I would like to host a MeFi MeetUp as part of a larger fund-raising event

September 7, 2006 1:52 PM

I would like to host a MeFi MeetUp as part of a larger fund-raising event for a non-profit organization. What's the preferred protocol so as to avoid being crass?
posted by plinth to MetaFilter Gatherings at 1:52 PM (15 comments total)

You'd probably be fine calling for a meetup and being up front about the larger fund-raising aspect of it. Folks'll bite or not.
posted by cortex at 2:46 PM on September 7, 2006

Couldn't be any worse than "My band's playing so let's have a meetup".

Not that there's anything wrong with that.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 3:08 PM on September 7, 2006

Hitting up your friends for money is crass, even if it's for charity.
posted by jacquilynne at 3:19 PM on September 7, 2006

Hitting up your friends for money is crass, even if it's for charity.

So if you hold a charitable fundraiser, you're only supposed to let strangers know?
posted by scody at 4:33 PM on September 7, 2006

I think holding a metafilter meet-up - which is supposed to be a social occasion - for the purposes of fundraising is tacky. But my standards of tackiness as regards to fundraising are probably quite a lot more restrictive than those of many.
posted by jacquilynne at 4:36 PM on September 7, 2006

I'd say it depends an awful lot on the circumstances. The main idea of a meetup is to get mefites together in Real Life to have some fun. If the charity thing would be meh, people won't show, but if it sounds like fun they may well do so. As a meetup announcement isn't a binding contract, I don't see the inherent crassness—devil is in the details.
posted by cortex at 4:43 PM on September 7, 2006

My feelings are along the lines of jacquilynne's, speaking only for myself and not with my moderator voice going. If the fundraiser is something you genuinely have reason to think Mefites might be into, by all means try for a meetup. If it's just a fundraiser that you're trying to get more people to go to and a meetup seems like a good way to do that, I'd be more "eh" on the idea. Also there's a big difference between inviting people to a $15 charity fundraising conference, and inviting them to some hard-sell event where everyone's turning out their pockets. Being a "host" for a meetup usually just means you're the one who gives out your cell phone number and maybe suggests a good venue (my apologies if you've been to tons of them) so if your good venue suggestion is a fun fundraiser, I don't see why not.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 6:42 PM on September 7, 2006

Besides being worried about being crass, I wouldn't want to project that the ruling body that moderates MeFi either condones or in any way promotes this particular event. It is tied to a larger organization and even larger community and donation is voluntary (but suggested, so as not to make the event a loss), and the event is a social event pretty dang fun, hence my idea of crossing over.

While I'm not too concerned about the turnout (there are allegedly 28 users near me, which is a likely turnout of 2 for this event), I am concerned about it creating a slippery slope of, "well, MeFi (tacitly) supported plinth's event, therefore it's good for Exorcists For Protonopia Awareness". And if that is in any way a real concern, I won't do it. Plain and simple.
posted by plinth at 7:24 PM on September 7, 2006

But my standards of tackiness as regards to fundraising are probably quite a lot more restrictive than those of many.

Maybe plinth should sell hoagies door-to-door? I'll buy one, two if the lettuce is prewrapped in cellophane to keep it off the bun.
posted by mrmojoflying at 3:47 AM on September 8, 2006

WELCOME TO THE U. N. OWEN CHARITABLE FUNDRAISER AND METAFILTER MEETUP
posted by quonsar at 4:30 AM on September 8, 2006

Unless it's a charity that no sane human could not support (medical care for unwed kittens, or some such), you're suggesting that in order for people to attend a mefi gathering, they have to support the charity, too.

I would suggest you find a more neutral venue.
posted by crunchland at 5:30 AM on September 8, 2006

crunchland writes "..a charity that no sane human could not support.."

Being poor is insane obviously.
posted by peacay at 5:40 AM on September 8, 2006

By "support," I meant in the philosophical sense, as opposed to monetarily. I mean, I'd have trouble attending a mefi gathering if it was associated with the Gays for Christ Wife-beaters Association, or the Republican Dog-lickers Scholorship Awards Committee, or some such.

Come to think of it, I'd have trouble attending a mefi gathering, period. So maybe it's just me.
posted by crunchland at 6:31 AM on September 8, 2006

you're suggesting that in order for people to attend a mefi gathering, they have to support the charity, too.

Well, they'd be suggesting that in order for people to be into attending one specific mefi gathering. It's a meetup offer, not an ultimatum. People can say no, or say nothing, or say, "eh, charity thing". Meetups are not some officially sponsored extension of the Great Metafilter Claw or anything.
posted by cortex at 6:46 AM on September 8, 2006

I think fundraiser falls into the projects camp.
posted by brujita at 3:37 PM on September 12, 2006