View Full Version : Forum Financial Update, YTD
NRM has provided it's 3rd Quarter financial statement showing YTD expenses.
The following applies to the forums:
Donations: $663
Bank Fees: $ 18.94
Contract Labor:$283.41
Web&Internet: $680.47
TotalExpense: $982.82
Balance: ($319.82)
Contract Labor expense accounts for paid work by NRM staff to administer the site during the first quarter of the year. This work is now performed by a volunteer so should not be considered an on-going expense.
During the board meeting, held on Monday 10/15/12, the 2013 calendar year budget was proposed and approved at $1500. This should be adequate to maintain the site license and hosting expenses, emergency maintenance fees in the event of further site hacking and a small balance for incidental expenses that may arise.
awakenedsoul
10-17-12, 9:02pm
I will send a check to New Road Map Foundation tomorrow. I'll put "Simple Living Forum" in the subject line. Thanks to all the volunteers!
Could you please post the address where we can send a check? I believe last time I wrote "Simple Living Forum" in the memo line. Do we make it out to Financial Integrity? (Sorry, it's been a while.)
I can get that in the mail right away.
Sure, see the address below. Checks should be directed to the New Road Map Foundation and donations will be credited to the forums if you list SLF or something similar in the memo field.
New Road Map Foundation
PO Box 1363
Langley, WA 98260
iris lily
10-17-12, 10:23pm
Thanks so much for volunteering, Alan, to save us that $283+. This is the best run the boards has ever been. They are at their leanest and most efficient. Really decent moderation as welll (meaning: hardly any.)
Alan, did you get a total # of donations for the year? I'll add a matching dollar figure to my standard personal contribution, as noted in my earlier pledge commitment.
FYI, for those who are considering donating, you can do it through Paypal but they take a cut. If you want 100% of your donation to go to the forums please consider sending a check. For those who have ING accounts, I think it is pretty easy to send an electronic check straight from your online account. I'm going to do it that way this time instead of using paypal.
lhamo
Alan, did you get a total # of donations for the year?
Not yet, Rozie will be sending me a more detailed report in a few days. I'll let you know.
awakenedsoul
10-19-12, 1:51pm
Thanks for the info, Alan. I'm on my way to the P.O. to mail my check...
try2bfrugal
10-19-12, 3:06pm
Is it against the forum charter to put advertising with Adsense and/or Amazon banners on the site? Based on the current Alexa ranking and the topics (finance related) I think you'd make at least $100 a day, maybe more in annual advertising earnings.
You could at least get Amazon affiliate fees for the Money or Your Life and related books or maybe affiliate links some pre-screened sponsors like maybe Gaiam if you don't want the keyword based, software selected ads.
fidgiegirl
10-19-12, 4:15pm
You could at least get Amazon affiliate fees for the Money or Your Life and related books or maybe affiliate links some pre-screened sponsors like maybe Gaiam if you don't want the keyword based, software selected ads.
I like the Amazon affiliate link idea. Little clutter, and gives forum visitors/members an opportunity to buy books that will kick back to the forums. I have bought several copies of YMOYL over the years. If I loan mine out and never get it back, I replace it. I never ask for it back, feeling like it's a little gift to the universe.
I've seen forums that use ads, and few do it well. I like our ad-free space, but of course, I'm not the be-all, end-all of the word on that.
fidgiegirl
10-19-12, 4:17pm
BTW, thanks for the updates, Alan. So nice to know when more donations are needed and what they are going towards.
try2bfrugal
10-19-12, 4:50pm
I've seen forums that use ads, and few do it well. I like our ad-free space, but of course, I'm not the be-all, end-all of the word on that.
Ad-free is nice, is it nicer than possibly 36K a year or maybe even more? In ten years that is 360K that could go to the foundation, charity, whatever. I do not know much about forums but so maybe it would not be that much, but you never really know until you try the ads and affiliate kinks and then tweak them a little bit to see what you can do. It doesn't cost anything to find out.
Alan tells me there were 20 individual donations so far this year, so I have increased my typical contribution by $20.
It was very easy to send a check through ING, if anyone is considering that approach. You do not need to enter an account number, but it does ask for a phone number -- I just put in 999-999-9999 and it accepted that in lieu of a real number.
