Help charities start their own mining pool!

[MyFarm]

Do you have a favorite charity or lobby group?  NORML.org?  American Red Cross?  Goodwill?  EFF?  It doesn't matter who they are, get them involved in Bitcoin!  In my opinion, the best way to do this is help them create their own mining pool (or create one yourself dedicated to a specific charity like I have).  Then they can set fees for that mining pool that go DIRECTLY to the charity.  How cool would it be to be able to select from 50+ different mining pool charities?  The benefits of this:

1.  The charities make money.
2.  Charities get involved in BTC.  Governments are MUCH less likely to hassle us if tons of charities are benefiting.  Who had the political will to do THAT?
3.  More pools = stronger network security
4.  You get to support your favorite charity.
5.  Gives Bitcoin a MUCH better name.

Let's make a positive difference with Bitcoin!

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[ctoon6]

at the end of the day, it would be easier for them to just accept btc as donations.

[swusc2]

at the end of the day, it would be easier for them to just accept btc as donations.

Maybe true, but individuals can definitely do it. It makes the operator money will having all the benefits of those Yogi listed.

This is honestly one of the best ideas to hit Bitcoin yet. If people are doing this it gives Bitcoin great association. Think about if 50% of pools supported some kind of charity and donated 2% 1% even .5%! The government would be hard pressed to say Bitcoin is only used for drugs and all the ridiculousness that is going on right now.

[ctoon6]

at the end of the day, it would be easier for them to just accept btc as donations.

Maybe true, but individuals can definitely do it. It makes the operator money will having all the benefits of those Yogi listed.

yes, i forgot about the fees that the pools take, in addition they would also get the fees paid by transactions, this idea may be worth it, depending on bandwidth costs.

[Dobrodav]

I am has thoughts of this, and did not find that idea to dumb. That will did not do any harm, at least.

[ohboys]

Great idea, indeed. There has been so many bad presses about bitcoin community recently whether they are true or not. And I agree that we need to put constant effort to bring positivity into ppl's perception about bitcoin community. However, the name "Ecocoin" doesn't really make sense to me.  "EcoPool" sounds better imo

[Dobrodav]

Lets start, - somebody willing to made it possible for his chosen org. should:
1) Contact the organisation and get clearance. Heh, it is already not so ease - eh ? That kind of orgs are always afraid to come behind the borders, that their "main" donators give them.
2) Start the pool (with nice design, that clearly describe that pool as facility of chosen org.), and teach volunteers  from that org, how to manage him.                  -         Yea fine, but why did not start own pool without that 1) part, and teaching some dumb and fanatical volunteers ?
3) Maintain the pool - ask any pool owner - is it easy to maintain the pool ? Ask Tycho, Slush, anybody.

Reason, - it`s hard and have little chance of success. But will really help BTC community.



Dumb solution -  
Start OWN pool, - you are free to mention (and deliver a proof) that you are transfer all profits from that pool to some org.
Sand profit to that org by your own name, - show miners the proof that you did it. That is most ease way. That will really help any org of your choose.
Contra of this way - That will not help BTC in any way, unless you persuaded that org receive donations in BTC`s. Even that, is a great step.

[Sukrim]

yes, i forgot about the fees that the pools take, in addition they would also get the fees paid by transactions, this idea may be worth it, depending on bandwidth costs.

Transaction fees are on average ~0.1 BTC/Block - aaand these will go down with the next client as well.

Also to work in a charity is a different job that does not necessarily require you to be able to set up a mining pool, do support there, deal with DDOS attacks etc.

I would NEVER accept Bitcoins in the NGO I'm working for, simply for the reason that it would be more work to integrate them in bookkeeping systems, too much potential legal pressure/issues (imagine someone donating money directly coming from a DEA-monitored drug trade!) and too volatile vales per bitcoin as well.

Doing a mining pool would be 100% out of question, as it is anyways hard to get hold of computer experts - and now their job should be to set up a barely profitable, high scalability solution for beta software in it's infancy with very high risks and costs included?

[swusc2]

yes, i forgot about the fees that the pools take, in addition they would also get the fees paid by transactions, this idea may be worth it, depending on bandwidth costs.

Transaction fees are on average ~0.1 BTC/Block - aaand these will go down with the next client as well.

Also to work in a charity is a different job that does not necessarily require you to be able to set up a mining pool, do support there, deal with DDOS attacks etc.

I would NEVER accept Bitcoins in the NGO I'm working for, simply for the reason that it would be more work to integrate them in bookkeeping systems, too much potential legal pressure/issues (imagine someone donating money directly coming from a DEA-monitored drug trade!) and too volatile vales per bitcoin as well.

Doing a mining pool would be 100% out of question, as it is anyways hard to get hold of computer experts - and now their job should be to set up a barely profitable, high scalability solution for beta software in it's infancy with very high risks and costs included?

You have some good points. But having Pool Owners donate a portion of their fee's in the name of a charity is a great idea i believe.

[Dobrodav]

Great idea if they will accept BTC, but they are to conservative even for that ...

[paulie_w]

theyogi is really living up to his name

[Sukrim]

Great idea if they will accept BTC, but they are to conservative even for that ...

As I mentioned, there are even risks + costs associated with accepting BTC.

Also what most charities and NGOs lack is not necessarily money but workforce. Most of the money for charities goes to a handful of people there, who are paid by them to do some jobs noone else wants to do/can do (bookkeeping, secretaries), NOT to directly help these little children on the posters or planting some trees.

If you want to donate, just cash out in a fiat currency and donate. It's what a charity/NGO would do anyways, so you save them work and might even be able to deduct this from taxes or so.

[maplemath]

This is a noble idea, but it will probably not work due to the bureaucracy of typical charities.

How about starting a Bitcoin charity which receives donations in bitcoins, and use the resulting dollars to:

• Promote Bitcoin's adoption
• Lobby politicians to advance Bitcoin
• Legal defense fund EFF-style
• Periodic donations to other reputable charities in USD (the donors cold vote for the charities of their choice among a list)

This would help give Bitcoin a good name and ensure that it stays legal.