Fundraising Committee

[termietermite]

Following the "Club Arnage in Dire Straits" thread, the overwhelming response to Smokie's idea of forming a fundraising commitee to oversee the financial and fundraising business of the site, and the stonking amount of money pledged - we now need volunteers, please.

Anybody who thinks that they have anything which they can bring to this, then please volunteer on this thread.  We are probably looking for 5 committee members (to include a treasurer, so a finance guru would be very useful) and a pool of other volunteers.  I propose to close the nominations on Wednesday 23rd May, after which there will be a pole vote which all members can participate in.

[Bob U]

I was always told never to volunteer for anything, but in this case I will gladly make an exception.

[Lawnmower Man]

Hi Termie,

I'm not a committee type of person.  So I'm not really suited to it.   My skills are in the IT world.   So if there is any thing you / the committee needs in that area I'm up for that.  For example,  I wrote a "thing" for Delboy to reformat his orders from an Excel Spreadsheet to put in the orders thread. I then used it myself fo my lanyard orders too.  So I'm happy to offer myself as a Tech Support person. 

T.

[Piglet]

I'm also "not a committee person" so will take a step back, there are people better suited to it than me and I'm already failing miserably to keep up with the one "committee" job I already have!

I'm happy to make tea and help out at events at meetings etc. and if my motorsport contacts can help at all just shout. 

[termietermite]

Brian (Liverpool Boys) has kindly added his name to the list of volunteers.

[Lorry]

I'm a committee type of person, but I think you want action rather than a committee.

[termietermite]

I'm a committee type of person, but I think you want action rather than a committee.

I take your point.  However, I can also see that the owners and moderators of this site want to be as transparent as possible in their dealings with what is now rather more cash than was originally thought!  Also, by asking for people who really want to do this and who have the time, hopefully something will be set up and done quickly.  There have already been dozens of good ideas on the "Dire Straits" thread that need to be gone through so they can be got on with.

Are you volunteering?

[Andy Zarse]

I'm a committee type of person, but I think you want action rather than a committee.

I have to say I think Lorry would make a really excellent member of the escape committee. So I'll propose him if that's ok?

[mgmark]

Aside from whatever else I can bring to the party, I can't deny experience of committee work which, amongst other subjects, has included finance and governance related to charities, club memberships etc.   I haven't got the capacity to do the money handling side, but I can help with the drawing up constitution/terms of reference, management and the auditing and reporting.  

Just to set out my views, if it is to be done, then there are some "fine lines" which must remain uncrossed; the principal ways to avoid crossing them are:

1)  Setting out the aims, terms and processes of the venture and how it will be run and administered.
2)  Complete transparency of what is going on, what/where/how money comes in and goes out, the decisions being taken and the reasons behind them.
3)  The limitations imposed on any executive powers of the committee through a constitution, in terms of how funds are raised, what they can be legitmately applied to, and any levels/type of expenditure authorised without needing approval from the whole membership.
4)  An acceptance by the membership that the people involved will be trying to the best of their abilities to get it right for the benefit of what is important to the CA membership.  
5)  Not to use it as a means of profit-making or for funding commmercial goods for resale to feed back into the venture, other than under some extremely strict guidelines - it is one of the most common ways in which charities or clubs find themselves unable to support themselves, because there is too much stock of items that were "thought" would be a good seller.

Boring stuff, but I would suggest a Chairperson (with overall responsibility for keeping it on rails), a Treasurer (i.e. the one who is going to do the nitty-gritty of paying in and paying out money) and a Secretary (to record what's happened and what is planned) as the usual appointments, supplemented by others who are suited to the ideas, planning, rabble-rousing and actual execution of stuff - some expertise in the IT/media/marketing areas would be also useful.      

A purpose might read something like "To maintain Club Arnage, renowned for its friendship, humour, honest information and the absence of commercial gain, as the web-based home for a bunch of individuals who share the many and various dreams that make up the Le Mans 24 hour race - and much else that takes their fancy".

Finally, there is probably some good sense in having a couple of ultimate arbiters (GF and Smokie to use but 2 examples?) in a sort of non-executive oversight role, with the ability to raise a yellow or red card as appropriate, to assure the membership that the committee's work remains honest and true to that ideal (or something similar).  Quarterly meetings (virtual or otherwise) - one of them somewhere around La Sarthe in June? - and published reports.
 
I guess that's about it - subject to work commitments taking precedence, within reason I'm happy to bring to it what I can.

MG Mark

[Lazy B'stard]

I think mgmark would be good for the job. ;-)
 I put him forward.

[fagey]

ditto..

knows his bananas that boy

[Robspot]

Whilst I would be up for the role of Treasurer I am no financial guru and I think you're right, if we can find one it would be better.

However, for some weird reason I seem to enjoy creating forms and paperwork so I would nominate myself for a literature and publications role (newsletters, fundraising forms, order forms - that sort of thing).

Obviously Termie and MGMark get my votes for the important roles.

[Robspot]

Although (and this shows what an excellent candidate I wouldn't be) the committee for a web forum wouldn't really need that much paperwork would it 

[Snoring Rhino]

I would be happy to be a doer in the committee.

[Chrisgr31]

My wife will kill me if I volunteer to do anything else!  That would make my offer superflous!  So whilst I support the idea I won't be volunteering to be on the committee.  More than welcome to input any ideas etc.

Incidentially remind everyone that this site is busiest in the run up to the race weekend itself, and the committee will need to consider this as part of their efforts.

Might need to contact people by PM or email after the race weekend!  I know I am inclined to foerget to visit in the off season (I know the dedicated don't have an off season but I do!)