I've been working on something similar at http://www.ideacradle.com/ and there are quite a few stumbling blocks.
The fundraiser takes considerable risk accepting funds with possible refunds because of the transaction fees associated with using any payment system like credit cards, paypal and all the rest.
Paypal seems at first to be the easyest way but unfortunately they have a nasty habit of freezing funds for as long as they want if there is any abnormal activity on the account. See http://www.paypalsucks.com/
In every case it is the merchant who bears the costs of bad transactions.
I'm pursuing a strategy more like a petition and resulting co-operative at ideacradle but I struggle with my own issues.
Excuse the self plug but http://www.ideacradle.com/ was created for exactly this kind of community action. It lets people commit to donate only when enough others have agreed so it is fundraising without the need to commit funds.
I agree. The desires and needs of people remain unchanged. Difficulty in effective communication within large groups produces apathy.
The web makes collaboration and communication increasingly easy for groups of like minded individuals. I believe that a threshold will be reached where co-operative social entrepreneurship will become an important force of change.
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I've been working on something similar at http://www.ideacradle.com/ and there are quite a few stumbling blocks. The fundraiser takes considerable risk accepting funds with possible refunds because of the transaction fees associated with using any payment system like credit cards, paypal and all the rest. Paypal seems at first to be the easyest way but unfortunately they have a nasty habit of freezing funds for as long as they want if there is any abnormal activity on the account. See http://www.paypalsucks.com/ In every case it is the merchant who bears the costs of bad transactions. I'm pursuing a strategy more like a petition and resulting co-operative at ideacradle but I struggle with my own issues.
Excuse the self plug but http://www.ideacradle.com/ was created for exactly this kind of community action. It lets people commit to donate only when enough others have agreed so it is fundraising without the need to commit funds.
I've started a fund raising co-op at http://www.ideacradle.com/givesupport_virtual.php? currentIdea=11/
I concede this is a long shot but we will see.
I agree. The desires and needs of people remain unchanged. Difficulty in effective communication within large groups produces apathy. The web makes collaboration and communication increasingly easy for groups of like minded individuals. I believe that a threshold will be reached where co-operative social entrepreneurship will become an important force of change.
The people can do it. Start a wireless funding co-operative. The alternative is waiting for wal-mart to do it for you poorly yet eternally.