Not sure how it’s set up but I know for example if you want to subscribe to just about anything on-line you can just stick in credit card details and it automatically takes the money every month off the card. It’s a lot easier & quicker than signing up to a DD. If that was available I’d sign up to it right now, would take my mind off the wife’s driving on the A1, I’m feeling very vulnerable in the passenger seat! You could give subscribers some additional features not available to free users, I.e ability to use emojis or include links in posts etc. If it was a fiver a month and even if just a hundred of us signed up to it, you’d be getting £6000 per year. Any surplus over and above running costs could be donated to the kids teams or whatever.
In the spirit of fairness, couldn't you introduce a system where you buy a quota of comments, so maybe by paying £5 you get the opportunity to make 100 comments?
It would be easy knowing when to "top-up" because of the message counter at the side of your comment.
At least this way, everyone would be paying in what they "put in" in terms of a comment, and surely no-one could argue at paying 5 pence a comment?
You would know better about the logistics of this working than I would Cricko,but it is only another way of looking at some form of future funding.
I think perception is a marvellous thing. When a competition is arranged, a lot of the time the money does not got to ShrimperZone, it will go to the prize winners. Player Sponsorship, for example, is run each year and all we collect is enough money to pay the fee required by the Club. As @Cricko says we have relied heavily on sponsorship that does not blitz the Zone with adverts and with the departure of some of those it does make a cash shortfall. At the end of the day if you choose to donate then we will very grateful, the alternative is you continue using the Zone for nothing, taking advantage of any improvements that are made to the Zone. All the moderating team, admin and the owner (@Cricko) give our time for nothing and in fact I have known @Cricko to actively put his own money into the Zone when unexpected bills appear. I get what you are saying about transparency but it's not something I necessarily agree on because when we have enough sponsorship funding coming in then there is very little need to ask for donations.
Ok, thanks for the feedback. I posted to give you more of an insight into what does and doesn't go to the Zone. The good news is that I don't wear y-fronts so I'm not suffering from twisted genitals. You've offered your views and some have merited deletion, but we'll draw the line on that here. Using the Zone for Free is your option, as you say.? All I did was add a suggestion on how to raise some cash and also add a little tracker (people are more likely to donate if there is a target) and all the owners get their y-fronts in a twist as if I’m challenging them and delete my posts.
Either this is “our zone” and questions should be welcomed and answered or it’s “your zone” and you can shut down ideas and therefore reduce you chances of additional funding.
Set a target bigger than needed with an end of season party funded by a % over the amount raised (keeping some for emergency) and people could “chuck a pint for the party” every now and again as well.
If you need to beg for cash every year, I would suggest being more open to ideas on how to raise funds would be a step forward and you may raise a bit more outside the same clique then help out.
But hey, I’ll just keep using it for free for now until you all want to be a bit more open ??
I would love to donate but I haven't yet been able to work out a way to do so anonymously. Is there any way anyone knows of?
Trying to make a donation but I cant process it - helpNice idea but that does not awaken the silent majority.