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AceNZ
12-22-2007, 03:25 AM
What needs to be done before fundraising can start?


Create a Mission Statement -- what the project is all about, etc.
Research and establish an appropriate entity that will be able to accept the money that gets raised (probably an LLC, as discussed elsewhere)
Create by-laws for the LLC that reflect the Mission Statement and that define issues about things like potential acquirers, distribution of profits, etc.
Research escrow options. A mechanism should be established that will allow investors to feel comfortable that their funds will be returned if certain goals aren't met.
Create a draft business plan. It can evolve over time, but we need to write down some basic goals that potential investors can review.
Create some sample programs -- probably just a couple of hours worth, to give investors a concrete idea of what we're trying to do.
Create a fund-raising-oriented website that will contain the above details. Registration might be required for more sensitive info.
Create a rough project plan, showing required staffing, estimated schedules, etc.
The fund-raising website should also include a mechanism to allow people to contribute their time. Collect names, contact details, skills, background, time available, etc, and report the number of people found, along with funds raised.
Create a rough budget, including tasks that will be triggered at various fundraising milestones.
Create a basic plan for soliciting advertisers, including descriptions of new and innovative methods of advertising that will be used.
Create a legally-sound mechanism that will allow people to earn an interest in the company in exchange for the time they put in.
Create a forum to facilitate discussion of various aspects of the project in detail.
Investigate to what extent we might be able to leverage the Ron Paul community for initial investment and other support.



What else?

Live_Free_Or_Die
12-22-2007, 09:26 AM
nt

literatim
12-22-2007, 11:00 AM
Mission Statement: A source of news that counters the liberal and neocon news that exists both online and offline.

The object should not be to create a biased news network that tries to openly endorse any specific candidate. You would lose all credibility instantly.

I think a non-profit setup would fit the best.

Bacon
12-22-2007, 01:35 PM
We really need a name for this project, as well as a domain name to go with it. No one is going to be willing to donate to this project without a name. It would just seem like a scam..

AceNZ
12-22-2007, 09:38 PM
The admins here at ronpaulforums are going to create two subdirectories of this project. One public, one private.

Using the forum here for a while is fine. Eventually, though, we should plan to have our own, where it can be more fully integrated into the rest of the project -- and where we can establish a little distance from the Ron Paul campaign.



I seem to think that if we get this planned out the entire grass roots can be part of the sales force to attract advertisers. That could be a big deal if everyone in the grass roots interested in this solicits a few potential advertisers.

Absolutely! The grassroots should be a huge help in many ways: advertisers, news content and investment, to name a few.



Mission Statement: A source of news that counters the liberal and neocon news that exists both online and offline.

The object should not be to create a biased news network that tries to openly endorse any specific candidate. You would lose all credibility instantly.

I think a non-profit setup would fit the best.

Most existing news outlets end up endorsing political candidates. I don't see how us doing the same thing would cause us to lose credibility. Also, supporting and endorsing candidates with complementary political views seems to be like it would be one of our main goals.

One issue with a non-profit is that even an implied endorsement isn't allowed. It's too easy to lose the non-profit status.

Non-profits are actually allowed to make a profit; it just can't be distributed to the owners. The by-laws of an LLC could be setup to create a similar, but more flexible result, so the only advantage of a 501(c)(3) really is its tax exempt status. Is it really worth giving up our ability to endorse candidates just for that?