Fund-raising For Cheesecutter Campaign

[RiderInBlack]

This Campaign is going ta take some time. This means that are going ta be on-going costs running it. I would like to be able to donate to this cause but have not seen a link for making donations. If there is could those running www.cheesecutter.co.nz put a link up for us, thanks. You Dudes and Dudettes are doing awesome work and I don't want ta see ya wearing all the costs of running this.

[Hitcher]

Fundraising. Yet another reason for this campaign to be passed over to Bronz or a similar organisation that has the necessary infrastructure to manage it.

[RiderInBlack]

Fundraising. Yet another reason for this campaign to be passed over to Bronz or a similar organisation that has the necessary infrastructure to manage it.

You should note that www.cheesecutter.co.nz is supported by: BRONZ — Kiwi Biker — SportsBike.co.nz (as stated on the home page of www.cheesecutter.co.nz). Make no doubt about it, this campaign is much more than KB. So how about helping the campaign buy donating
PS: Hitcher, shouldn't "Fundraising" be ether "Fund raising" or "Fund-raising"

[Sanx]

You should note that www.cheesecutter.co.nz is supported by: BRONZ — Kiwi Biker — SportsBike.co.nz (as stated on the home page of www.cheesecutter.co.nz). Make no doubt about it, this campaign is much more than KB. So how about helping the campaign buy donating
PS: Hitcher, shouldn't "Fundraising" be ether "Fund raising" or "Fund-raising"

Nope - 'fundraising' is fine.

As for Hitcher's point about organisation. In the last few months, there have been a number of fundrasing efforts by KBers for different causes: Shaun Harris and MackTheKnife spring to mind. Both of these involved work by a number of people and raised significant amounts of money. KB's members do have the capacity to organise, lobby, cajole, influence and collect funds. It's been done a number of times with a lot of success, and it'll happen again.

Edit: and if any of the organisers want to nominate a bank-account to hold funds, please let me know the details and I'll make sure the relevant info is posted up on the website.

[RiderInBlack]

So How About It?
I'm willing ta put my money where my mouth is.

[Ixion]

We're working on it. Watch this space.

[Hitcher]

As for Hitcher's point about organisation. In the last few months, there have been a number of fundrasing efforts by KBers for different causes: Shaun Harris and MackTheKnife spring to mind. Both of these involved work by a number of people and raised significant amounts of money. KB's members do have the capacity to organise, lobby, cajole, influence and collect funds. It's been done a number of times with a lot of success, and it'll happen again.

There's a big difference, in my opinion, between a one-off equivalent of taking the hat round and giving a lump sum to a deserving biker, and funding an organisation. That's because an organisation is what is required to run the cheesecutter campaign to it's logical conclusion. "Success" will require dedicated and concerted effort over several years. If only it were as simple as a few protest rides and taking a few dollars off people so inclined. Running this campaign as a campaign will cost many thousands of dollars -- with no guarantee of success. The Forces of Evil and Darkness have entrenched positions of power and are in a position where their best tactic is to ignore us, safe in the knowledge that we will eventually lose interest and resort to informed debate as to whom the biggest bitch on this site may or may not be.

That's why I say that we should hand the organisation of this over to BRONZ or a similar organisation that knows how to engage the Government (in all its guises) over long term significant issues. BRONZ, for example, has resources that Kiwi Biker doesn't. It also has other things that come with this territory, such as audited financial statements, elected officers and a charter -- in other words ACCOUNTABILITY.

The cheesecutter campaign is a great cause, but rampant enthusiasm on its own will not take it very far.

[RiderInBlack]

Give it a rest Hitcher. Give these guys a chance. I am sure that they are seeking help from the likes of BRONZ and are seeking ta work in with them.

[Hitcher]

Give it a rest Hitcher. Give these guys a chance. I am sure that they are seeking help from the likes of BRONZ and are seeking ta work in with them.

If so, they should make such arrangements before they start collecting cash, in my opinion.

[Nasty]

Give it a rest Hitcher. Give these guys a chance. I am sure that they are seeking help from the likes of BRONZ and are seeking ta work in with them.

Sorry RIB I am in agreement with Hitcher on this one ... there is a lot to risk .. and not only financially ... its good to put structures in place and ensure that they are there and there is accountability before sending the hat .. which no one has a problem with dipping in their pockets for.

[Ixion]

Uh, hello folks. A bit behind the fair, eh ?

[Nasty]

Uh, hello folks. A bit behind the fair, eh ?

you are doing a great job mate ...

[RiderInBlack]

Sorry but I don't agree with Hitcher. These Dudes and Dudette are doing an awesome job for a cause that is for my benefit (as well as many of the riders here). If I wish to help them with the costs of running this campaign, then I should be able to make contributions to help. I personal trust them to do their best and to not spend the money inappropriately. They are putting themselves out of pocket for this, and I don't see why they should have to.

[Hitcher]

While support is tremendous, nobody has yet thought about a "campaign" that goes beyond the protest rides and endeavoured to cost such a thing. "Fundraising" for a good idea that may or may not come to fruition is, at best, naively hopeful and, at worst, fraudulent. There is no structure in place yet to manage an ongoing cheesecutter campaign that would provide any sort of governance or accountability -- such as an incorporated society structure, elected officers, audited financial statements, membership management and the like. There is also no strategy in place for the cheesecutter campaign in terms of short and long term success measures. At this stage the objective has been to raise awareness of the issue, which has been at best sporadically successful.

Running this campaign through to a logical conclusion will take time, money, a proper structure and probably professional officers -- probably requiring an investment in excess of $100,000 a year for salaries, overhead costs and promotional materials. While that sounds a lot, it's a minimum $30 a year subscription for each of Kiwi Biker's 3,500 active members. (Speculative numbers only in the absence of a strategy and operating plan)

[Ixion]

Pretty negative there Mr Hitcher.

Formal governance stuff will fall to BRONZ. That's why BRONZ is tightly coordinated into the KB Cheesecutter campaign.

That's not an unusual model. Do you imagine that every person who turns up at a Greenpeace protest is actually a member. Or that everyone who protested against the Springbok tours was a member of HART ?

RIB is simply asking for an opportunity to kick in some coin to cover the out of pocket costs of the campaign organisers so far. Sounds reasonable enough to me.

As I haven't heard you come up with any alternative plans, I presume your suggestion is that everyone sit on their hands and wait for the next rider to be cut in half, like patient little sheep ?