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As the title, I was really impressed with Bartertowns charity project and was wondering if Dakka ever does anything similar. I have seen various members running things, but does Dakka as a whole? If not is it possible to start up a tradition of doing so?

It's called the DCM scheme.
It helps to keep Dakka Dakka running and gives bored lonely wargamers an outlet for their 'creativity' and keeps them from boring spouses and normals with their insane ramblings about wound allocation, missing primarchs and non metallic metals.

Sorry mate, I meant running a project for charity. not donating to dakka, although that is worthy in itself. The bartertown project ran to auction off an army at NOVA to raise funds for a charity. This army was collected by donations from members in both models and funds with a commission service painting them and a generous company donating the bases.
I was wondering if Dakka does a similar thing.

Maybe my post needed a

I've seen enough unofficial charity projects run through Dakka.
There generally doesn't seem to be a problem with it.
The hamsters that run the wheel that makes dakka tick are pretty busy chaps for one reason or another so this one would be on you!
It doesn't take much to come up with a concept and start a thread. If people like your idea and latch onto it it will gain traction and be at the top of the page for as long as you want to keep it updated.
Once you have gained traction and have enough going on then you or any other individuals involved could start to approach all sorts of companies for additional donations of time, stock, resources etc.

Sweet as mate, Yeah I have seen a few unofficial ones, like buttery is running at the moment. Hence the question.
I am game to get the ball running if it is not an established thing, however I live in the back end of the universe and am time rich but cash poor. I am however really good at blagging.
Are you keen to join such a project? If it isn't the done thing round here, I am keen to make it so it is the norm.
Dakka has such a rich and varied talent pool from all over the world I am sure that we could raise a shed load of dosh for some really deserving causes.

I could be interested but that depends on the cause and the concept.
I'd check it out with the Mods first though as a demand for cash for sports relief won't fly round here so keep whatever you're doing firmly wargaming related.

Yeah mate, well the bartertown project started with the concept of collecting an SM army, getting it pro painted (actually, not ebay version) and selling it off to raise money for wounded warriors.
If I was to spearhead such an effort it would be similar, cause would be determined by a Dakka poll, though something similar or a UN sponsored relief effort (ie. Syrian refugees) or Doctors with out borders, something of that ilk.
Obviously non-for profit and would need a hell of a lot of leg work and a lot of generosity. But I am game for that.
So you have not come across a similar Dakka endorsed project?
I would love to make such a thing an annual collaborative effort.

Having taken part in kb_lock's Ork community project, which was not for charity, but involved distributing dozens of donated figures around the world... I'd actually be exceptionally wary organising any charity army that involved sending items around.
The majority of people took their ork and never responded. No "sorry, I got it, but time is hard to come by", just complete silence from over half of the recipients.

Also keeping to deadlines is impossible.

I would say to organise something with people you can trust, rather than random volunteers.

It's one reason that I'm only working with one or two individuals on the marine project; I know I'd get a lot of well intentioned volunteers, but I would spend more time mailing and prodding people than I'd get results back.

Sorry to be a downer, I really am. That said, if you would like any help in coordinating folk on different areas of the globe, let me know.

As Buttery said.
Dakka may not run charity stuff, but a lot of Dakkaites do.

I got roped (not reluctantly) into a different gather-the-stuff charity thing last year.
The deadline had to get extended, and more people got called in to get enough models, due to drop-outs.
I'm sure the amount the army sold for didn't cover the postage of gathering all the models.

So, if you do anything similar, set restrictions early on, or it'll probably run away with itself.

Good luck though, if you do decide to do anything.

So an update,

Decided to give this a crack with some members of my group to raise money for our local kids hospital (called Starship). The plan was for two members to donate Calth box contents, myself to add flavour stuff (a Sicaran, Praetor and Primarch), and our two best painters to paint it all in our chosen legion. A week after deciding on this one of the painters quit the project because he didn't want to paint Blue and white (we chose between us to do World Eaters and he was loudest in wanting to paint Angron). Following his departure another quit because he decided he didn't want to give away his Calth set after all.
So this project has panned out exactly as was foreseen (should have done TS instead), any ideas on how to keep up motivation/herd cats (oh and suggestions on where to get Calth cheap)?

Do it yourself. The less moving parts, the easier something
like this is. I can count on myself to do whatever I set out to do, but the moment you start counting on people in non money making ventures, you set yourself up for failure.

This is a really misanthropic post I know, but charity can be fickle. Ask large distributors if they can provide models at discount, be honest and provide a deadline, and go from there.

You might get on better starting smaller, and getting people to donate old/spare mini's then try to make something coherent out of them.

Donations of a Calth box is a pretty big thing, but I'm sure in your group you could probably get a lot more mini's to paint and sell off if you just got people to raid their bits bins.

Everyone has a handful of marines they don't need, as well as a pile of obscure lead they've forgotten about.

Cheers for the advice!
Herzlos; I totally get what you are saying and whole heartedly agree, however we discussed this as a group and no one was strong armed, most of our club didn't want to partake but those who wanted to volunteered. It was an open planning session and every one agreed that we needed a coherent force, marines were the obvious choice and 30k is the new flavour and hotness (not least 'cause of a Primarch). Part of the inspiration came from Peter Jackson's Gallipoli display which we all contributed to.
Zach; I would agree but I suck at painting and have finished eighteen models in 26 years, so I cant count on myself!

After some discussion we have decided to change our plans one Calth box, twenty extra marines and some added flavour.
I would be keen to hear anyones thoughts on the best way to construct such a force as to get the most utility as well as what would make them want to pay for a ready made army.


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Addendum: Gonna ask that question in the 30k forum as well.