really queer Christmas posted:

Since about last November, several goons have been running something called the "Goonfund". From November to March this was done on a mostly informal basis of just connecting people with money to people in need of money. But in March, the Goonfund officially incorporated as a true non-profit corporation and is an official charity run by a couple goons, of which I am one of them.

While the thread for the fund has been located in CSPAM, we have never focused on only helping goons that post there. We have helped goons posting in GBS, DnD, Games, TGR, ADTRW, RGD, and yes CSPAM. Where you post does not matter to us!

Money for the fund has gone to help goons pay for utility bills, get their car repaired, keep their car from being repo-d, groceries, dental help, help after floods, and medication.

So why am I posting this thread? Well because we need donations to help people, but we also want to make sure people know there's a fund available that can help them in time of need if they are an American.

At the time making this post, the fund is really low on funds, we are down to about $99 in our bank account, and $232 in our Venmo account. We are really in need of new funds to help make sure things keep going. Below are some questions you may have depending on whether you need help, or would like to help. Feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. The main CSPAM thread also has a longer Q&A section if you want to review that one, as well.


THIS FUND IS NOT ENDORSED BY THE SOMETHING AWFUL FORUMS OR ADMINS. THE ADMINS HAVE NO EXTRA INSIGHT INTO FINANCIALS, DATA COLLECTION, OR HOW THE COMMITTEE WORKS BEYOND WHAT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.


How do I request help?

Click here!


Please note, effective 6/3/23 - all requests will be capped at $125 due to low funds. This is an attempt to make sure everyone gets money. If your request is over this amount, we WILL keep your request active until we can fulfill it in full at a later date. This cap will be removed when our funds situation improves and any backlog is satisfied.


Who can request money?

Anyone with a SA account username and a USA residence! We are certainly willing to help out a friend of yours if they need a small amount of money, but the goal of this thread is to help the goons who post on this website (or once posted on this website) with any issues they are currently having.


Why can you only help Americans? And why can you only receive money from Americans?

Because of the way US laws and taxes work, if we send money overseas it brings a LOT more attention and can cause a lot of headaches for what is, essentially, a small charity run by a couple goons. To make it easier, we just don't take or receive money unless you reside within the United States. If you are in the UK, there is a UK goonfund you can request funds from here.


How do I get money from the fund?

Currently, we have the ability to send money via Cashapp & Vemo. We have a paypal account but whether it works is up in the air on a daily basis. We will not be able to send money via Zelle for the foreseeable future as our credit union doesn't support Zelle for business accounts.


Should I grovel and beg for a morsel of help from the community?

Absolutely not. Needing help from people is NOT a flaw of yours and isn't something you should be ashamed of. You do not need to feel bad for asking for help from this fund - you needing help is exactly why this fund is here! Our country has sadly abandoned many people who don't make 6-7 figures a year. Not having resources or family or friends able to help you is not your fault, and the fund is here specifically to be a safety net so that any goon never has to feel like they have no hope. You're not a burden for needing help.


What if I want to make a request in the thread?

We strongly discourage you from doing this. We can't stop you, but we do prefer to keep your request anonymous to keep your information safe, and also prevent any potential drama that could come up in the future.


Before I donate, do you have financials to look at?

Yes! Please see here for our May 2023 Financials.


Our only overhead currently has been government registrations, and merchant processing fees (the fees to process donations into our various accounts).


Is the Goonfund a 501c3?

Currently, no. The plan is to become one by the end of the year. We had to refile our state registration, but with that done, the only issue now is filing for the status with the IRS.


Enough questions, how do I donate?

There are several different ways you can donate - if you want to give money monthly, then that has to process through Stripe.

The first, is our one time flexible donation link: Here. This link will let you donate how every much you want and only do it once.

What if you want to donate a certain amount every month and want to pick the day it comes out of your account? Well then the following links are for you! Each one is already set to do a recurring amount out of your account once a month, the only difference between the links is the amount.


Give $5 Monthly


Give $10 Monthly


Give $20 Monthly


Give $50 Monthly


Give $75 Monthly


Give $100 Monthly


Give $250 Monthly


Want to give more monthly? Let us know and we can create a special link for you!

Can I give via paypal, venmo, or cashapp?

Sending us pure cash via Venmo/Cashapp costs us the least amount of money. But it has to be with cash from a bank. If you use a card to transfer money, then you will pay to transfer the money AND we will pay a fee to receive it. Cash only transfer will mean we will pay a small 1.9% fee (2.75% through cashapp) while you pay nothing - which is about a percent less than a stripe card "swipe".

GIVE VIA PAYPAL: LINK

GIVE VIA VENMO: LINK

GIVE VIA CASHAPP: LINK

What if I have any issues with my transaction, want to cancel my recurring donation, or otherwise need a refund?

