ArdWrknTrk Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 I'm kinda between a rock and a hard place here Gary. While I'd usually be glad to throw a couple of Franklins your way, as you know I've been laid up -out of work- AND hemorrhaging $ to put my diff back together ( ~2k worth of stuff for a truck that's worth $500) I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure how substantial that may be. Have you considered just opening a Gmail address like "ForumUpgrade@gmail.com" and using that a as PayPal and Venmo account? That would make it super easy for anyone on this planet with a smartphone. Currency exchange is baked in and there are no fees, if it's a "gift"... Sure it leaves the onus on you, but I don't know any member that doesn't trust you implicitly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 I'm kinda between a rock and a hard place here Gary. While I'd usually be glad to throw a couple of Franklins your way, as you know I've been laid up -out of work- AND hemorrhaging $ to put my diff back together ( ~2k worth of stuff for a truck that's worth $500) I'll do what I can, but I'm not sure how substantial that may be. Have you considered just opening a Gmail address like "ForumUpgrade@gmail.com" and using that a as PayPal and Venmo account? That would make it super easy for anyone on this planet with a smartphone. Currency exchange is baked in and there are no fees, if it's a "gift"... Sure it leaves the onus on you, but I don't know any member that doesn't trust you implicitly Jeff - I'm with you. Well said. Jim - Your time & your knowledge is more cherished than your money. Please don't worry about it at all. As for the way to get the money to me, Paypal has been deducting when I send money to my kids, so we've gone to Venmo - which is owned by Paypal but hasn't deducted. But it isn't just the movement of the money. Instead, the first question was if we can raise the money and I wanted the answer to that before we started moving it. So that's why I've been looking at Kickstarter as people pledge and then, if you reach the goal, Kickstarter sucks the money in from them and sends it to you - minus 5%. But in the background I've been getting notes from y'all that indicate we will be able to do this. So I'm not sure Kickstarter will be needed. Just got off the phone with my son, the tax lawyer. He said I need to set up a non-profit through which to wash all of the one-time and on-going funds. And I'll have to pay taxes on it, which gets factored into the math to end up showing no profit. So now I'm researching what it takes to set up a non-profit, how to track expenditures, what is needed for tax purposes, etc. We set up one for church a few years ago and I'll talk to the people who did that and get their input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viven44 Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Jeff - I'm with you. Well said. Jim - Your time & your knowledge is more cherished than your money. Please don't worry about it at all. As for the way to get the money to me, Paypal has been deducting when I send money to my kids, so we've gone to Venmo - which is owned by Paypal but hasn't deducted. But it isn't just the movement of the money. Instead, the first question was if we can raise the money and I wanted the answer to that before we started moving it. So that's why I've been looking at Kickstarter as people pledge and then, if you reach the goal, Kickstarter sucks the money in from them and sends it to you - minus 5%. But in the background I've been getting notes from y'all that indicate we will be able to do this. So I'm not sure Kickstarter will be needed. Just got off the phone with my son, the tax lawyer. He said I need to set up a non-profit through which to wash all of the one-time and on-going funds. And I'll have to pay taxes on it, which gets factored into the math to end up showing no profit. So now I'm researching what it takes to set up a non-profit, how to track expenditures, what is needed for tax purposes, etc. We set up one for church a few years ago and I'll talk to the people who did that and get their input. This is a perfect example of how "nothing is free in this world" and I am happy to always contribute to keeping it real! Having said that, the $100/mo ongoing would easily be paid up if we allow ads. Sponsorship may not be up my alley as it may force bias, etc. But ads are benign. Any revenue from ads will pay ongoing expenditure, and perhaps even fund events. