This is my favourite goal [at least of my goals]. And I think we can all help each other on 43T with support, encouragement and prayers. But since staring this goal I’ve wanted the help to be more than “virtual”.
Several factors have affected my thinking, seeing 43T friends in need – maybe needing medical tests, that they could get so much quicker if privately funded. Or needing essential pieces of medical equipment, which maybe they can’t afford. Also, I see young talented 43T friends with great business ideas, but struggling to fund those ideas. And so many other needs, big and small – what can we, as a community do to help.
Well last night I read Mollie’s post about donating 10% of her salary to charity :) So wonderful, so generous – it started my brain ticking.
This is a very large site – imagine we could donate $1 per week or month, to a fund to help 43Thinger’s in need. If lot’s of members contributed such a tiny amount – it would supply a lot of funds for helping.
Now this is a brand new idea to me, and I know it’s very much just the bare bones – so I’m asking everyone to help with advice and suggestions – could we make this work? would people be willing to regularily donate very small amounts of money? how would we actually achieve this, what are the praticalities?
What safeguards would we need in place?
Would 43T let us do this? Could a front page with the request for donations be arranged? Could important announcemens be “sticky” ie not get lost among the other posts? To stop the funds being abused, should it only be available to 43t who already have active accounts, for say six months? Should the donations be put in escrow? would escrow accumulate interest?
Who would manage the fund? Should the first money be spent on funding a chat room, so participants can freely swap ideas and set this up?
What do you all feel about the idea? Would you be willing to donate a dollar a week/month, to help other 43T friends in need?
What would we call the project, 43Helpers? or 43 Grants? or what?
Would knowledgeable 43T people be willing to submit maybe one article of advice, from their own area of expertease to help others? Maybe advice on starting an online business, what software would be recommended etc? Maybe this arm of the project could be called 43Advisors?
You can see this is a very raw idea, but I think it has big possibilities. Obviously, I need a lot of help and ideas if this is ever going to take off. I’m excited by the idea of helping 43T friends – I hope you are too!
I’d happily donate $1 a week, knowing it could, for example, help Jessie buy equipment for Nick’s rehabilitation [Jessie I really hope you don’t mind me using you as an example here, but you were really the inspiration for the whole idea], or help God’s T-Shirt man get all the equipment and software to start his business. And there are 43T friends needing MRI scans etc – imagine being able to fund that for only $1 a week!!!
Please help make this a reality – please make as many suggestions as possible, and tell as many other as poss to do the same. We can be more than virtual friends, we can really do something to help:)
Look forward to your feedback
gemmword
