[HCoop-Discuss] Request for voluntary donations

[Rob Gubler]

Has this issue be resolved?  Can we make our bank statements available
online to members, if they are not already.

-Rob


On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 7:11 AM, Nathan Kennedy <ntk at hcoop.net> wrote:

> As a reminder to our USA tax-paying members, donations to HCoop are NOT
> tax-deductible and are not charitable.  This means that if you will itemize
> your income tax deductions on your tax return you may not deduct donations
> to HCoop.  Of course, if you take the standard deduction, this is not
> relevant to you.  If you do not pay USA income tax, then you are
> responsible for following any tax laws applicable to you, keeping in mind
> that although HCoop is a tax-exempt nonprofit it is not a charity.
>
> I would also thank those who have donated, however no one is under any
> obligation to do so (including Adam), nor in my opinion is this necessary
> to HCoop's continuing operations.
>
> Regards,
> Nathan Kennedy, Secretary
>
> On Thu, 16 Oct 2008 09:55:58 -0400, Adam Chlipala <adamc at hcoop.net> wrote:
> > Time for the weekly update on the donation drive!
> >
> > There have been no new donations since my last message.  At our last
> > board meeting, we resolved to sell some of our unused hardware and put
> > the proceedings towards this deficit.  Even with that, it is not looking
> > likely that we will manage to cover even half of the remaining shortfall
> > with the amounts of donations we are getting so far.  We would probably
> > need multiple members pledging at least $100.  (I was already planning
> > to do that myself.)
> >
> > Adam Chlipala wrote:
> >> It's time for your weekly update on the donation drive!
> >>
> >> 3 new donations have come in since my last message a week ago, bringing
> >> the stats to:
> >>
> >> Number of members: 12
> >> Total amount: $391.60
> >> Mean donation: $32.63
> >> Minimum: $10
> >> Maximum: $97.80
> >> Median: $22.50
> >> Part of deficit not yet covered: $1428.90
> >>
> >> Adam Chlipala wrote:
> >>
> >>> Here's an update on donation offers from members so far:
> >>>
> >>> Number of members: 9
> >>> Total amount: $193.80
> >>> Mean donation: $21.53
> >>> Minimum: $13.80
> >>> Maximum: $50
> >>> Median: $20
> >>> Part of deficit not yet covered: $1626.70
> >>>
> >>> Adam Chlipala wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> HCoop has been around for a while, and our current financial records
> >>>> trail back to before we were even an official legal entity.  Somewhere
> >>>> along the line between then and now, our records on the HCoop portal
> >>>> have gotten out of sync with the balance of our bank account.  The
> >>>> difference between the two stands at $1820.50 now, when we consider
> >>>> negative balances of members who left while still owing money, before
> > we
> >>>> instituted our current policy of freezing member accounts shortly
> > before
> >>>> they reach the point where this could happen.
> >>>>
> >>>> It seems prudent to get the two figures in line before proceeding much
> >>>> further.  We don't really have any methods available to us for finding
> >>>> the root reasons for the discrepancy, though, so I'm proposing that we
> >>>> find some subset of members who will voluntarily pledge extra amounts
> >>>> out of their balances to cover the difference.
> >>>>
> >>>> Please remember that HCoop has never yet had a single paid staff
> > member
> >>>> performing any service, including managing our financial records.
> > I've
> >>>> done this particular task without pay since 2002, and I'm kind of
> > proud
> >>>> that the discrepancy isn't even worse, for 6 years of operation. ;-)
> > I
> >>>> can't think of any way in which a suspicious member could construe the
> >>>> situation as a crafty attempt by me to turn a personal profit, but let
> >>>> me know if you have an objection along those lines, and I can try to
> >>>> explain why there's nothing to worry about.
> >>>>
> >>>> It's worth stating explicitly that our bookkeeping system has recently
> >>>> changed significantly, based on discussion on the hcoop-sysadmin list,
> >>>> so there is good reason to expect that, once we get things squared
> > away
> >>>> now, we'll be in good shape from there on.
> >>>>
> >>>> So, again, I am asking members for donations that will together cover
> >>>> the $1820.50.  Donations are purely voluntary.  People who make
> >>>> donations now will receive no preferential treatment or other benefits
> >>>> later, and no one is expected to donate.  There is no need to worry
> >>>> about not getting enough donations to cover the deficit, because I can
> >>>> make up the difference from my personal balance.  (Though it's kind of
> >>>> sad if I end up providing both my time and my money, to make up for
> >>>> other members' unwillingness to participate in keeping our finances in
> >>>> order over the years.)
> >>>>
> >>>> As I write this message, we have 132 HCoop members.  That means that
> >>>> $13.80 from each member would cover the deficit.  Anyone considering
> >>>> donating should assume that nowhere near a majority of members will
> >>>> donate, so that the even contribution required to cover everything
> > will
> >>>> be higher in reality.
> >>>>
> >>>> If you are up for donating, please e-mail me (adamc at hcoop.net) a
> short
> >>>> note giving your HCoop username and the amount you want to donate, to
> > be
> >>>> deducted from your HCoop balance.  Thanks in advance to everyone who
> >>>> does this!
> >>>>
> >>>> Below I've included a copy of a summary of the financial situation
> > that
> >>>> I sent to the hcoop-sysadmin list on September 6th.
> >>>>
> >>>> BALANCES:
> >>>> Wells Fargo: 8067.20
> >>>> PayPal: 37.98
> >>>> Checkout (payments not yet transferred to our bank account): 38.60
> >>>> SUM: 8143.78
> >>>>
> >>>> PORTAL SAYS WE HAVE:
> >>>> Co-op balance: 911.06
> >>>> Active member balances: 9053.22
> >>>> SUM: 9964.28
> >>>>
> >>>> DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE AMOUNTS:
> >>>> Deficit: 1820.50
> >>>> Negative balances of members who left without paying up: 314.31
> >>>> Remaining: 1506.19
>
>
>
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