Please email us at usgoonfund@gmail.com with any of these issues. Make sure to label the subject line appropriately so we can know what you are needing from us. Please also be as prompt as you can with your issue, as refunds will be much easier to process the sooner we know, and we may need time to process any recurring donations, so please don't email us 5 minutes before it's supposed to process.

FirstnameLastname posted:

i think the goonfund is good

Taima posted:

Sorry I don't mean to be a downer

Slugworth posted:

I'd love for your children to get fed this week, but your posting metrics, ma'am - They're not great. Have you considered posting more in the huge dumps thread?

Taima posted:

Taima posted:

HonorableTB posted:

e2: the more i re-read that post the worse it gets, one of your proposed solutions is to basically set up a goon aid shark tank episode and the person has to pitch their needs to the donators who respond with commentary and possibly money, that's weird as hell

Taima posted:

HonorableTB posted:

Gatekeeping charity aid by reg date is the most gbs poo poo ive ever seen lol, oh no someone might accidentally get helped that needs it. Can't have that, they have to post through their hardships until theyve earned dinner

Taima posted:

Sorry I don't mean to be a downer and it sucks to even bring up, but this feels kinda bad overall (to me, and my opinion doesn't matter to be fair). This guy hasn't even been around for a year on a website where the average poster probably starts at 10 years and goes up to 20+ years...

Everyone deserves help, and things are really hard right now. Honestly times are harder for literally everyone, just the way things are right now, but I really feel like this could be something truly special if it went to help users who we know; who have been here for a very long time, with a very long track record.

For example if Nooner rolled by with a sob story and needed a few bucks- just as an example of someone who has constantly contributed visibly since forever (his efforts in this thread notwithstanding, it's just an example)- I think enough people are posting buddies with Nooner that the money would flow in no problem. Nooner has posted 7 posts a day on average since 2011, and no one is going to top that really, but the general sentiment of giving money to known quantities makes sense to me.

By helping specific users with a long track record on the forums, people would imo be so much more willing to help and it would be a big leg up for the fund. And don't get me wrong, the people who do help the goon fund are amazing people, especially since in a lot of ways it's kind of just throwing your money into a hole without any real safeguards of note that I can see. Maybe it's just someone who posted in the WWF wresting thread for the last 7 years or something. That's fine. Just some consistent long term community activity.

This post really sucked to write and it took me a while to put pen to paper on this but at the end of the day I want people to be helped and just as importantly, I would love if people could donate to people who they are familiar with instead of this whole "just kind of write about how you're in trouble and you get money" that appears to be happening, especially since in the OP it is specifically condoned that you can ask for money for other people who aren't even goons, which sounds good on paper but is just absurdly easy to abuse and that alone is a huge wtf to me honestly.

Or have a system where users can petition for help, and then the donators themselves can weigh in with comments and money about the situation. I don't know, I'm no brain scientist, but nothing about the goonfund as it currently exists makes me feel good about throwing money into the system.

Does this make sense to anyone? Maybe it's just me, which is fair... but here is what I want to see for what little it's worth:

1) Long time community members receive funds, not new users. What constitutes a new user is up for debate, maybe it's not based on years of posting but instead activity, or a combination of both, that would have to be workshopped.
2) I want to be able to direct my money directly to those users, not throw money into a pile that is distributed on a top level.
3) Under this framework a user could request more than $125 because they are a known quantity. That doesn't mean they will get it, but it can be requested.

Idk man. I just want the fund to be successful my opinion doesn't mean jack poo poo so ultimately who cares what I think, but I don't think this format maximizes donations.

And for the record the existing system could stay and run in tandem with one that was focused on helping veteran community members so I'm not saying throw out the current system; just allow people more control about who they donate to, and why, and keep that direct pipeline for those who want it or require it in order to feel ok about giving their money

Taima posted:

CaptainSarcastic posted:

The Goonfund already exists. Can we please not litigate or workshop ideas about it in this thread - it is already a thing. Thanks.

Taima posted:

Sorry I don't mean to be a downer and it sucks to even bring up, but this feels kinda bad overall (to me, and my opinion doesn't matter to be fair). This guy hasn't even been around for a year on a website where the average poster probably starts at 10 years and goes up to 20+ years...

Everyone deserves help, and things are really hard right now. Honestly times are harder for literally everyone, just the way things are right now, but I really feel like this could be something truly special if it went to help users who we know; who have been here for a very long time, with a very long track record.

For example if Nooner rolled by with a sob story and needed a few bucks- just as an example of someone who has constantly contributed visibly since forever (his efforts in this thread notwithstanding, it's just an example)- I think enough people are posting buddies with Nooner that the money would flow in no problem. Nooner has posted 7 posts a day on average since 2011, and no one is going to top that really, but the general sentiment of giving money to known quantities makes sense to me.

