Pericopes UP and OUT

Can you believe that that first two quarters of 2014 have come and gone as of today? Where the heck did all that time go, not to mention all that was covered and who knows what's to come. Producing this platform takes many twist and turns ranging from gathering content to finalizing what will make the cut. Even though it seems as if its a easy thing to do, its not especially when it comes to continuity and certainly the "time effort" that it takes to keep it fresh and refreshed on a daily basis. Many of the experts that I subscribe to, all state that if you not busting out new content and cross pollinating it with you social media aspect, then you most likely will not get the maximum punch from your work.

I know for a fact that COP 24/7 takes at least at 25 hour commitment each week including some updates, rewrites, re-posting, cross connecting and researching "what really going on." This platform has some Google Ads that offers some click through support but not enough to be considered a significant revenue source, we added our Circle of Friends outreach via our Pay Pal portal that to date received no contributions and now we are in the mix to seek possible banner or widget sponsorships to help with powering our efforts. Ultimately we will have to assess all of our work and determine our next steps. So as we examine all of work, stay tuned as we will be announcing shortly those decisions. Until then, its time to dive back in to the deep end of COP 24/7!

Money Makes the World Go Around

 

 

It was the 1972 hit film, "Cabaret" staring iconic Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey as nightclub stars in 1930's Germany, which featured many show stopping numbers including the bit entitled "Money Makes the Go Round" still resonates to this day. "Money," whether you have it or not, is central to making the world go round and round and most definitely around! This is not lost on COP 24/7 who has been producing this forum for the past 10, yes count em, ten years without recouping any revenue as yet. Early on, this experiment was a tippy toe move to understand just what "blogging" was all about with no real plan as to how to really utilize it or prepared to embrace the ultimate impact that it would go on to have. But this dilemma is not just a COP 24/7 issue, it is an issue that reaches beyond to the fact that due to a LGBTQ "patchwork" of infrastructure and dedicated funding models, many local community based groups as well as those activist who are the needed "footman" attempting to articulate the cause at the policy table simply don't have access to resources to facilitate their participation.

 

 Point blank, there's nothing currently in place to support those efforts and although needed, there are some serious questions as to how to create such a structure and even more glaring are inquires as to its management. As conferences and other meetings are announced, often times these events may have some "sponsorship" or scholarship component to them. However, these coveted items of assistance are extremely competitive and often its a crap shoot if such help may come one's way. To add to this mix, is also if there's some assistance, most times its limited to either perhaps lodging, some registration or travel subsidy that offset's some expenses but usually requires some input from the attendee.

 

 This is especially tricky for those events that require a "reimbursement" element in which the attendee pays upfront and waits for a subsequent pay out from organizers. However, no matter how its constructed or arranged, many of these situations some times are extreme challenges for those with limited incomes or access to resources to assist them in being apart of the education and information process. So what do we do? Despite a flurry of "fund raising" that has occurred, none of those dollars were distinctively slated to any designated fund of this nature.

 

 Also, although well meaning, most of the fundraising has been marginal to actually "money loser's" such as recent pride pageant that on the surface announced a $850 net which in actuality netting no funds after both pre and post production cost were assessed. Also some activist and advocates have taken to "crowd funding," such as a Go Fund Me posting from Ms. T. Lockett seeking funds to attend the Transgender national lobby day in Washington D.C. At post time, Lockett had secured $135.00 toward trip expenses, however, this type of funding also incurs cost. Go Fund Me deducts up to a total of 8% of the amounts donated with the rest available for draw down from the participant. Some agencies or entities have travel stipends, but usually those fund are regulated to program focus or outcomes. 

 

Consequently, such funding can only be use for specific conferences or meetings after rigorous vetting.. If there is to be some type of independent fund set up, then there should be questions as to how its administrated and exactly how would it be sustained. Would a fiduciary model be used allowing a audited entity to serve as a domicile or would a trustee be established to oversee how proceeds were disbursed. What mechanism's would be employed to create the "dollars and cents" needed to fund that purse.

 

Most fundraising experts cautions organizations about "bake selling" or "tea cupping" their fund
raising efforts that usually become exhaustive with limited return on investment including time and effort. Is a corporate sponsor structure possible? Perhaps, but most large firms are seeking a more tangible outcome for their bucks such as engaging consumers with their products, leveraging their brand or an outcome that supports their core values. The impending scale up of Project One America at the behest of the Human Rights Campaign, might come with some solutions but even this avenue has no assurances. Even more the talk of office staffing and such, to date there has been no bona fide plan of action that has been released to determine exactly what the structure or game plan will look like. Its still a wait and see for the state.

 

 It is obvious "Houston there's a problem," but exactly the nuts and bolts of how it will be resolved will require much thought and preparation. In the meantime, the foot soldiers will have to continue to fend for themselves as the need for Arkansas' LGBT community to be on the national playing field is a nail biter at best.  

Editors Note: You can check out Ms. Lockett Go Fund Me link on our Facebook page (www.facebookcom/corneliusonpoint )

Don't forget that open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act begins November 15, 2014 Watch COP 24/7 for more updates!