It's not easy to get funding for community tech projects, but these are some of the ways. Find at least ten more options in the full article at gfsc.community/what-if-we-m...

Cryptocoins

Pros: If it works, it's the fully automated luxury communist future we deserve!?

Cons: Reputation in the toilet, unlikely to go mainstream

Making your own bank gives you control & oversight. Can anyone actually make this work? Maybe DisCO.coop or Cryptoleftists? Many remain sceptical

Donations & memberships

Pros: Truly independent income supported by friends & followers

Cons: You get next to no money from it, compared to other methods – at least to begin with

Build an audience who believe in you enough to sponsor you. This works a whole lot better if you're already famous

Selling services

Pros: You're pretty independent and flexible, with low start-up costs

Cons: Keeping clients happy, and sticking firm on your prices. Don't be tempted to undersell yourself!

You do design, training, research, make a website – whatever you're good at – for clients who need it.

Selling goods
Pros: You're independent and providing a service people already want

Cons: Costs right now are insane, and it's nigh impossible to compete with Amazon

The oldest business model in the world. You make or buy something, sell it for more than it cost you, and keep the difference.

QUH is the first group there that has gone out of its way to invite the local queer community & residents. I went there for xmas lunch - one of the only spaces offering this and much needed. For TPT to now close down the ONLY third space in a city with 3 major LGBT+ charites is bonkers.

The old cafe was much loved and was simply removed in the rebuild without community consultation. In the years since it's reopening it has been telling groups that used to use it for free that the hire fee is now £200 making it out of reach for everyone - so most people don't even know it exists.

cc @jamiewareham.co.uk @pinknews.bsky.social @manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Full announcement and all details here! gfsc.community/announcing-g...

PlaceCal Community Organisers

Weds 18th Feb 12:00-13:00

For community organisers who want to bring their community together by:
• Getting started with our PlaceCal platform
• Improving the quality and quantity of local community information
• Finding out about other tools in the GFSC ecosystem

Artists & Freelancers Drop-in

Weds 11 Feb 19:00 - 20:00

Peer support & encouragement for artists, freelancers, researchers, small community groups & others:
• Set up and develop artist/freelance websites
• Develop our reach
• Get support & advice with branding, operations & project management...

Tech Developers and Creators drop-in

Tues 10th Feb 16:00 - 17:00

For people who work or want to work on developing community technology, specifically those who want to:
• Volunteer on GFSC's projects
• Get peer support and networking
• Develop new technology commons projects together

But wait! There's more!

Read the article over at gfsc.community and read about more of the methods,
such as:

• Arts Council England
• Selling goods
• Selling services too
• Research funding
• DAOs/Cryptocoins - if you will
• and at least seven other ones

Private philanthropy

The wild west part of funding!

Some rich person or family has decided they want to Do Good, and set up a foundation.

Pros: Unrestricted money, potentially a lot.

Cons: The rich person have all the power and zero accountability. The money has probably come from Bad Places.

Community grant funding

This is what people think of when they say “someone should write a funding bid”.

The Lottery Community Fund hands out £600m a year to community projects.

Pros: Once you have the funding it's very hard to lose it.
Cons: Very low acceptance rates, very long turnarounds.

Social investment

The social investment world sits in an odd space between charity & business.

You're expected to make money but also prove you're making the world better.

Pros: Could be highly sustainable Realpolitik.
Cons: Most of your KPIs require you to do direct surveillance of poor people.

Venture Capital

A startup, in its purest form: high risk high reward engagement in rawdogging capitalism.

The goal is to sell the entire company after a few years to a big-five tech company via an IPO and so get extremely rich.

Pros: lots of money & time
Cons: you are mainlining pure capitalism

Kim writes:
“I’ve explored a ton of methods over the years and raised over half a million in funding bids and invoiced hundreds of thousands in client work. but these are rookie numbers in the grand scheme of things.
Enjoy a listicle of some methods I’ve explored, with an enormous grain of salt.”

Money in activism is like cars:

No-one has one, everyone moans about them, but everyone needs a lift. In almost every organising meeting, someone will say “someone should do a funding bid”

Ok, so who? And for what?