal project? I know there are things like justgiving.com but assume they are for charity fund-rasing.

I have a project, a heritage/building thing - it's something I care about deeply but cannot raise funds personally to maintain. Heritage grants are unavailable and I just feel like I want to try at least to save this thing by getting donations from people - basically begging 'please help me' by creating a nice site about the project with reasons why am seeking help and so on... would that be amazingly crass and stupid?

(PS I am not asking people here personally for donations, just thinking I might be able to get help from 'passing web-traffic' if I actively promote my project.)

OP posts:
HerrenaHarridan · 04/04/2013 15:59

Google crowd sourced funding

Original poster
crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 16:01

thank you :) not heard of that so will google.

OP posts:
Original poster
crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 16:04

Ah right, does crowd sourced funding mean that there would need to be a promised return? I am not sure I can promise that. There would be ways to make money from it in the long term (Rentals/holidays/timeshare) but not a given and I would need a large financial start up and time before that would ever be possible.

OP posts:
Maggie111 · 04/04/2013 16:20

You might have to offer something - but it could be a postcard for a small donation, or a tour for a larger one etc?

This is a large project I know of www.indiegogo.com/projects/let-s-build-a-goddamn-tesla-museum--5?website_name=teslamuseum

Frettchen · 04/04/2013 16:29

The two sites I've heard of are IndieGoGo and KickStarter. I think both work on the premise that the donators get something for their money...

I know a lot of places do things like signed tiles/bricks. In one you 'buy' a £5 roof tile and get to put your message on the underneath of it. Another are doing a tiled path and want people to sponsor tiles; a red one is £10, a white one is £50, a black one is £250 etc.

It depends how much you want. I'm guessing most people will want to see their money is going to what it's supposed to be going to... The 'rewards' are a sort of gesture of goodwill that you're spending the money wisely.

MichaelaS · 04/04/2013 16:31

Why not set up as a charity or charitable trust. It could receive donations then buy the building, own and run it. Try the listed buildings owners club for people who might care and donate towards it.

If you ask for money you need to be clear who owns whatever you are trying to save. If you renovate somewhere and make it usable but don't buy it you're still giving the owner Huge value, effectively asking people to donate to that owner. That's why buying it as a charity works as the charity owns it and no one profits.

Original poster
crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 16:32

I've looked at Kickstarter.com and it looks like I have to register myself as a company with companies house. Could be a lot more complicated than i thought. Kickstarter seems to be for more creative stuff, mine would be a renovation/heritage project.

there's a possibility I could offer the place I am hoping to save as

A space for writing/art/creative short term projects (ie to writers seeking isolation for completing a project)

A gettaway for families in need of a break

but I can't see that would give my investors any return on their money other than feeling good about their contribution.

I could also charge people to stay there but that would be an irregular and uncertain income so I wouldn't be able to guarantee a return.

interesting stuff though.

OP posts:
Original poster
crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 16:37

MichaelaS - that's interesting.

I already Co-own it with family. I wouldn't want to (or be able to) sell shares in it but maybe there is someone (or some people) out there who would just feel the pull of it and our story enough to want to contribute. I guess what I want is some millionaire philanthropist to care about it as much as we do and not expect anything in return.

OP posts:
TheSecondComing · 04/04/2013 16:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
crumblingpile · 04/04/2013 16:56

yes, I thought it would be cheeky. Seriously though, I have pondered writing to the rich and famous (those who might have a connection with the area/project) to beg for help.

We own it because we inherited it, it's not a stately home or anything like that. It's a really quite important piece of heritage but in a country where heritage funding has been cut dramatically.

OP posts:
higgle · 04/04/2013 17:01

crumbling pile - wold you like to donate to my new kitchen and bathroom fund? I don't think so, so I won't be contributing to your project either - what a cheek!

ImAlpharius · 04/04/2013 17:03

If you're looking into restoring it to use it as something, retreats/holiday let etc, could you turn it into something that would fund itself and look into business loans?

