This is part of a continuing series of posts regarding Project Five-Star. In this post I will discuss how I intend to prove to donors or potential donors that I'm doing what I say I'm doing.
Back when I first wrote the Project Five-Star Book, all I had to work with was a cheap laptop computer and a web cam. Today, I have a better quality laptop, several web cams, and a full-fledged High Definition Sony HandiCam. I've taken a number of videos with it, and someday I might even make some money from them.
The idea for proving I'm doing what I say I'm doing, is to make everything above board. I intend to record every action I can and either live stream it, and/or post the video to youtube. Am I spending money on an attorney? I'll show as much of the transactions as the attorney will let me. Am I renting an office space? I'll show you which ones I look at. Am I interviewing potential participants? You guessed it. Everyone will sign a waiver (which is another good reason for having an attorney) which will allow me to put their stories on video.
Why? Because hearing that things are bad for the homeless from other sources is far different than seeing it and hearing it from their own mouths. The videos themselves might generate some income for the project, but really, I'm hoping to generate Donations. Period.
Once we've started to hold classes, I intend to live stream those classes on the project web site, which does not exist yet, but when it does, that's a little bit of proof that we've spent some of your money on the project. So you get to see how exactly I spend my time and your money, whether it's for materials such as computer parts, or lunch for me and my students.
The bottom line should be that the money that goes into the project should go as much as possible to helping the students. Even if I spend money on a used van, I intend for that van to have at least one camera in it at all times.
Because every donor deserves to know where their money is going.
Thank you for reading.
Michael Fox, Founder, Project Five-Star
Back when I first wrote the Project Five-Star Book, all I had to work with was a cheap laptop computer and a web cam. Today, I have a better quality laptop, several web cams, and a full-fledged High Definition Sony HandiCam. I've taken a number of videos with it, and someday I might even make some money from them.
The idea for proving I'm doing what I say I'm doing, is to make everything above board. I intend to record every action I can and either live stream it, and/or post the video to youtube. Am I spending money on an attorney? I'll show as much of the transactions as the attorney will let me. Am I renting an office space? I'll show you which ones I look at. Am I interviewing potential participants? You guessed it. Everyone will sign a waiver (which is another good reason for having an attorney) which will allow me to put their stories on video.
Why? Because hearing that things are bad for the homeless from other sources is far different than seeing it and hearing it from their own mouths. The videos themselves might generate some income for the project, but really, I'm hoping to generate Donations. Period.
Once we've started to hold classes, I intend to live stream those classes on the project web site, which does not exist yet, but when it does, that's a little bit of proof that we've spent some of your money on the project. So you get to see how exactly I spend my time and your money, whether it's for materials such as computer parts, or lunch for me and my students.
The bottom line should be that the money that goes into the project should go as much as possible to helping the students. Even if I spend money on a used van, I intend for that van to have at least one camera in it at all times.
Because every donor deserves to know where their money is going.
Thank you for reading.
Michael Fox, Founder, Project Five-Star
