Using Boards for specific chartiable projects.

DeVore

Ok, I promised I'd outline this on another thread but I dont want to bust in on that thread and drag it off to this idea.

Here's my gut feeling and thoughts, we can make of them what we can.

Firstly the news, the way I am thinking I wouldnt do SSF again next year. For various reasons I think it has run its course. There are only so many books and games that the usual targets need but it might be a project this group might take on. Since I started SSF my life has changed dramatically and having SSF land at a specific time is proving difficult, not to mention that the timing sucks for getting anything done (ie: christmas). Additionally I'm proving to be a bottle-neck on maximising the help Boards can be as a group.

Here's my thinking on this new idea. We take on projects and build a team or teams to take them on with specific objectives. For example perhaps a group like Barretstown needs a computer room built. We have the hardware, software, networking, marketing (for sponsors), construction (if needed), delivery and money raising skills on various boards to pull something like this off. Perhaps Barnardos need a group of kids taken ok a golfing trip, well we also have a few boards who, working together, could easily pull this off.

We also dont have to limit this to kids, we could include other worthy groups who have specific needs we could address. We pull together the various required skills from Boards to fulfil such specific projects. I dont think they would be hard to find.

This is a much broader based idea and less dependant on one person so less bottlenecking. A steering group could be created to review and choose projects to tackle. The idea being that we arrive, solve the problem and leave. No long term commitments, no on going support because such things will become a rock around any such groups neck.

Call it Project X or The B Team (:)) but its a more focused, perhaps more long term useful version of SSF.

I dunno if I've explained this well or not but basically I think there is a wealth of untapped energy, skills and talent in Boards that would be focused to obliterate small to medium, localised problems. In turn this empowers and unlocks the target charities to do more in the long term.

DeV.

Fajitas!

I think this would be a good idea, there's obviously some really helpful and skilled boardies.

Would be interested, and will be interesting to see how this thread plays out.

Anywho, if you need a photographer, artist, load carrier, or people organiser...I can help.

Ruu_Old

^Agreed, there are a bunch of very skilled users in many different areas who would be willing to lend a hand in these projects, myself included. Certainly it would be a lot less pressure on one or two people having to organise something. Good thinking, lets see how it develops.

challengemaster

great idea, bravo dear sir *claps*

DeVore

Add to this something I should have thought of but, didnt.

We have some talented online/virtual artisans too. Websites, promo shots, graphics, database site set up etc. I dont mean to say we would or should become a web-dev house or anything but its an area we might be able to spot-help with a group of experts.

For example, there are any number of charities would love the Boards photographers descend on them for a day and shoot like mad things and then another group could layout their website or perhaps a corporate sponsorship-brouchure for printing etc etc

In all of this, the sheer size of Boards could convince sponsors to associate their names with projects to raise any costs-money required where necessary. God knows they sly up beside us and shill for nothing, we might as well make some use of their desire to insinuate themselves

DeV.

miju

i think this is a brilliant idea and one that can help out many different causes effectively in whatever key area they are lacking and boards isn't

count me in to help in any way i can

Steveire

You know challenge Anneka is set to return this year?

RuggieBear

golf?

Victor

Time to take over Kildare Street?

DeVore

Its kinda like Moderators... but for societies real problems

DeV.

seamus

Without attempting to flesh out any specifics, I think it's definitely a good idea.

I'm sure you may also be able to get some serious corporate backing in exchange for a logo in a prominent position - e.g. if you're building a computer room for Barrettstown, get a server from Dell, and stick up a few Dell stickers around the room.

Anti

Sounds like a very good idea to me.

Sleepy

Steveire wrote:

You know challenge Anneka is set to return this year?

The theme tune for that was running through my head as I read Dev's initial post.

A great idea and I'll help in any way I can.

Kinetic^

Great idea.

DeVore

Corporate sponsorship wouldn't be a problem in general. People and skills are the issue, money can always be found somewhere if the idea and the charity are good.

Whilst lying in my scratcher this morning I also thought that projects shouldnt be ones we create or suggest. Nor should they be created for us to solve. They should be genuine requirements of a charity or "good cause" which we turn up, eradicate, and leave. Choosing which to tackle is going to be the key I think. It will require a council/committee of some kind so that it doesnt bog down because of, or overload, a single individual.

