KnifeDogs Charity Build off

It's time to open a dialogue on what to do with funds we raise from the Build Off knives. When it's all done, I estimate we will raise between $1500 and $2500.

We stated from the start the start: Once the knives are complete, they will be auctioned on KD one at a time. The money will go in a KD charity fund to support knifemakers and their families in time of need. http://knifedogs.com/showthread.php?t=3566

There are a million great causes out there but we going to keep this to Knifemakers and their families in time of need. Now we just need to define "time of need" and how much a maximum donation is going to be?

The final donation decisions will be made by the admin's and supermods but we would appreciate a heads up when there is a need we can fill.

We will keep it as transparent as possible.

Before it comes up, and it will, a knife maker in need does NOT have to be active or even registered on KnifeDogs.

The floor is open..
thanks
t

Boss,

I, and I imagine most all others, trust the judgement of you and the Mods to decide who's in need and deserving of a charitable donation. There may just be too many possible senarios to make a list. Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians is a real problem in making decisions so I vote to give that authority to you and the mods, no questions asked.

Transparency is always a good thing for many reasons. A simple... Our brother knifemaker XYZ is in need and will recieve a donation of X covers my idea of transparency.

Money just doesn't go very far these days, LOL. I think if someone is REALLY in need of a charitable donation a flat rate standard donation is the way to go. $250 seems to be the right amount to me. Not enough to retire on but enough to actually help the person out. I think a much bigger decision than WHO is in need is how much to give and placing a dollar value on HOW in need the person is. Making it a flat rate would solve that problem.

Not sure how extensive you want to get with raising money but here are a couple ideas.

1. We've got quite a few HOT makers here and it may be worth using part of the kitty to order a knife at the makers normal price and raffle it off for the cause. This would help two birds with one stone.

2. You and David have made the initial investment of the kits for all of the builds. Perhaps it should be considered to use some of the money to cover the cost of the parts/blades/materials etc. for another build-off.

Thats my $ .02 -Josh

Tracy I sent you a pm about sticshooter.

Boss Dog, I'm just a member and nobody but a wannabe knife Maker. But I really like Josh Dabney's Idea:

1. We've got quite a few HOT makers here and it may be worth using part of the kitty to order a knife at the makers normal price and raffle it off for the cause. This would help two birds with one stone.

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Quite frankly, there will be funds going out, but only limited funds coming in. It would be very possible to see these funds depleted fairly quick if situations happen fairly close together.

I did something like that on another Forum I am a member of. I only had one custom knife That I had won as a drawing, But Really I couldn't justify my keeping it, I'm not a Collector,and I would never have used it (It was just too pretty of a dagger). So I donated it to an Auction to help those who may be in need, Like what you are doing here. It raised more money than it was "appraised" for. Even the Maker was kinda' surprised at how much it brought. Just a thought...

Like Josh said you would be Helping two makers.

I would think the only focus is that it be knifemaking related.

For example another forum I'm on had a member who's house was floodied a couple years back and all his pen making related stuff was washed down the river leaving him nothing. We all got together and got him some pen making related stuff once he was back on his feet.

Or for another more recent example, how everyone got Big Ern started after he got layed off, and now look at how he's cranking them out.

I just don't think the money should be put towards anything other than knifemaking. either a gift certificate at MKS or something similar, that way at least the forum benefits.

There are several very good points here. I really like the idea of maybe using funds to purchase a knife from a willing maker at cost in order to auction/raffle it to raise more funds to assist a guy/gal Dog who is down. I also like the idea of using funds to help replace materials to help out. As we say in the military, situation dictates action.

If a Knife Dog gets sick and is hospitalized, helping him buy supplies will not assist his/her immediate need. I believe the best course of action will be to analyze each situation and make a combined decision between a panel of Mods/Admins.

We are making a huge step in the right direction here to help our fellow makers. Thank you to everyone who is participating.

If a Knife Dog gets sick and is hospitalized, helping him buy supplies will not assist his/her immediate need. I believe the best course of action will be to analyze each situation and make a combined decision between a panel of Mods/Admin

+1 Murph. Having your shop and tools destroyed is one kind of disater. Losing the ability to feed your family is another.

Another way we may be able to help a knifemaker in need is to purchase one of their knives for a raffle. It would at be a sale for that person and convert inventory to cash, assuming they've got one available or the ability to fill an order asap. Even if the fund paid more than the value of the knife we'd get some of the money back to put towards helping another in need.

