A Challenge - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

[Vypyrz]

A few other ideas that I've had over the last couple of years are:
1) Change, or stop the auctions. They are always open to the public, but the problem is, the "general public" rarely, if ever, shows up. More times than not, it is just the vendors who show up, and end up buying from each other, and as Skiploder said, they are the ones who end up bearing the brunt of the donations.
My suggestion is, if they want to continue to do the auctions, then conduct them concurrent with the show. Collect the auction donations in the morning, and then auction the items off throughout the day, possibly by silent auction, or some type of raffle.
2) Capitalize on the 50/50. Instead of doing one 50/50 drawing, open to the vendors, why not conduct two or three drawings each day. Most people only spend 1-2 hours at the show, so why not try a 50/50 drawing at 12:00, 2:00, and 4:00. That way, as the crowd changes, people get the opportunity to participate.
3) Put the jar back out. When I first started volunteering, we had a donation jar on the table. If we couldn't convince people to buy a membership, we could usually get them to part with a $1 or $5, or even the change in their pocket. Every little bit helps, right? But somewhere along the way, the jar disappeared.
4) Another idea that I got from my local high school band is coupon booklets. You buy the booklet for about $10-$20, and in it are coupons or promo codes for discounts for goods or services from area businesses. Since most vendors and breeders have websites, maybe something like this could work. USARK could make some money, people could save a little money, and the contributors would get some extra business from people using their websites, or shopping at their tables because of the coupons...advertising.
5) Keep the website updated with the current statuses of legilation, etc. As a volunteer, it is frustrating when I can't answer questions about current legislation, because either I can't find it, or, I don't have time to dig through forums or government websites looking for it. It would help tremendously, if that information was readily available on the USARK website, or at least provided in some type of volunteers information packet for reference...

[3skulls]

I have never seen anything about USARK at any of the local shows around here.

[MrLang]

Skip, that is inspired.

I'm in.

To others who read. How much did you spend in the last 12 months on this hobby? What's it worth to you to protect it and or give it a voice to the public that doesn't understand it?

[perfectpredators]

the majority of organizations are funded by big business, thats just how it is. the problem is not that usark is underfunded by its "constituents", the problem is that USARK never went after more big business which has a good piece of skin in the picture and have tons to lose if things go south for the herp industry. that there is the big problem, your point of money where the mouth is all fine and dandy but the REAL money is going after corporate sponsors. I appreciate your post but i cant disagree with it any more. youre missing the problem by a mile a long mile.

[Valentine Pirate]

Big business does bring in good money, but it doesn't completely make up for the chunk of private donations other organizations receive. HSUS gets however many dollars a month ($15? $12?) from anyone who signs up from their ads with sad puppies. Because their advertising reaches so many people and they're convincing it gets them the comfortable funding they need (people are a lot more willing to donate when heartstrings are pulled for shelters/abused animals, which is the pretense HSUS has, many don't know it's just paying lawyers and lobbyists despite our attempts at showing people). Also, lots of private donations = big business paying attention because it's where customer interest went.

Maybe because we have no heart string pulling ads people are less inclined to donate. I don't know. I'm very disappointed to hear how poorly USARK is doing in private donations. I've been sending $10-$20 when I have a little extra on my paycheck. It. Is. Easy. Really, it's the only effective way I can see myself making a difference legally as a hobbiest. I write letters, spread the word on most of my social networking whenever I hear about legislation, and do my best to (comfortably) expose people to my reptiles so that maybe they won't be as alienated, but I can't go to DC to fight for my rights and I certainly can't hope that what I have done would make any difference if USARK weren't around.

I budget it as an upkeep fee for my hobby. Maybe someday when there is a show that's closer than 3 hours away I can volunteer. Maybe someday I can send more funds, or less if the organization changes in a way I don't like, but we desperately need a dog in the fight that isn't a bare bones operation. From what I can tell USARK has done more good than if it weren't around, so I'll keep sending them money. If it turns out they're doing things I don't like or believe in, I'll stop. Simple. I understand people being squeamish about handing over money, but USARK needs a bigger presence to make a bigger difference

[Skiploder]

the majority of organizations are funded by big business, thats just how it is. the problem is not that usark is underfunded by its "constituents", the problem is that USARK never went after more big business which has a good piece of skin in the picture and have tons to lose if things go south for the herp industry. that there is the big problem, your point of money where the mouth is all fine and dandy but the REAL money is going after corporate sponsors. I appreciate your post but i cant disagree with it any more. youre missing the problem by a mile a long mile.

