# Have you considered grants for the arts ?



## Blacksad (Nov 15, 2009)

Hi,

Executive summary :

Have you considered applying for a grant for the arts ?

Short explanation :

ENworld is a pen and paper role playing game community website.
It helps communication between player (reader/art amateur), publisher, writer and artist.

And many feel it does well in that domain :
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-8.html#post4975251
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-6.html#post4953113
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-6.html#post4951040
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-5.html#post4947055
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-5.html#post4946690
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-4.html#post4946513
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-2.html#post4944987
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/265691-appeal-support-en-world.html#post4943795

Given its size, it needs a permanent position.
Attempts to get a revenue streams have led it to become a sort of publisher (with partnerships, ads, etc.).
Getting things in reverse (community -> books) compared to a traditional publisher "books -> community". 

This might have incited Moongose and Paizo to have their own board, splitting communities, and might explains concerns (any guesses?) :
http://www.enworld.org/forum/genera...91-appeal-support-en-world-6.html#post4947881
http://www.enworld.org/forum/meta/265653-new-ad-bar-4.html#post4957643

The subscription model is a good move. 
ENworld as a non profit organisation with Morrus as a paid trustee (i.e. not a charity) could solve those concerns, and allow ENworld to apply for a grants from the Arts Council.

Getting Testimonial from : 
Mongoose (especially with Judge Dredd) 
UK writer and artist who got contracts with US or UK companies
UK players who found fellow players through the website
Might help advance the cause (explaining that a global community help the UK, yada, yada)


Thoughts ?

Regards


----------



## Morrus (Nov 15, 2009)

Well, the "non profit" part is an issue, as I'd quite like to make a profit!


----------



## jaerdaph (Nov 16, 2009)

Morrus said:


> Well, the "non profit" part is an issue, as I'd quite like to make a profit!




Out of curiosity, have you considered changing the URL to a dot com (enworld.com), as dot orgs are usually reserved for non-profit organizations (and most users assume that as well)?


----------



## darjr (Nov 16, 2009)

jaerdaph said:


> Out of curiosity, have you considered changing the URL to a dot com (enworld.com), as dot orgs are usually reserved for non-profit organizations (and most users assume that as well)?




I'm not so sure that is true anymore. I mean, Slashdot?


----------



## Morrus (Nov 16, 2009)

jaerdaph said:


> Out of curiosity, have you considered changing the URL to a dot com (enworld.com), as dot orgs are usually reserved for non-profit organizations (and most users assume that as well)?




I don't think there's any distinction these days.  Plus in that case it would be enworld.co.uk, not enworld.com.

Last I checked someone owned enworld.com.  Looks like nobody has it right now; might be worth snapping up and directing it here also.  It would cause havoc with cookies and stuff, though, and I've heard that multiple domains adversely affects Google listings.


----------



## jaerdaph (Nov 16, 2009)

Yeah, its original meaning probably has been diluted over the last few years. 

My only concern (for you) is the perceived implication that a dot org (specifically, enworld.org) *is* a nonprofit organization when there are "appeals" to "support EN World", which sound like calls for support that are typically associated with traditional nonprofit organizations. 
Personally, I always thought until I read your comment above tonight that EN World was a nonprofit, with you as it's "Executive Director" drawing a salary as part of the administrative overhead (and, having worked for and managed nonprofit organizations myself, certainly think that is fair and the way it should be and have no problem with this), and at the end of the day, the goal was to meet EN World's operating costs (and if it creates a few jobs along the way, nothing wrong with that either). But now you are saying this is more of a business for profit (and I have absolutely no problem with that either - I think it's pretty cool, actually). Anyhow, getting to my point, I'm concerned you could be unintentionally setting yourself up for charges of fraud, and I'd hate to see that happen. 

Just something to think about and hopefully avert any unexpected legal tangles. 



Edit: Oh, and the reason I was checking in on this thread was to see if you were going to need a grant writer - I've written many successful grants over the years and have raised over $30 million dollars in funding for nonprofit organizations. Now that I'm retired, I was going to offer my services at a reduced rate.


----------



## darjr (Nov 16, 2009)

I do agree with you about your point, it's a good one. (about the .org vs. the .com)

Morrus, I don't really think that google has a problem with it unless your spamming a ton of domains, but I do think the concern isn't entirely unwarrented.

