[HCoop-Discuss] Request for voluntary donations

[Adam Chlipala]

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
>>   
>>