Wrong on almost all accounts. The one bone I will throw you is that USARK should be going hard after corporate dollars, but that is even flawed in the sense that the number of viable sponsors is small compared with other special interest groups. ZooMed, Exo-Terra, Zilla and maybe a few more - how much money do you think you can squeeze from them?

Last time I checked, none of those companies were making a ton of money off of varanids, giant constrictors and hots. The bread and butter of the big businesses in the herp world are your corn snakes, your ball pythons, leopard geckoes and bearded dragons. You put the governance and influence of USARK in the hands of corporations whose interests are the garden variety "safe" herps and you have a recipe for disaster. It is imperative that the individual members of this hobby put their money where their mouths are and donate.

The annual revenue for HSUS is somewhere north of $125M and perusing their tax forms quickly shows you that a giant chunk of that comes from their mail in campaigns - not big business.

Some of the most effective and powerful lobbying groups are funded by individual donations - think the big unions. Big unions go toe to toe with big business on both the federal and local levels and do just fine. How do I know - at one point I was heavily involved in both Operators Local No. 3 and the AGC - one a labor union and one a collection of heavy contractors. Local 3 has tremendous clout in California and does so primarily from the backs of their individual members.

California has a ballot measure that crops up every few years - sponsored by big business - that seeks to limit the amount of donations taken in by the labor unions. These propositions are funded by some of the biggest corporations in the country and they are soundly defeated year after year by the unions and the individual constituents. Overestimate the power of corporations and underestimate the power of the individual at your own risk.

SEIU is another national labor union that is one of the most influential lobbyists in Washington and get a huge amount of their war chest from their individual members.

The ugly truth is that private individual donations to USARK have been low. USARK takes in about $300K a year and HSUS takes in over $125M. If you think a handful of reptile specific corporation are going to bridge that gap, you are dead wrong. If you think that the mainstream reptile specific "big businesses" have a lot of skin to lose if retics, burms, large monitors and hots get specific legislation, you are wrong.

People, you can either hope someone else chips in to defend your specific rights or you can sack up and do it yourself. I would suggest the latter.

[Skiploder]

Skip, that is inspired.

I'm in.

To others who read. How much did you spend in the last 12 months on this hobby? What's it worth to you to protect it and or give it a voice to the public that doesn't understand it?

That's my boy!

If we get twenty people on this thread to donate (and prove that they have done so) I will up my monthly donation to $25 for the rest of the year.

PM me with your receipts.

[wolfy-hound]

You guys are right with the "small donations add up". Also, right that members of the herp community need to be aware that it's their fight.

But once again, will we see a more transparent organization or will we get the same rhetoric and vague answers as before? I see a lot of "Here's how to get more money" and no effort on the part of USARK to reassure the general donors that they will spend the money wisely.

What about a promise that they will be more forthcoming with information about where money goes? If I saw a promise that USARK will keep the public informed about where the funds are going, then I'd feel right about sending money in. Otherwise, I feel a little bit like a HSUS donor who really thinks the money will assist in my cause but no real idea what it's actually used for.

And the big businesses SHOULD be concerned because HSUS will not be stopping at the big constrictors, hots and varanids. They'll keep on moving down the line until all of it is gone.

[Pennstater6]

I donated and became a member last year. I can't donate much being a college student but some money is better than no money.

[Annarose15]

I donated and became a member last year. I can't donate much being a college student but some money is better than no money.

This is why I love Craig's challenge to us. No matter where we are in life, who among us can honestly say we can't spare $10/month for something we believe in? That's one less bottle of wine, making a few sandwiches instead of eating out once, or dropping a few channels from your cable package. I mean, come on, we can all afford the phones/computers/Internet that it takes to log on and read this!

And to those still concerned about financial transparency from USARK, have you looked at the link Skip posted yet?