By helping specific users with a long track record on the forums, people would imo be so much more willing to help and it would be a big leg up for the fund. And don't get me wrong, the people who do help the goon fund are amazing people, especially since in a lot of ways it's kind of just throwing your money into a hole without any real safeguards of note that I can see. Maybe it's just someone who posted in the WWF wresting thread for the last 7 years or something. That's fine. Just some consistent long term community activity.

This post really sucked to write and it took me a while to put pen to paper on this but at the end of the day I want people to be helped and just as importantly, I would love if people could donate to people who they are familiar with instead of this whole "just kind of write about how you're in trouble and you get money" that appears to be happening, especially since in the OP it is specifically condoned that you can ask for money for other people who aren't even goons, which sounds good on paper but is just absurdly easy to abuse and that alone is a huge wtf to me honestly.

Or have a system where users can petition for help, and then the donators themselves can weigh in with comments and money about the situation. I don't know, I'm no brain scientist, but nothing about the goonfund as it currently exists makes me feel good about throwing money into the system.

Does this make sense to anyone? Maybe it's just me, which is fair... but here is what I want to see for what little it's worth:

1) Long time community members receive funds, not new users. What constitutes a new user is up for debate, maybe it's not based on years of posting but instead activity, or a combination of both, that would have to be workshopped.
2) I want to be able to direct my money directly to those users, not throw money into a pile that is distributed on a top level.
3) Under this framework a user could request more than $125 because they are a known quantity. That doesn't mean they will get it, but it can be requested.

Idk man. I just want the fund to be successful my opinion doesn't mean jack poo poo so ultimately who cares what I think, but I don't think this format maximizes donations.

And for the record the existing system could stay and run in tandem with one that was focused on helping veteran community members so I'm not saying throw out the current system; just allow people more control about who they donate to, and why, and keep that direct pipeline for those who want it or require it in order to feel ok about giving their money

Taima posted:

Sorry I don't mean to be a downer and it sucks to even bring up, but this feels kinda bad overall (to me, and my opinion doesn't matter to be fair). This guy hasn't even been around for a year on a website where the average poster probably starts at 10 years and goes up to 20+ years...

Everyone deserves help, and things are really hard right now. Honestly times are harder for literally everyone, just the way things are right now, but I really feel like this could be something truly special if it went to help users who we know; who have been here for a very long time, with a very long track record.

For example if Nooner rolled by with a sob story and needed a few bucks- just as an example of someone who has constantly contributed visibly since forever (his efforts in this thread notwithstanding, it's just an example)- I think enough people are posting buddies with Nooner that the money would flow in no problem. Nooner has posted 7 posts a day on average since 2011, and no one is going to top that really, but the general sentiment of giving money to known quantities makes sense to me.

By helping specific users with a long track record on the forums, people would imo be so much more willing to help and it would be a big leg up for the fund. And don't get me wrong, the people who do help the goon fund are amazing people, especially since in a lot of ways it's kind of just throwing your money into a hole without any real safeguards of note that I can see. Maybe it's just someone who posted in the WWF wresting thread for the last 7 years or something. That's fine. Just some consistent long term community activity.

This post really sucked to write and it took me a while to put pen to paper on this but at the end of the day I want people to be helped and just as importantly, I would love if people could donate to people who they are familiar with instead of this whole "just kind of write about how you're in trouble and you get money" that appears to be happening, especially since in the OP it is specifically condoned that you can ask for money for other people who aren't even goons, which sounds good on paper but is just absurdly easy to abuse and that alone is a huge wtf to me honestly.

Or have a system where users can petition for help, and then the donators themselves can weigh in with comments and money about the situation. I don't know, I'm no brain scientist, but nothing about the goonfund as it currently exists makes me feel good about throwing money into the system.

Does this make sense to anyone? Maybe it's just me, which is fair... but here is what I want to see for what little it's worth:

1) Long time community members receive funds, not new users. What constitutes a new user is up for debate, maybe it's not based on years of posting but instead activity, or a combination of both, that would have to be workshopped.
2) I want to be able to direct my money directly to those users, not throw money into a pile that is distributed on a top level.
3) Under this framework a user could request more than $125 because they are a known quantity. That doesn't mean they will get it, but it can be requested.

Idk man. I just want the fund to be successful my opinion doesn't mean jack poo poo so ultimately who cares what I think, but I don't think this format maximizes donations.

And for the record the existing system could stay and run in tandem with one that was focused on helping veteran community members so I'm not saying throw out the current system; just allow people more control about who they donate to, and why, and keep that direct pipeline for those who want it or require it in order to feel ok about giving their money

Taima posted:

Sorry I don't mean to be a downer and it sucks to even bring up, but this feels kinda bad overall (to me, and my opinion doesn't matter to be fair). This guy hasn't even been around for a year on a website where the average poster probably starts at 10 years and goes up to 20+ years...