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Jeff - I'm with you. Well said. Jim - Your time & your knowledge is more cherished than your money. Please don't worry about it at all. As for the way to get the money to me, Paypal has been deducting when I send money to my kids, so we've gone to Venmo - which is owned by Paypal but hasn't deducted. But it isn't just the movement of the money. Instead, the first question was if we can raise the money and I wanted the answer to that before we started moving it. So that's why I've been looking at Kickstarter as people pledge and then, if you reach the goal, Kickstarter sucks the money in from them and sends it to you - minus 5%. But in the background I've been getting notes from y'all that indicate we will be able to do this. So I'm not sure Kickstarter will be needed. Just got off the phone with my son, the tax lawyer. He said I need to set up a non-profit through which to wash all of the one-time and on-going funds. And I'll have to pay taxes on it, which gets factored into the math to end up showing no profit. So now I'm researching what it takes to set up a non-profit, how to track expenditures, what is needed for tax purposes, etc. We set up one for church a few years ago and I'll talk to the people who did that and get their input. Setting up a non-profit is not without it's own expenses. (Like incorporating and filing with the State Department of Revenue Services, at least here in CT) You usually need a Lawyer to file it too. :nabble_money-flying-23_orig: Man, I'm telling you, if you send as a "Gift" there's no percentage to PP/Vmo. Wether this is a one time ask or an ongoing thing to cover admin/server costs, nobody's going to bat an eyelash at ~$1500. (that used to be a Friday night for me. ) NONE of us are worried that you are going to embezzle the funds and run to Thailand. Just make up an email, like BullnoseForumSoftware@gmail.com and get on with it. I will send whatever I may have, when the time comes. Right now I have $0.08 in the bank and a single dollar in my wallet... Who knows where I am tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 This is a perfect example of how "nothing is free in this world" and I am happy to always contribute to keeping it real! Having said that, the $100/mo ongoing would easily be paid up if we allow ads. Sponsorship may not be up my alley as it may force bias, etc. But ads are benign. Any revenue from ads will pay ongoing expenditure, and perhaps even fund events. Screw ads and sponsors. That's 80% the reason we're here and NOT there! I'm completely sick of getting served someone else's 🐂 every time I open my phone. 😡 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 This is a perfect example of how "nothing is free in this world" and I am happy to always contribute to keeping it real! Having said that, the $100/mo ongoing would easily be paid up if we allow ads. Sponsorship may not be up my alley as it may force bias, etc. But ads are benign. Any revenue from ads will pay ongoing expenditure, and perhaps even fund events. Vivek - Thanks, but I want this site to be free of adverts. That's been a stated goal since I started it. There are several reasons for that. First, when I was on FTE I was rewarded for being a chapter leader by having the annoying adverts turned off. Got used to that and then FTE let that perk go w/o asking or telling us and I was quickly reminded how annoying they were. (And quickly realized how impossible it was to work with FTE.) Second, I used to listen to a gospel radio "station" on the internet who struggled paying the bills and turned adverts on. Many of those were anything but Christian, so I called the station and they said that once they turned them on they had no control whatsoever of what adverts would run. So I've already told my kids that when I die and they come to manage this that there are to be no adverts. Which brings up a point - I need to figure out as I set up this non-profit how to have others involved so there can be a transfer when the time comes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ArdWrknTrk Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Vivek - Thanks, but I want this site to be free of adverts. That's been a stated goal since I started it. There are several reasons for that. First, when I was on FTE I was rewarded for being a chapter leader by having the annoying adverts turned off. Got used to that and then FTE let that perk go w/o asking or telling us and I was quickly reminded how annoying they were. (And quickly realized how impossible it was to work with FTE.) Second, I used to listen to a gospel radio "station" on the internet who struggled paying the bills and turned adverts on. Many of those were anything but Christian, so I called the station and they said that once they turned them on they had no control whatsoever of what adverts would run. So I've already told my kids that when I die and they come to manage this that there are to be no adverts. Which brings up a point - I need to figure out as I set up this non-profit how to have others involved so there can be a transfer when the time comes. My great uncles were contract lawyers for Cities Service. That's why they moved to the Tulsa area in the late seventies when Citgo move from New York to Tulsa.. Broken Arrow was a brand new and upscale subdivision back then... But Jim would tell me a lot about contracts and how they're written. I never followed him to Yale, because I was pretty disinterested in the business world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 My great uncles were contract lawyers for Cities