-Josh

murphda2 said:

If a Knife Dog gets sick and is hospitalized, helping him buy supplies will not assist his/her immediate need. I believe the best course of action will be to analyze each situation and make a combined decision between a panel of Mods/Admins.

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I agree. just my .02

My only reasoning for making it strictly related to knife making supplies is that there are other avenues for getting help with bills and such, but not any for knife making, and 2 grand or so just isn't a lot of money to dole out for every little life emergency among 3000 members.

Also in life emergencies, what is the vetting process? A friend of a friend who is registered, but never contributed? X number of posts? What defines a life emergency? Too many variables really. That's why I suggest to keep it simple.

The further out you extend the helping hand the harder it will be to judge. When you get beyond the scope of the forum, you run into a lot of problems. I know from past forum experiences this is true.

Also, you should look at some sort of scholarship or something for up and coming knife makers. Either books or classes, or a MKS giftcard or something. Just another idea.

Maybe a prepackaged kit with a a knife kit, scales and such from MKS? They sell that and buy a couple more with the profit. Pretty soon the cycle starts upping tot he point where they are building their NWG.

It benefits the forum, our host (Tracy), and that person.

All valid and lucid points, guys.
But if a maker has a sick wife or kid he will not have the time, patience or will to build a knife and MAYBE be able to sell it sometime down the line. This isn't a quick fix.
Sometimes paying a bill for a guy or putting money on his account at the hospital or making a house payment would alleviate immediate stress.
I feel we need to make quick, decisive differences in a persons situation if we are going to be able to do this.
I am affiliated with a national charity and we raise money for kids with CP. We go directly to the places where they live and buy things like wheelchairs, stools, walking aids and such and hand it to them. This keeps the administration and general welfare funds out of our hard fought donations.

Keep in mind, that when bigern26 was helped out, it was started by an individual member. This shows the humanity of the members here.

Whatever we do, it needs to be decided by this forums admin team and be quick and direct.

respectfully submitted,
Steve
Super Moderator

I have to agree with some of the points made so far,
I will use me for an example.
I posted on here that I got laid off, I did not do it to get charity I did it just because it was on my mind and I did mention that now I have some time to build knives.
There were a lot of people here willing to help me out, I got enough supplies and a few orders to make enough knives to actually make some money, Now with what I have sold so far it helped us pay a few bills and buy some more supplies. Now I just need to make more knives that sell

Now, I am still laid off, and we are still behind. but we keep our head up cause who knows in the future I might be one of the big name knife makers who's knives sell as fast as I can make them and I need to thank everyone here for the help and support I have received.
With out it I would probably be nowhere.


I like the idea of buying a knife from a maker and holding a raffle for that knife to get the funds back, but if you are going to do that why not just hold a raffle for one of the makers knives in the first place?

I believe every situation should be looked at for what it is.
Like if one person needs some supplies to help him out then I say get a list of needed things and buy them for him.
Or, if he does need his electric bill paid, help him out by paying it, that way he can keep making knives.

Also there is for worse things like hospitalization and things like that that need to be looked at by the admins and mods to figure out the best way to help.

Sorry for rambling, this is just my 2 pennies!!!

how about a donation to the wounded warriors project, lf it weren't for those guy's and gal's out fighting for our freedom we wouldn't even be aloud to make these great knives. i know steve janik is involved with this great cause and is involved every year taking one of our brave wounded warriors on a whitetail deer hunt. i think it would be great to give i little back to the guy's and gals that have gave so much to us. just my thoughts and keep up the good work with the wounded warriors steve. proud to say i know you my friend.. jim

This is a touchy subject for me because of an illness with my wife. Financially, we are doing ok, but my friends and her friends have put together fundraisers and adopted your family for different holidays. They do this because they want to help and don’t know what else to do. Let me say, from the point of the family bread winner, this is not easy to except. I am new to the forum and do not know allot of people here, but you sound like a good group of people. If your friend, sticshooter, needs help, help him. Whoever you choose to help, do not add conditions to it! No matter who you choose to help, you will never know all that that person or organization is going through! Trying to keep the bills paid or trying to just trying to maintain the normal flow of life for his family is what is important. Just you guys putting this much thought into this shows what you are made of. Ok, I am off the soap box now.

Uncle Billy

the downside to giving something to someone is someone else feels cheated or angry or overlooked. We know that going in to this but that shouldn't stop the effort. The amount we are raising and giving away is only going to help take the sting out of a few days but at least we are doing something.
All good conversation so far.