Can you explain Finances and Donations box

The Donations box always seems to require $255, but when this amount is exceeded it reverts to zero and another collection starts. Is there any detail about how much has been raised this year and the accounts showing what money is needed, expenses etc or even just end of year accounts. I would hate to think this is a commercial money making scheme

Hi there, Dave. It's just coincidental that the amount received happens to click over to zero after reaching the goal.
This is about how it happens, every month:
The amount we need for the site & app is $255. Typically, at the beginning of the month a few people donate... and then nothing happens again til the end. The very last day people will usually throw down the last few bucks to make the goal amount and then the counter resets after that because it's the end of the month.
Or, the goal isn't met and the counter rests anyway because we've pulled the money out of pocket. Either way, it resets for a new month.

Trust me, this is not a commercial money making scheme. There is no advertising on SF. How would we be making money here aside donations? You can look at the amount as the end of the month draws near and see how long it takes to switch over to reaching the goal. (and you can see that the money is added automatically without human intervention when you have made your own donation. You put in $10 and then reload the page and it's there - along with your Supporter banner - automatically even if no staff or anything are on so it's creating that on it's own)

SF could be making a load of cash with advertising. We have been offered it in the past by various companies. It's kind of impolite to have to e-beg for the rest of the money by months end but it also sucks to have to pull it out of our own pockets every month too (and by "we" I'm talking about like 2 or 3 of us here). We do what we have to in order to make the place run. We do it because we love the place. We do it because we care that you have a place to come to every day.

Matt

That is what I was hoping you'd say MAtt , but it would be nice to see some accounts/ finance details on the site (I think)

@Walker

This honestly brought a tear to my eye. I would have no idea what I would do without SF. I love you guys and every member is important to me, hence why i'm here approx 12 hours per day. Something bad happened last week, I did something stupid and it was something I couldn't talk to anyone IRL about but of course SF was here to help me through the week, a special mention to @Were all together for helping me get through last week and the following days.

Totally off topic i'm sorry, just very emotional. I love you guys. 💖

I'm on the autism spectrum and now realise that we are not well undertsood and getting in to terrible trouble with others because of this and then suicidal.
I think ASD should be part of suicide assessment and maybe woud get better understnading

I think that just as with any other company, we don't typically get to see "the books". I suppose that you'll have to take the words for what they are, Dave. I realize you've not been around here long but I assure you, there are plenty of people vouching for SF on many levels. Certainly no one is forced for donate anything - time, words or finances.
Thanks for being here, we appreciate you.

There are no accounts to see because we are not a company we are a privately run website. If there were anything to see it would be my bank account which I am not going to show you but if I were to it would show the $255 which covers the server, security, maintenance, app licensing fees and software licenses for the site. It would show you that in July our beautiful members pitched in $272. It would also show you that in the two months before that we didn’t reach the $255 either month.

Some months people are able to give more, some they simply can’t.

It would also show you the personal funds that myself and other admin have thrown down to developers and professionals where needed to keep the site safe, up to date and running totalling into the thousands of dollars out of our own pockets because we once showed up here wanting to die and SF saved our lives. We own and run the site because somebody has to. It is too important to let it die. SF has changed hands several times since it started. Every member of staff here was once “just” a suicidal person looking for help.

Unlike other similar sites we run no advertising because we don’t think anyone should make money from someone’s pain. The monthly donations come at least 50% from our staff each month and that doesn’t include mine or Ben’s personal money for the ad hoc extras.

I hope that clarifies for you that there are no accounts because we are not a business. We are a privately owned site funded partially by the incredible generosity of a small few of our members who are able and in large part by the staff themselves because we passionately believe that SF saves people and that each and every one of the people that arrive here are worth saving.

i'm sorry but this is obviously not a money making operation. if it was they have a very low bar. and for what these people do $255 a month is very cheap. and if we could all try to do our part this place could last forever. in my opinion they should never have to pull money out of their pocket except for their monthly donation. thank you staff for all you do for NO pay...mike