I've setup redirects for sites concerned with this duplicate site 'issue'. So if you are and you get the .com there are ways to fix it. Google even says how.


----------



## Blacksad (Nov 16, 2009)

Well, ENworld could make a profit, and you would get a decent salary 

More seriously, I'll second the concerns of jaerdaph.

With user contributed content in the wiki and review section with the mention "Site Contents © 2008 ENWorld" [1], donations, and the use of Eric Noah initials, a personal venture seems like opening a huge can of worms.


[1] This kind of situation led to some ill will toward imdb, or the switch from cddb to freedb


----------



## Cergorach (Nov 17, 2009)

Morrus said:


> Well, the "non profit" part is an issue, as I'd quite like to make a profit!



There's a difference between a profit and a decent salary for the work you provide for the site. A lot of folks that work for non-profits get paid a salary, so it should be possible to make ENworld a non-profit and get a salary. I don't know the details for UK requirements, but it might be worth looking into.

To be honest, I think you might have a better chance getting a fully paid position through grants then through subscriptions and advertisements.


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 23, 2009)

jaerdaph said:


> Anyhow, getting to my point, I'm concerned you could be unintentionally setting yourself up for charges of fraud, and I'd hate to see that happen.



AFAIK top-level domains aren't enforced in such a fashion, so there's nothing to worry about.


----------



## jaerdaph (Nov 23, 2009)

wedgeski said:


> AFAIK top-level domains aren't enforced in such a fashion, so there's nothing to worry about.




Just to be clear - it's a lot more than the .com/.org status I was concerned about. It's the whole nonprofit "vibe" around here vs. the for-profit reality.


----------



## wedgeski (Nov 23, 2009)

jaerdaph said:


> Just to be clear - it's a lot more than the .com/.org status I was concerned about. It's the whole nonprofit "vibe" around here vs. the for-profit reality.



Ah I see. Yes that's come up in previous threads, as well.


----------



## Morrus (Nov 23, 2009)

I don't know what a "nonprofit vibe" is, or if such a thing can exist. I'm certainly clearly telling people what the score is in a very transparent way. Perhaps what you're referring to is a "community vibe", which certainly exists here.  

But no, I have no plans to set up as a non-profit or to apply for any grants or the like. Those are contrary to my aims.

Thanks for the concern though; I don't share your worry, but it's nice to see that people care!


----------



## jaerdaph (Nov 23, 2009)

Morrus said:


> Thanks for the concern though; I don't share your worry, but it's nice to see that people care!




Sorry about that - "vibe" probably came across too negatively and that wasn't my intention.

All I'm saying here, as someone with a background in nonprofit administration and fundraising, is that words and phrases like "*appeal* to *support* EN World" and asking for *donations* (combined with the dot ORG URL) *imply*  to many people a nonprofit status. (If you don't believe me, see the OP in this thread.  )In the future, you might want to avoid using words like that.


----------



## Morrus (Nov 23, 2009)

jaerdaph said:


> Sorry about that - "vibe" probably came across too negatively and that wasn't my intention.
> 
> All I'm saying here, as someone with a background in nonprofit administration and fundraising, is that words and phrases like "*appeal* to *support* EN World" and asking for *donations* (combined with the dot ORG URL) *imply* to many people a nonprofit status. (If you don't believe me, see the OP in this thread.  )In the future, you might want to avoid using words like that.




Well, bear in mind that in the past it  was just to cover costs.  It's only in the last three months I've decided to change that completely.  The words were appropriate back then, I feel.  

Now we have "subscriptions" instead of "donations".


----------



## jaerdaph (Nov 23, 2009)

Morrus said:


> Well, bear in mind that in the past it  was just to cover costs.  It's only in the last three months I've decided to change that completely.  The words were appropriate back then, I feel.
> 
> Now we have "subscriptions" instead of "donations".




Very cool - you obviously are seriously thinking about these things and taking them into account, which was why I brought it up in the first place.


----------



## LightPhoenix (Nov 23, 2009)

But... but... I want to write off an ENW subscription as tax-exempt and a reduction!


----------



## CapnZapp (Nov 24, 2009)

If I were you, Morrus, I would snap up any enworld.--- domains, even to just sit on them.


----------