So, practicalities of this are:
1. We need a formal charity and accounts and accountant.

2. We need a group of dedicated hardcore decision makers who are willing to committ time *regularly* to making decisions about projects, organising certain aspects, trusted to handle finances etc etc. Others can jump in and out and assist on various projects they like the look of (such as the posters above who say they will help) but a group has to form the hardcore. How I form that group I dont know yet...

3. Projects. We need to find out about projects that someone is trying to get done and could do with our help. I dont want this to be the first stop for such things, I'd rather we were a "desperate last hope" or knights in shining armour. Frankly, our resources (while considerable) are finite, "spot help" should be our watch words. If you can think of a group who could do with our help though, please do let me know.

DeV.

Kinetic^

DeVore wrote:

1. We need a formal charity and accounts and accountant.

Accounts are my game. While I can't sign off on an audit report yet (:() I could help you form accounts. I'm sure the 2 mods in Accountancy would also lend a hand. Timing would be an issue with exams but will put my name down to help.

the_syco

DeVore wrote:

a group has to form the hardcore. How I form that group I dont know yet...

Gather a few up from the core group of the SSF, go drinking, and discuss it there?

miju

how would the commitee go about finding what skills what users are willing to donate?

me thinks a boards.ie census is in order

DeVore

Kenny 5 wrote:

Accounts are my game. While I can't sign off on an audit report yet (:() I could help you form accounts. I'm sure the 2 mods in Accountancy would also lend a hand. Timing would be an issue with exams but will put my name down to help.

See how it works

What I need at the moment is a list "things to do" to become a registered charity. Pretty quickly after that I'll be looking for someone to do them (:)) but we'll deal with that when we have to.

Finding the skills a user has is easy enough. Looking for capenters... try the gardening forum. Web graphics? Try the Webmaster forum. Put out a call for help and trust me, the offers will come in!
If everyone just does a little, and does what they do professionally anyway, it will all work. I've yet to discover a profession or skill whereby if you ask nicely someone who is a recognised expert wont lend a hand for a day or two's pro bono work so long as its efficiently organised and costs them nothing out of pocket.

DeV.

miju

ok so , when you say the comitee has to meet regularly Dev how regular , depending on the time comittments this will require i'll be up for it

Shiminay

miju wrote:

ok so , when you say the comitee has to meet regularly Dev how regular , depending on the time comittments this will require i'll be up for it

As often as is necessary tbh. If there's a project or 2 on, then weekly meetings should suffice. If we're not doing anything for a month, there's no need to meet.

I'm doing a bit of reading on registering a charity at the moment, I've found the Revenue Commissioners details if we want to register for tax exemption (I don't know how necessary that might be), but it has some other details which I'll chase up tonight.

http://www.revenue.ie/leaflets/faq_chy.pdf wrote:

Charitable organisations mainly take one of three legal forms:
• an unincorporated association with a Constitution or Rules;
• a charitable trust established by Trust Deed;
• a company governed by a Memorandum and Articles of Association
clikeh

Making ourselves known as "the people to come to" might prove to be the more difficult task initially. Word of mouth is of course the best form of advertising, so we should tell the beneficaries of SSF in the past to get blabbing! I would also be wary as to how much we can take on at any given time. 1 or 2 projects at most I'd say so the work and people remain tightly focused and as a result gets completed quicker.

Shiminay

After some searching, I've found this which seems to be the general "how to" from Cohmairle. There are even some sample documents and so on in there. Unfortunately, I'm at work and don't have time right now to go through it fully, but I will when I get home later this morning.

Kinetic^

Just to go against seeking charitable status, you'd require a special audit report every year and unless you know someone who can do it cheap it's going to inflict extra cost upon you.

Edit: Just another thing. When preparing accounts, don't keep putting it off, having bits and pieces done helps out at the end process.

r3nu4l

Brilliant idea, not sure how exactly I can help as I live in the UK.

I work in Medical Communications so I guess if you need someone to help outline and orchestrate communications plans and proposals, I could do that.

oleras

I dont really see where this is going, will this be a charitable organisation to help other charitable organisations ? eg. design a website for charity x, bring charity y children golfing for a day ? help a comunity get a computer room off the ground ? If people really wanted to "give " their time freely for these causes i am sure they would already be doing it, civic minded as you all are already ! Or is it a marketing exercise to get the "Boards" name recognised even more ? I just dont see why you would have to be a registered charity to go and take some pictures for a charitys website.

