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I hope this is in the right section of the forum, but I just wanted to let you all know about the following project.

Gifts of Mork - The Concept Of Gamers Giving Back To The Gamer Community

No Mr Robin Williams (from the old 80's TV series Mork & Mindy) has not yet again donned his skin tight silver space suit, and turned into some comedic space Santa giving gifts to unsuspecting gamers.

Gifts of Mork is a concept of gamers giving back to the gamer community, and indeed other deserving charities globally that need support.


Based on the brainchild of Miniature Wargame Conversions "Pay it Forward" campaign
http://miniaturewargameconversions.blogspot.com/2011/02/current-pay-it-forward-prizes-and-info.html
Gifts of Mork is a non-profit movement based upon the concept of gamers giving back to the gamer community run by the very nice chaps over at Warhammer 40k Forums
http://www.40kforums.com/vb/forum.php
Basically they take in donations of hobby items, volunteered time, and volunteered skill and turn those into a fun and great way to give to others in need.

For example: Let's say you have a box of space marines that you don't think you'll ever get around to building and painting. Perhaps you donate them to Gifts of Mork, and they either keep them as giveaway prizes, event rewards, OR they have them painted by a volunteer artist and sold on auction to raise money for various charities etc.
You really should check this out and offer some support, join in and enjoy, you may even win one of the great prizes that will be coming along soon.

You can read more about it here
http://www.40kforums.com/vb/blog.php/25063-Gifts-of-Mork

This isn't run by the "Pay It Forward" guy now is it? As in, another scam under another name?

Not trying to be a troll or something but, anything like a pay it forward thing is pretty supsicious tbh. For example what I read from this thread http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/355565.page

My main problem with organizations like the International Red Cross and other registered charities is simply that they have too much oversight. They have to publish their logistical costs, how much they took in, what went to overhead, what got donated, etc. All these new "pay it forward" scams opportunities look like a great way to donate my merchandise in a way that not only is non-tax deductible, but also offers absolutely no insight into how it works or what got skimmed used for overhead. I know I'm stoked!

I'm In charge of Gifts of Mork. No one else. Just me. I understand it's hard to believe that someone is trying to do something nice, but oddly occasionally it happens

Deeks was being nice and helping spread the word about the charity.

The last thread about this was upsetting to say the least.

I did not 'take over' the Pay it Forward blog/raffle. I started a movement to use our skills and ideas as a community of gamers. I will admit, the idea came to me because of the pay it forward campaign.

At some point you have to trust someone if you want to be involved in this sort of thing. I looked into becoming a legal and trademarked non profit so that no one would be able to question my intentions. Apparently in the US that's a bit more involved than we can be at this point. I apologize for not having enough people on hand to run a business not for profit. I understand that this is a huge failing on our part...

Look, you have no reason to trust me. Hell, I lied about never posting here again. Granted not on purpose, but it happens, right?

But you also have no reason to distrust me. I never defended the man. I defended the movement. I defended the idea that people who do not know things, should not speak.

If you dislike me, then fine. I have nothing to gain or lose by doing this. But ask yourself: How much do you enjoy the gaming community? You continue to come to this forum, so it must mean something. Don't you sometimes wish that just once...you could do something...to give back to that community...or help someone in some way?

I'm not certain anything you donate to this movement is tax deductible. I can't promise you'll know every inner working of what is happening in the movement, if you do not participate directly.

I will however do my best to inform people of the steps I'm taking. What I'm giving the money to, and what I'm planning.

I don't care if you give your merchandise or your money. You know what I'd much rather have? Your support, your skills and your faith.

Support by spreading the idea in your local gaming community...we don't even have to be mentioned.

Your skills to build or paint something that can be sold for charity.

Your faith that I'm legitimately doing this, until I give you a reason to doubt me. Let me at least be innocent until proven otherwise.


My record is clean. I'm a student. I'm a teacher. I'm a gamer and hobbyist.

I'm sorry that no one can really say anything more than that to prove anything. I ask only for support and faith.

If either cannot be given, then I can only ask that no one further defame me or the movement that I've started.

Thanks Dakka Dakka,

-Arch

I fear the taint of Redstarone has long since seeped into whatever good could possibly come of such community minded actions. I for one will not be trusting. Guilty by association, unfortunately.

Having had the chance to read through all the above posts and the relevant links, I can see why some of the responses are what you could call negative, and obviously there are some issues between individuals that need to be sorted either legally or privately, However, as it is stated on the 40k forums, and indeed Dakka, the idea behind pay it forward is an excellent one, and as such is under new management, it should be a cool project.

This project as it stands is in its infancy, a full mission statement of the project is on its way, And as I have been led to believe the accounts of this project will be completely transparrent, with all able to see where any donations have gone, where any money has been spent/donated, so Im hoping this one will work, I would hate to think that just because someone else in the past has "messed up" to be polite that the idea as a whole should fail.

The way I look at it, if there is a chance that I can do something to help someone less fortunate than I, even if its a small school/game club getting some much needed funds or models, and then on a larger scheme of things a more widely known charity (chosen by the community at large) could end up with a cash donation, or an individual winning a prize for free then its all good.

I have decided to offer not only my support and time in any way I can, but I have already offerd some items up for donations, The principle behind pay it forward works for me, and I honestly believe that if managed properly and professionally it can do some good. This is the process Jason (40k Forums) is working through now, to ensure that this works exactly how it should, and I think that if the right people get behind this, then its a winner.

Regards

Ellis

Well, good luck with your project.

Thank you I truely hope it does work out.