It would be great if we could pre-pay the estimated cost of running the forums in 2013 (and possibly longer). Toward that end, I'd like to issue another donor challenge. I will make an extra contribution of up to $100 over my typical donation in January 2013 based on the number of contributions NRM receives from members in 2012. That means I am already in for at least an extra $20 based on contributions as of the end of September 2012.
Come on people, make me pay! Maybe not as much fun as watching me fall into a water tank or something, but its something....
lhamo
I would not be opposed to an amazon link to YMOYL (and maybe Getting a Life), given the fact that NRF was developed out of the YMOYL work, but would not want to see other types of ads, especially computer-generated ones. If we go this route there also needs to be a very clear statement about why these limited resources are advertised here, and that we don't accept requests for other types of links or ads. It is likely we will still get more requests to add such links if we have even a few, but hopefully they won't be too numerous/time-consuming.
lhamo
My understanding about ads is that we would only make money if people clicked through AND actually purchased something on the site they clicked through to. You don't get much money merely from merely posting the ads, and you get a little more if people click through, but only substantial money if it makes money for someone through the consumption of products --- not likely to happen at a forum devoted to frugality and staunchly against the kind of impulse shopping that internet ads rely upon to be effective. I don't know where try2bfrugal came up with that $36,000 figure, but I suspect it's more likely to be $36 in revenue from allowing ads!
A book sales affiliation program has been under discussion and I think a good idea. However, again it's still not much money, and would involve people buying books that this community already mainly has... unless we want to continually add NEW simple living books -- which would mean those books would have to be vetted by community members (which is a great idea even if it's just to provide more pertinent posts in the book review forum - hint, hint!)
I believe this is not a community of I-want-everything-for-nothing kind of people, this is a group recognizing that community is something that isn't handed to you on a platter, it's consciously created with effort, and it's housed with effort and money. Not much money, I might add - if EVERYONE who posts gave $15 on average, that would do it. Less than $1.25/month, and how much money is saved through the support and frugality tips? Be a fun experiment for one of the new members to try to keep track of that! (But call me a econo-wonk!) :)
iris lily
10-20-12, 4:15pm
ha, I was just having this discussion TODAY about clicking through your hobby group's website to purchase on Amazon. Folks, if would come to pass that I would actually ever do that, the SL site is not first on my list nor is it even second. Bulldog Rescue comes first, then North American Lily Society.
So my point is, soon whenever everyone is doing it, everyone will be doing it.
Still the North American Lily Society made $600 last year through their partnership with Amazon.
try2bfrugal
10-20-12, 8:25pm
I don't know where try2bfrugal came up with that $36,000 figure, but I suspect it's more likely to be $36 in revenue from allowing ads!
Based on my personal experience as well as discussions with peers using the same programs and the Alexa ranking of this forum. I don't have experience with forums so I don't know for sure what the amount would be. The programs are free to try and the ads easy to install so it they only way to know for sure would be to just try it out.
OOps - Just realized I forgot to send in my annual donation before my last trip. Thanks for the reminder and the address. As they say...the check is in the mail :-)!
Forgot to ask - do you guys take money order? How about cashiers checks? I think both can be cashed in at a bank the same way as a check can. One way to donate anonymously if you aren't comfortable sending a check with your "real" name and address on it.
mtnlaurel
11-18-12, 6:31am
Sure, see the address below. Checks should be directed to the New Road Map Foundation and donations will be credited to the forums if you list SLF or something similar in the memo field.
New Road Map Foundation
PO Box 1363
Langley, WA 98260
Alan, thank you VERY much for putting up these periodic updates of the finances.
I have finally gotten around to putting a teeny-tiny donation in the mail.
Thanks for everyone's hard work. I sincerely appreciate it!
leslieann
11-18-12, 11:15am
Thanks for the reminder. I use this forum at least several times a week but don't remember to PAY unless reminded. Thanks again. And the PayPal thing still works for me with the messiness of currency exchange. Maybe by next year I'll figure something else out.
Forgot to ask - do you guys take money order? How about cashiers checks? I think both can be cashed in at a bank the same way as a check can. One way to donate anonymously if you aren't comfortable sending a check with your "real" name and address on it.
Yes, we'll take anything that the credit union will deposit! :D
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