And just to make sure everyone know where i am coming from, i dont really have much time for charities, that should be "our" governments job to provide enough money for comunities and the like. As for me, i have no issues giving to childline, because they are just children and we as a society should do everything in our power to help them because our government could not be bothered and RNLI, and no i dont have any history with either, i know some might say that x charity or organisation were great to me the time my relative was diagnosed with this or that, and fair play to them, but did you think about and promote them before you needed them ? Then again that is the nature of the beast.

Anyway, just my thoughts. Keep up the good work !

r3nu4l

oleras wrote:

i know some might say that x charity or organisation were great to me the time my relative was diagnosed with this or that, and fair play to them, but did you think about and promote them before you needed them ? Then again that is the nature of the beast.

Er, well I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of people who support and work with homeles charities have never been homeless themselves...

/puff...that argument vanishes in a puff of logic

oleras

r3nu4l wrote:

Er, well I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of people who support and work with homeles charities have never been homeless themselves...

/puff...that argument vanishes in a puff of logic

You just dont get it do you ? why dont you offer your vast "to help outline and orchestrate communications plans and proposals" to some charity in the UK ? Why did you have to wait for boards to remind you you had time available.

This should not descend into an argument, i wont be replying to you anymore, out of respect to the op.

r3nu4l

oleras wrote:

You just dont get it do you ? why dont you offer your vast "to help outline and orchestrate communications plans and proposals" to some charity in the UK ? Why did you have to wait for boards to remind you you had time available.

I do help out charities here and wasn't relying on boards.ie to engage my moral compass East Anglia Childrens Hospice gets roughly 12 hours a month of my time pro bono on comms plans and always gets anything I would otherwise throw away to sell in their shops in Cambridge (books, clothes).

But I am Irish and would love to get involved again in helping Irish charities, I used to help out at one time on a very local level with charities for the elderly etc. Charity begins at home.

tba

DeVore wrote:

What I need at the moment is a list "things to do" to become a registered charity. Pretty quickly after that I'll be looking for someone to do them (:)) but we'll deal with that when we have to.

Nonsense, what you need right now is a cool sounding name, like The Boards Initiative or Project Jaguar

Also you need a logo, preferably one with swishy lines and a cool font, thats always step one.

DeVore

lol TBA...

oleras, my simple answer to you is that people do not take on charitable tasks alone. Firstly, noone is watching if we dont do it and franky, we're all fairly lazy at heart when it comes to actually getting off the backside and doing charity work. Secondly it can become too much ongoing work and you can find yourself 12 months down the line losing every second weekend to a charitable cause simply because you arent willing to say no.

This way we spot pick projects and ask people for one-time favours, you arent committing yourself to repeated ongoing work. That makes it easy to say yes to us.

The idea that I'm somehow doing this to promote Boards is both offensive and easily disproven. How much "publicity" did Boards get from the Santa Strike Force? None.
This will be handled similarly.

Finally, I respect your point of view about charities. Each to his own. You've made your point and I dont expect this to descend into an arguement, though if you wish to debate the broader topic I'll follow you to a thread in Humanities if you like.

Back on topic. I think we probably need to have a forum for this idea now as we are starting to see two threads come from this thread already: Accounts and Project selection/management.

My thoughts on the latter are that we should quite definitely NOT be going out there marketing outselves as the "go to" guys for problem solving. I'd much rather (if you'll forgive the analogy!) an "A Team" approach that keeps us OFF the radar and if someone knows of us and of the problem/project and contacts us and explains then we might agree to form a working committee to deal with it. Or we might not.

DeV.

oleras

Thanks for the reply DeV, first off, no offence at all intended in my question, i just did not see the point in registering a charity to help other charitable organisations.SSF is/was not a registered charity with public accounts. This would be, or so it seems that was the way the conversation was headed, i know these were just ideas being thrown in the ring about the organisation of such a commitee/strike force.As i said was not a dig at boards and i apologise if it offended you.
Secondly, i may have went off an a slight tangent with regard to charitys, i will get back to you on that debate sometime in Humanities .
And lastly, i think its a great idea to help other people, in whatever way we, as a nation can, so as i said, keep up the good work !

oleras