To Fund or Not to Fund...

[Chris Mason]

Members of the Donations Work Group have spoken with some Work Groups
at camp and off-camp about using a fiscal sponsor to receive funds
online and through check donations, in order to have money for urgent
needs and for future flexibility and growth of the movement. Many
people are working very hard, both at camp and in the community, to
create a diversity of tactics within the Occupy Pittsburgh movement.
We feel the Occupy Pittsburgh movement is a fluid - and hopefully
growing - collection of individuals that can move freely within the
movement. But, in order to have a better idea of which activities of
the movement may benefit from funds or additional funds, the Donation
Work Group is asking members in the online Work Groups to comment (and
we're also speaking with those at camp we haven't yet).
Do you think it is beneficial for Occupy Pittsburgh to secure a fiscal
sponsor while it works out a way to become independent? And do you
feel that funding will help or hurt the movement? And what role
should the General Assembly play in financial decisions? Thank you for
your input!

[Brett Lawler]

Chris,

I don't speak for the vets here, just myself.  I would suggest that we state a 'purpose' for the funds up front then any request for those funds, in the future, may be weighed against how the use of funds will advance the mission.  (i.e. I'd suggest that the purpose be 'recruiting/growing the movement')  So, then any request for OP funds will have to answer the question "how will this aid recruiting?"  That's just IMHO.  I WILL tell you that there have been a number of cases across the country where theft/embezzlement of occupy funds has been a problem.  Assume this will happen here.  

Theoretically, there is a medium range planning team that is working to define an 'endstate'. i.e:  By the end of March 2012, our goal is to have grown our FB numbers to 8,000, twitter followers to 20,000, there is still a permanent presence at camp, open lines of communication with the PPD, city council, first responders, etc... and marches are now attended by numbers in the thousands not hundreds.   Then you backwards plan and develop action plans to help move us towards each of those goals.  Once those action plans are fleshed out it gets easier to decide how to allocate $$ resources among them.

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[Tiffany Milovac]

Chris - great idea.  Need a purpose/reason for asking for money.  Must appeal to the masses.  Those that serve and protect and also those that are to be protected.  Both sides must be addressed.  The purpose can be "recruiting and allowing for the expansion of the movement so that we may ALL ultimately be protected/ready for whatever is thrown our way, on every level".    This all is going so well, as I have gauged thoughts/impressions/feelings from the general public and service members alike.  All generally concur with the ideals, the movement itself and it's proposed impact.  A Pittsburgh police officer who also works in sales in Wash. Co. for Comcast said to me yesterday when I asked him about the Occupy movement:  "You don't EVEN KNOW HOW BIG IT IS!!!!!" and after a few more minutes of Q&A I finally confessed and said "I do know, I am in it!"  He was all smiles, positive, happy, connected.  He said that it can not even be compared to the 60's movement because it IS THAT DIFFERENT, THAT HUGE.  I said so you believe it is unprecedented?  He said absolutely!!!!!!!!!  There is nothing in the history of man-kind that we can even compare it to!!!!! SCORE FOR TEAM A!!!!!!!!! :)   keep it flowing.

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Tiffany M. Milovac

[Chris Mason]

@ Brett, thank you - we realize it's going to be tough and controls must be in place.  Luckily, we have more people helping to strategize, so we should be able to get a good system in place.

@ Tiffany: love to hear these stories! This IS different! And I like the purpose - we need to inspire and use words that let people know we are not going away! :)