Ask HN: Don't charge clients and don't serve you, what moves you to fund me?
The organization I work for is facing that dreaded L word that's been on HN far too much recently. Regardless of how "safe" I might feel or not, I'm considering crowdfunding to continue my work and hope it'll keep someone else in their position. My main question is: What's in an effective crowdfunding campaign when the audience won't receive anything directly in return?
I've had my first big client successes in the last 12 months that combine to just below a quarter million in awards for my clients. I've had other successes that don't amount to a check being cut - client gets to stay in housing, client's criminal record is clear so now he can get a better job, etc...My organization and I take nothing but if we had taken our cut of the awards allowable by law, it would have covered my annual salary this year (minus benefits). But that's misleading because many of my cases are years old (especially for the client), my work only begins at least a year after an initial denial, and often with many years on the horizon before a final resolution. I have hundreds of hours in the more complex cases which span multiple 3-inch binders of military records and private and VA medical records. I have cases that span 40 years on their own and I have cases that are just beginning. I just say that to explain it would take a small war chest to maintain on my current path (donations instead of an expectation in return means a smaller war chest goes farther - not a tax lawyer but that's my take). I want to keep not charging (at least up to a certain househould income level).
What else would you want to know before you donated your hard earned dollars?