Ellis

Oh, well, a new mission statement? That changes everythong. Who needs transparency and accountability and trust built from the ground up with an entirely new enterprise when you can have a PR-friendly mission statement... haha.

It's a great idea, and I'd like to be involved, but having seen the history, I find it hard to trust so soon. Best of luck though.

Miraclefish wrote:Oh, well, a new mission statement? That changes everythong. Who needs transparency and accountability and trust built from the ground up with an entirely new enterprise when you can have a PR-friendly mission statement... haha.

It's a great idea, and I'd like to be involved, but having seen the history, I find it hard to trust so soon. Best of luck though.

^This. I'd love to be involved, but....


Automatically Appended Next Post:
This is like wearing a Charlie Chaplin moustache - it's too soon, and will be for a while. Unfortunately, good things get ruined by one tosser.

The thing that gets me about this is unlike other internet communities, wargaming in particular has a component that pulls a majority away from our computers to interact with people in real life fairly regularly. I have met many people on Dakka and the other wargaming boards I frequent and by degrees of separation I usually *know* someone who *knows* most of the people here.

That is why it is pretty hard to just throw it out there to a real stranger.

Also, most of us are at least affiliated with a 'club' or group of friends which is usually our first source of 'paying it forward' as well. If I wanted to support a new gamer or a charity, I would look locally to do it as it is very possible to do. Then I could be sure what I was doing was legit.

I am not even convinced that this is even 'charity' or doing good for anyone. Running an event with prizes and raising money for a charity does good. Collecting swag on the internet, I am unsure. If you want to do charity, run a tourney with a real-life in-person presence. Find a major tourney and arrange a silent auction for charity. If you were doing something like that at a trusted and major event like NOVA or ADEPTICON I could see loads of people donating wargaming supplies to you, *AND* it could be a real deduction for many. This would be what you would need to do to prove you are serious about this stuff and have some level of accountability. Start small and local and grow out. If you are legit, it won't take that long for people to 'know' you via meeting you or through knowing someone who knows you.

I just don't think this is a good idea at all and someone has already laid a turd in this punchbowl and people don't want to drink it anymore.

nkelsch wrote:The thing that gets me about this is unlike other internet communities, wargaming in particular has a component that pulls a majority away from our computers to interact with people in real life fairly regularly. I have met many people on Dakka and the other wargaming boards I frequent and by degrees of separation I usually *know* someone who *knows* most of the people here.

That is why it is pretty hard to just throw it out there to a real stranger.

Also, most of us are at least affiliated with a 'club' or group of friends which is usually our first source of 'paying it forward' as well. If I wanted to support a new gamer or a charity, I would look locally to do it as it is very possible to do. Then I could be sure what I was doing was legit.

I am not even convinced that this is even 'charity' or doing good for anyone. Running an event with prizes and raising money for a charity does good. Collecting swag on the internet, I am unsure. If you want to do charity, run a tourney with a real-life in-person presence. Find a major tourney and arrange a silent auction for charity. If you were doing something like that at a trusted and major event like NOVA or ADEPTICON I could see loads of people donating wargaming supplies to you, *AND* it could be a real deduction for many. This would be what you would need to do to prove you are serious about this stuff and have some level of accountability. Start small and local and grow out. If you are legit, it won't take that long for people to 'know' you via meeting you or through knowing someone who knows you.

I just don't think this is a good idea at all and someone has already laid a turd in this punchbowl and people don't want to drink it anymore.

I'd have to agree, nkelsch pretty much sums it all up. Pay It Forward works best in our local circles first, since that's where we do all of our gaming/interaction.

Now, maybe a campaign to not actually subsidize this, but rather just highlight what a particular group or local club is doing to help out its members, would work alot better and generate good visibility and positive vibes from such a practice.

However, if the Pay It Forward campaign's first order of business under you, Architechnic is to take up a collection to help get Alpharius and alarminggrick their stuff back from RSO, then I'm all on board.

hey someone has at last realised what it is that we would like to see Gifts Of Mork to become, and now is an excellent opportunity for those of you who say you cant trust something like this, to actually become part of it, dont just follow it in the hope you may win a prize, offer some support and more importantly some action, join in, ask the organisers how its going to be run, make a decision based on what you learn, then help raise some charitable funds by holding silent auctions and the like at your clubs etc and actually see this work, its will succeed if those people in the community that thought this to be a scam, help run it support it and drive it to succeed, then its more than just a bunch of people wanting free stuff.

List some of your existing pay it forward success in your clubs and groups, help the projects to move forward.
Ellis

I hate to be a killjoy, but isn't there already an incredibly solid resource for gamers to give back to the community in the Childs Play charity that the P.A. guys created?

http://www.childsplaycharity.org/

Yeah, there are plenty or reputable, reliable charities out there and there's always the ability to give directly to people who can use a lift. No need to patronize these questionable Internet schemes like "Pay It Forward", etc.

This smells like month old roadkill.


I advise fellow Dakkanauts to pay serious attention to the previous threads about 'Pay it forward' and tread with exceptional caution...

Deeks2010 wrote:I have decided to offer not only my support and time in any way I can, but I have already offerd some items up for donations, The principle behind pay it forward works for me, and I honestly believe that if managed properly and professionally it can do some good. This is the process Jason (40k Forums) is working through now, to ensure that this works exactly how it should, and I think that if the right people get behind this, then its a winner.

Regards

Ellis

Jason who? THat name sounds familiar.

This smells fishy and remarkably redstarone. I am closing it. The lawyer in me senses a presence I have not felt since...
If anyone has a difficulty, they can PM Lego and Yakface directly and I will be happy to open at their direction.