Service. That's why they moved to the Tulsa area in the late seventies when Citgo move from New York to Tulsa.. Broken Arrow was a brand new and upscale subdivision back then... But Jim would tell me a lot about contracts and how they're written. I never followed him to Yale, because I was pretty disinterested in the business world. Our son, Bret, is a tax lawyer for a major company. And the lady I just spoke to about this was a tax accountant for a major company. Both of them deal/dealt with billions and not hundreds of dollars. But, the idea is the same. She said that I should set up a non-profit so I don't have to account for this money in our personal finances. But not necessarily a 501©(3). And that if the entity doesn't have any employees it doesn't have to file taxes. So she and I are going to research what the options are for a non-profit. And I'm going to document what the costs are for what we have as well as where we are going. Guess I won't be posting what I've done to Big Blue very often. But I think now is the time to make this happen. Janey's stents last week & the tornado that missed us by 12 miles have awakened me to just how tenuous life is, so I need to get this sorted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mat in tn Posted May 10 Share Posted May 10 Vivek - Thanks, but I want this site to be free of adverts. That's been a stated goal since I started it. There are several reasons for that. First, when I was on FTE I was rewarded for being a chapter leader by having the annoying adverts turned off. Got used to that and then FTE let that perk go w/o asking or telling us and I was quickly reminded how annoying they were. (And quickly realized how impossible it was to work with FTE.) Second, I used to listen to a gospel radio "station" on the internet who struggled paying the bills and turned adverts on. Many of those were anything but Christian, so I called the station and they said that once they turned them on they had no control whatsoever of what adverts would run. So I've already told my kids that when I die and they come to manage this that there are to be no adverts. Which brings up a point - I need to figure out as I set up this non-profit how to have others involved so there can be a transfer when the time comes. this is starting to feel like a pre-planned funeral. I know in my heart that you are trying to preserve not only the information this shares but the community also. as is with all things, projects grow and the bigger they get the harder they get to maintain, and at some point, the acceptance of something you would not have accepted yesterday gets considered. this is how many things we "enjoy" today have come about yet there is always a cost. that cost is often the tolerance of compromising one's core beliefs. I guess the big point to consider is "does it need to grow to stay viable"? has it not grown well enough for the tech that it is operating on? if it grows another year will the cost to move increase? I am NOT a tech guy and know next to nothing about that side of it, happy to have participated as well as I have, still have issues. heck ten years ago I couldn't even spell geeemail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Lewis Posted May 10 Author Share Posted May 10 this is starting to feel like a pre-planned funeral. I know in my heart that you are trying to preserve not only the information this shares but the community also. as is with all things, projects grow and the bigger they get the harder they get to maintain, and at some point, the acceptance of something you would not have accepted yesterday gets considered. this is how many things we "enjoy" today have come about yet there is always a cost. that cost is often the tolerance of compromising one's core beliefs. I guess the big point to consider is "does it need to grow to stay viable"? has it not grown well enough for the tech that it is operating on? if it grows another year will the cost to move increase? I am NOT a tech guy and know next to nothing about that side of it, happy to have participated as well as I have, still have issues. heck ten years ago I couldn't even spell geeemail. Mat - This isn't a funeral but a new beginning. And yes, it needs to change to stay viable. Not necessarily to grow. That's because our forum is on Nabble, which is going to go away at some point. We aren't paying anything and the proprietor, Franklin, has let me know he will shut it down at some point in time. And given what I have seen, he will do so w/o any notice. (I'm not complaining as that is certainly his right.) So we must go somewhere and we've done the research and testing and have settled on InVision. We know the cost to move our existing forum there and, while it is significant, it won't get any cheaper over time. So we should go now to keep the cost as low as possible, enjoy the benefits of the new environment longer, and not wake up some day to the place being shut down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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