Everyone deserves help, and things are really hard right now. Honestly times are harder for literally everyone, just the way things are right now, but I really feel like this could be something truly special if it went to help users who we know; who have been here for a very long time, with a very long track record.

For example if Nooner rolled by with a sob story and needed a few bucks- just as an example of someone who has constantly contributed visibly since forever (his efforts in this thread notwithstanding, it's just an example)- I think enough people are posting buddies with Nooner that the money would flow in no problem. Nooner has posted 7 posts a day on average since 2011, and no one is going to top that really, but the general sentiment of giving money to known quantities makes sense to me.

By helping specific users with a long track record on the forums, people would imo be so much more willing to help and it would be a big leg up for the fund. And don't get me wrong, the people who do help the goon fund are amazing people, especially since in a lot of ways it's kind of just throwing your money into a hole without any real safeguards of note that I can see. Maybe it's just someone who posted in the WWF wresting thread for the last 7 years or something. That's fine. Just some consistent long term community activity.

This post really sucked to write and it took me a while to put pen to paper on this but at the end of the day I want people to be helped and just as importantly, I would love if people could donate to people who they are familiar with instead of this whole "just kind of write about how you're in trouble and you get money" that appears to be happening, especially since in the OP it is specifically condoned that you can ask for money for other people who aren't even goons, which sounds good on paper but is just absurdly easy to abuse and that alone is a huge wtf to me honestly.

Or have a system where users can petition for help, and then the donators themselves can weigh in with comments and money about the situation. I don't know, I'm no brain scientist, but nothing about the goonfund as it currently exists makes me feel good about throwing money into the system.

Does this make sense to anyone? Maybe it's just me, which is fair... but here is what I want to see for what little it's worth:

1) Long time community members receive funds, not new users. What constitutes a new user is up for debate, maybe it's not based on years of posting but instead activity, or a combination of both, that would have to be workshopped.
2) I want to be able to direct my money directly to those users, not throw money into a pile that is distributed on a top level.
3) Under this framework a user could request more than $125 because they are a known quantity. That doesn't mean they will get it, but it can be requested.

Idk man. I just want the fund to be successful my opinion doesn't mean jack poo poo so ultimately who cares what I think, but I don't think this format maximizes donations.

And for the record the existing system could stay and run in tandem with one that was focused on helping veteran community members so I'm not saying throw out the current system; just allow people more control about who they donate to, and why, and keep that direct pipeline for those who want it or require it in order to feel ok about giving their money

DeadlyMuffin posted:

Because I am worried these questions will come across the wrong way, let me say first
1. I like the idea.
2. I just donated.

How do you determine who gets money? The form to request it didn't specify the reason for the need, though there is an optional comment field.

I know this puts the people managing the fund in a tough position, but is it just first come first serve? Is someone doing triage? Is it a group? How does it work?

Edit: I flipped through the constitution on the cspam page. Looks like the committee members decide and vote, which seems reasonable enough. I’m still curious about the details of the process though

speng31b posted:

The text of the cspam thread OP also goes into a lot more detail on this, but basically it is first come first serve for equally urgent requests, and urgency is taken into account in some circumstances.

Post poste posted:

I saw modest needs mentioned a few times so far.

As a chronically homeless disabled queer, I was rejected from modest needs, as my needs are not easily solved and I'm "not a good candidate".

I probably won't use the fund because things are almost fine lately, but I would only ask for desperate critical things.

Is that still okay?

I don't think I'll need the funds but, yeah.

kingcobweb posted:

✅ you’re a goon
✅ you need money

You can and should make a request when you need to!!

Post poste posted:

I saw modest needs mentioned a few times so far.

As a chronically homeless disabled queer, I was rejected from modest needs, as my needs are not easily solved and I'm "not a good candidate".

I probably won't use the fund because things are almost fine lately, but I would only ask for desperate critical things.

Is that still okay?

I don't think I'll need the funds but, yeah.

DeadlyMuffin posted:

Because I am worried these questions will come across the wrong way, let me say first
1. I like the idea.
2. I just donated.

How do you determine who gets money? The form to request it didn't specify the reason for the need, though there is an optional comment field.

I know this puts the people managing the fund in a tough position, but is it just first come first serve? Is someone doing triage? Is it a group? How does it work?

Edit: I flipped through the constitution on the cspam page. Looks like the committee members decide and vote, which seems reasonable enough. I’m still curious about the details of the process though

Elviscat posted:

Has this thread been successful so far? As in are your finances looking up, at least for the month? Just curious about that.