DelGirl · 04/04/2013 17:05

unnecessary higgle Hmm

GlaikitHasHerFizzBack · 04/04/2013 17:07

Can you set yourself up as a charity and put the property into trust of the charity. Then any profits made would be reinvested back through the charity?

Or if it is a viable business contact somewhere like the princes trust (you need to be under 25 for them) see if you would qualify for a grant as a business start up.

Tortington · 04/04/2013 17:08

the best way to do this would be to get 4 or so people together and agree a constitution community matters is an organisation that can help with your legal structures.

after you have ca constitution - you can open a bank account for community banking

you can then ask for funds such as heritage lottery fund

english heritage also have some other ideas

the key is in your legal structure - you can call yourself " friends of Hogwarts chapel" (or whatever) - constitute yourselves, open a bank account

and you can get small pots of funding everywhere - your local council may have a funding officer who will help you

they may have a communities team to help you get local community ob board - they might be willing to do small pieces of admin or photocopying for instance.

you could ultimatley apply for charities status - but it gets a bit more legal and techy so start small

Your local CVS might help there is one in nearly every town and city and they could point you towards existing organisations who do just this kind of thing - they might know of funding too.

they will also know of your local volunteer bureau - to get people along to litter pick or chuck thngs in a skip.

but remember things are not as easy as you think they are

you will need insurances and volunteers have rights. it all needs more than a cursory glance - but definatley worth setting up a small constituted group in the first instance me thinks

message me for more info or questions if you like - but i can't guarentee i will know the answer x

ceramicunicorn · 04/04/2013 17:09

The Princes Trust may be able to help. I did something vaguely similar restoring something I inherited. They helped me set it up as a charity and got some young people trained on the job restoring it.

Are you looking to keep it for yourself once it's restored of make money from it though? If that's the case I can't see too many people wanting to help.

ceramicunicorn · 04/04/2013 17:11

X post with Glaikit

TheSecondComing · 04/04/2013 17:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

GlaikitHasHerFizzBack · 04/04/2013 17:13

:o you seem far more knowledgable on the subject the ceramic!

ImTooHecsyForYourParty · 04/04/2013 17:22

I assume it's a building?
Once restored, what will you do with it?
Because if you're opening it to the public, offering access, turning it over to the community, its not unreasonable to ask for donations.
If you're turning it into a business, then business loans are the way to go
If you intend it for the personal use of you, your family and your descendants, then you should all pitch in and remortgage, get loans, etc.
Key question is why should people pay your bill? what are you giving?
If its something then you can ask for something. If its nothing then you can ask for nothing.
You have to commit upfront and stick to it, or people will be very angry if they gave on some assurance it would be opened and then that never happened.

Fleecyslippers · 04/04/2013 17:29

What are your long term plans for the building ?

higgle · 05/04/2013 10:05

I made the point because if the motive is altruistic then surely donating the property to the National Trust or selling for a nominal sum to The Landmark Trust would be the obvious answer.

Original poster
crumblingpile · 05/04/2013 21:41

Thanks. higgle - I could probably spare a tenner or maybe £50. If enough people were interested in your kitchen and bathroom project and feeling altruistic perhaps you'd be able to complete your home improvement project. I'm not asking mumsnetters to help me out with cash though, unless they have an interest in the heritage side.

Sadly it's not in the uk so I doubt the national trust nor the princes trust would be interested. It's Ireland and I am clutching at straws. Most likely scenario is that the property will crumble as there is little chance of Irish heritage funds at the moment. I am not in Ireland which makes it all a bit more difficult when seeking government funding.

OP posts:
Original poster
crumblingpile · 05/04/2013 21:50

Not looking to make a profit unless it was to pay back investors. Yes it would be passed on to family. If we sell it now it might fetch £40,000 but it's more likely to deteriorate. Sentimentally it's invaluable - to me. I would rather it crumble than sell but because of the heritage of it I would so much like to save it from deterioration.

OP posts:
ninjasquirrel · 05/04/2013 21:58

If saving it were more important to you than keeping it in the family and it's sufficiently interesting you could try the Landmark Trust - not all their properties are in the UK.