9 ms·
Ask HN: How can I raise $250, fast?
I am the lead welder, engineer, and machinist for my high school's Kinetic Sculpture Team. We participate in the Kinetic Grand Championship (http://www.kineticgrandchampionship.com) and the race is coming up in about 60 days. We have been working really hard and just got all 4 wheels attached to our sculpture yesterday. What we need now are two steel framed mountain bikes in good condition. We haven't been able to find anything within our budget on Craigslist (really rural area) and I have decided that we should just buy them. There is a local store that has exactly what we need for $100 apiece, but our team just doesn't have the money. We are a sort of under-the-radar club at our school, organized as a community service project. During the race, we raise money for a local homeless charity. Unfortunately, during the offseason, money really dries up. I have taken it upon myself to raise the money and I figure we will need around $250 in total for the two bikes and tax.
I am coming here because I know how good y'all are at fundraising and finding what South Park would call "internet money". If anyone out there could point me to a site that is designed for this type of quick, small fundraising, that would be great. I am also down for any other ideas that might help us.
Here is a picture of us yesterday (I am in the middle) http://imgur.com/9ETOpci
Here is a picture of our team in last year's race as Betty Chinn's Peace Crane http://imgur.com/JfVxieR
Thank you!
Mr. Meker
- jasonz 14y agodo you have a bitcoin wallet? if not you can make one here: https://blockchain.info/wallet/ https://blockchain.info/wallet/ and i'll send a donation
- dylanhassinger 14y agohttp://kickstarter.com http://kickstarter.com
- MrMeker 14y agoWe can't really offer rewards and we aren't selling anything. This is more for fundraising than capital. I don't know if this fits Kickstarter's ToC, and Kickstarter campaigns take more time than we have. Hopefully, we can buy these bikes in a week or two and have then attached and working with enough time to create some good art and make it go FAST!
- JohnHaugeland 14y agoTry http://crowdtilt.com/ http://crowdtilt.com/ then.
- dylanhassinger 14y agoMake some trinkets to offer as rewards, and do a 1 or 2 week Kickstarter. You could easily make the money for your bikes, and also promote your group to a whole new audience.
- garduque 14y agoThat looks super fun. How do I contact you? (If there is a messaging function on HN, I'm not savvy enough to figure it out.)
- revorad 14y agoTake a pen and paper, go around the neighbourhood to your friends, families, local shops asking for a small cash contribution.
- LeBlanc 14y agoHere are some donation sites that let you set up donation pages for exactly this type of cause: https://www.gofundme.com https://www.gofundme.com https://www.fundly.com https://www.fundly.com https://www.everribbon.com https://www.everribbon.com <- Disclosure: I run this one Good luck!
- MrMeker 14y agoThank you! I really like the design of EverRibbon. I have already started a campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-chariot-of-charity/ http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-chariot-of-charity/
- thejteam 14y agoCan you ask local businesses for a donation? Can you put logos on your work? In even the most rural areas you can find 5 businesses willing to part with 50 bucks to have their logo on something.
- MrMeker 14y agoWere up to $65 and around $11 in bitcoins. If anyone else has an idea of how to raise money, we still need a bit more!