I volunteer regularly at my local Humane Society and noticed that on some of the kennels, they have a "sponsored by" sign. Basically the sponsor covers all of the food and general care for the animal in that particular kennel for the year.
I'm throwing around the idea of starting a crowdfunding project to get as many "Sponsored by Bitcoin" kennels as I can. I think it would be pretty cool to see a whole row of them, it certainly would catch the public eye as they're rather prominent (right on the front of the door which is chain link). If I can get it up and running, I would take regular pictures of the dogs, give their backgrounds, etc., and of course pictures of the Bitcoin signs. I've done some preliminary talks with the Humane Society and they are receptive to the idea. I'm not sure of the exact cost of sponsorship but from talking with them it sounds like it will be roughly $1500 per annum per kennel, which I think is a pretty good deal for some prominent advertising. Lets face it, a lot of us have made a lot of money from Bitcoin and I think it would be a cool way to give back, promote Bitcoin in a positive way, and at the same time support a local shelter.
The main obstacles I can see is 1) would people be willing to donate and 2) would people be willing to trust me. I really have no idea about #1 but I think if I promote it enough, people will donate. The main issue is #2, and that's trust. I've been a member of the forums since 2011 but I recognize this doesn't hold a great deal of weight (although it's better than a newbie trying to start the project). I need some ideas on what would be the best way to make this as transparent as possible.
Some ideas:
- Upfront the money myself and get the first sponsorship in place. From there I can start taking pictures, etc., and there's tangible proof. The major risk being the project doesn't take off at all and I'm stuck with the bill.
- Set up a "good faith" deposit with a trusted escrow on the forums (John K. or someone willing) so in the event I don't pull through with my promise, the escrow can release the funds to those who donated to help recoup their losses.
- Have all of the money flow through an escrow and once it reaches the goal amount ($1500 or whatever it will be), have the escrow release the funds to me. Escrow will have all of my contact information and fully vet me in whatever way he/she sees fit.
Can anyone think of any better options? I could use some help. I plan on taking no fees or anything like that, 100% of the donations would go to the promotion of Bitcoin and the Humane Society.
Thanks for taking the time to read. Hit me up here or via PM.
