We are not looking for a new forum. Unless Winnie says to hell with us, I never want to change our arrangement. Frankly, having come from the days when forums were a risky place to reveal your IP, Winnie is the only person in the whole of NS I trust to be objective about forum/server ownership. So logistically, we are only talking about a means to get donations to pay for the forum/server as it exists now. It is a question of 1) how do we fairly collect donations, 2) how do we honestly and fairly get those donations either into Winnie's hands to pay the bills or into an account that directly pays for things.
When I spoke of a platform above, I meant one of those crowd sourcing platforms... the names of which escape me now. Charities use them all the time for donations. We just have to figure out how to do it. And we have to figure out a way to be transparent about it. Some sort of accounting report delivered to the contributors maybe? I dunno. Just brain storming here.
We will need Winnie's input to know how much we need to break even and if he would feel more comfortable with any of this.
Edit: Did a little research. https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/crowd-funding/8-crowdfunding-sites-which-is-best-for-you/
My favorite thus far is..
6. GoGetFunding
GoGetFunding may be a site you’ve heard less about despite the fact that it’s been around since 2011. But, it’s another great option, particularly for those who are looking for some flexibility in terms of the projects they can fundraise for. Additionally, GoGetFunding allows fundraisers to keep the money raised—whether they meet their target or not.
Who It’s Good For: GoGetFunding empowers users to raise funds for any cause—whether it’s business-related, personal or for a nonprofit.
What It Costs: GoGetFunding charges a fee of 6.9%, which sounds high when compared with the others. However, it’s worth noting that this fee includes both the platform fee and the payment processing fee—making this one a bit more cost-effective than most of the other options out there.