Hi All!
Sorry for the lack of Monday review yesterday... it was Thanksgiving here in Canada. So, Monday Review on Tuesday it is!
Here's the rewiew request. Try this;
1) Pop over to
Johnny's site to have a look before you read my reply.
2) Then, add
your advice and suggestions, too.
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You are free to look at mine any time I would be thankful for any feed back and advice. I still tweeking it and and thinking about a major over hall and moving the team ymim part back in the site.
My goal in life is in Gods order
1.God
2.Family
3. Work or ministry.
So with that said I do have to make a living but my true heart is to help others and be a blessing to all I meet. The bottom line is the bottom line 1. We have to be blessed to be a blessing.
I work on line because of 2 past heart attacks makes it hard to find a job. I wander why? LOL. Any way any advice? Thanks
Johnny,
Ps I created and designed the site myself and I am no pro there eighter.
The site is http://www.ymim.org
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Hi Johnny!
You're very right that we have to be blessed before we can bless. At least financially. There is an old saying that it's hard to feed the hungry when our own cupboards are bare. It's true.
That's why airlines tell parents that in the event of a crash or problem, to put their OWN oxygen mask on first before trying to help anyone else.
I went to your site at http://www.ymim.org.
I'm going to be very honest, because my reviews would not mean anything if I wasn't honest.
First of all, the website does not look like a professional charity organization. Have a look at these sites, and compare the way they look to yours...
http://www.feedthehungry.org
http://www.thehungersite.com
http://www.feedthechildren.org/
BUT - even more so - I didn't see anything to show that this is a registered non-profit organization.
There was a story at many news sites a few weeks ago about two guys that were collecting money for Katrina relief. Everything they did was done openly and honestly. They posted the amount of money collected online. They scanned receipts for all the goods they bought. They showed photos of them delivering the goods to shelters in the hurricane areas. It was all above board and with full disclosure.
And, they still had to stop. Why? Because they are not licensed to collect money for charity. They did not register as a non-profit organization authorized to collect money for charity.
That's what your site seems like. Like a guy (you) that has good intent, but is not showing that you are authorized to do what you are doing -- and that's very important when it comes to charitable donations.
Your site is also not recognized by http://www.charitynavigator.org
Charity Navigator is a site that rates and lists recognized and approved charities. If you do have the paperwork in place to make you a charitable organization, I think you should post the non-profit verification on your site, and submit your url to charity navigator to help with showing credibility.
And last - but perhaps most important - at least to me. I find it very distasteful (to me) to even think of making profit off needy children. Your site says;
Did you know that 1500 children die from hunger every 24 hours somewhere in the world?
Then, it offers me the ability to keep 50% of the money that my members pay. For every $19.95 member that joins, I get $10. I assume the other $10 goes to the hungry children? To pocket half of the money I earn while 1500 children die of hunger every day would make me feel like I'm prostituting their hunger for my own benefit.
So, I feel that the concept behind the business is flawed. I'd rather give the $20 and keep none. I'm betting a lot of people would feel the same way.
I think a better approach might be to look at how the other non profits set up their business model. The steps I would suggest to you, to make your business work, would be these;
1) Register as a non profit organization
2) Either ask for donations or sell something to generate money for needy kids
3) Pay yourself a salary to run the organization. Most charitable organizations do allow a certain amount to be applied towards operational costs.
4) Seek volunteers to help you promote.
5) List your new site with charitynavigator.org.
I can tell your heart is in the right place - I just don't think the method you're using is going to work for you.
If you do steps 1-3, you can come back and post here again looking for help with #4. There is certainly no shortage of people here, and I'll be first in line to help.
Best of luck!
: )
Linda
P.S. Anyone have any advice to add to that?