I have another money-making idea for the foundation, which is the setting up
of a "Pledge bank".
This ties in with my earlier direct debit/standing order suggestion but is
even more voluntary.
The concept is people sign a pledge to donate an amount to Wikimedia either
every month, every quarter, bi-annually or annually. For example, someone
pledges $5 per month to support the Foundation. They fill in details on a
form and every month the Foundation sends them a polite reminder with a
quick link to the donate page with the amount filled in.
This is aimed at providing a more steady stream of income from project
supporters, the periodic emails can document items like project milestones
and the like to encourage fulfilling the pledge, but it remains optional.
You're not spamming people for money, you offer a very easy opt-out, but you
do end up with people who believe in the various project goals giving small
amounts frequently.
Thoughts?
Brian McNeil