The Cunctator wrote:
Indeed. Just about the only thing a volunteer-centered
non-profit should
need paid staff for is fundraising. And that is not a pressing need
right now.
I think that's right, although at some point I have a dream that we
produce an edited paper-friendly version (GFDL'd) so that the
encyclopedia can be distributed at cost to countries where Internet
access is so far beyond "luxury" that it is difficult for us to
imagine it.
So long as we're in the stage we're in now -- and I foresee that
continuing for a couple of more years at _bare minimum_ -- we don't
really need funding beyond what I can easily and gladly supply.
There are certainly mechanisms for reaching out to the
academic and
professional community that don't require paid staff. Most _do_ require
a more formal incorporation of some kind, sticking people on a board,
etc.
That's right, too.
Also, I'd like to set up a system whereby people can sign up to
automatically donate, say, $20 a month via credit card. My vision of
this is that people could earmark the money to several categories -
"promotion", "hardware", and whatever else people felt was
worthwhile.
Later on, there might be a large organization similar to Consumer Reports
or the Red Cross. But right now, we're doing great building basic
infrastructure.
--Jimbo