DFC Fans Forum - 24/03/2016. Fundraising drive.

[Gow9900]

All details now on the website....

http://darlingtonfootballclub.co.uk/fun ... n-details/

[bga]

A lot to take in. I'll try and chip in and support this but £130,000 is an awful lot to raise by 31 May.

[AndyPark]

If we get promoted, we'd have until March 31st 2017 to get the ground upgraded to Category B standard I believe.

[super_les_mcjannet]

The key things for me for the 100k Community Shares

We have to raise the full 100k or nothing is taken.
The money will not leave your bank account until approx 7th June if 100k raised.
You need to be part of the DFCSG to buy shares. (It's a legal thing not the group trying to get members, basically you have to be a member).
The money you put forward is the puchase of shares which can be sold and don't go down in value.
You can't have any of the money back/sell shares back in the first 5 years.
Not what would be wanted but you still own the shares if you didn't renew membership.
Interest can be taken in the shares (Comes in the form of more shares and not cash)
The interest shares can be sold similar to the initial share purchase.
The DFCSG is loaning the club the money and the club will pay it back with a budgeted installment each year of 20.

Anyone who reads it different then let me know and I will change.

[DFCSG Comm Shares]

You've got it SLM.

Will set up a specific thread on here for Q&A - probably easier that way

In my personal opinion joining the DFCSG by £2 per month standing order is the best way - you won't miss that much per month - less than the cost of a pint per month and if we had all of the 1000 supporters that turn up to HP enrolled on that basis it's a fundraising stream in its own right - over £20K per year which will be used to safeguard the future of the club.

[Mr_Tibbs]

I was 2nd!

https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupport ... are-issue/

We're up to £400 already - only another £99,600 to go!

Got to say - our Crowdfunding site is brilliant. Who needs ClownCube when we can do it all ourselves?

Fantastic effort by all involved!

[darlodog]

Really good positive forum tonight. To me the 50 standing 5 year season ticket selfishly is the most attractive particularly with the likely increase in Match day prices. It was good to hear an honest open forum and I thought Mike Wilkinson came across really well which bodes well for both clubs to develop. My dad will likely invest cash into the community share option.

[super_les_mcjannet]

£2,600 in already.

Make that £3,800 now. Long way to go and people will need to think about it but good to see those willing are already coming forward.

[Mr_Tibbs]

£4,800! We're off to a flying start

For anyone interested the signing up and pledging process on the fundraising site is really easy. I just chose the bank transfer option and left the "Join the Supporters Group" box unchecked (as I'm already a member) but, for legal purposes, you DO need to be a member in order to buy these shares so please do check that box if you're not already a member to make it easier for the Supporters Group to identify you as someone they need to contact about joining... but it would help GREATLY if you could also take the extra step yourself and join the DFCSG on your own initiative.

Remember you get a bonus of a few months free membership here - sign up now and you will get the rest of the current membership year and a full year's membership commencing the 1st September.

Just go to the membership page at the DFCSG site in my signature, download the form, and follow the instructions - it's really easy to do and you can do it all from your armchair!

[Neil Johnson]

If we get promoted, we'd have until March 31st 2017 to get the ground upgraded to Category B standard I believe.

???????????????

The scheme is subject to League review and approval, without finances being in place.

The ground itself has to be ready for season start, or end of August - Darlo "home" pre-season friendlies are being planned to be played at a nearby ground.

Shares are to be no longer just donations, but investments, you have to join DFSG to invest.

[divas]

A lot to take in. I'll try and chip in and support this but £130,000 is an awful lot to raise by 31 May.

On the face of it, yes, as a single figure it is, but when you start to break it down and put it into some context then it's a bit less daunting. We raised £244K in a similar period last year. Okay that was all through 5 year season tickets and those people obviously can't do the same again, but if they all extend for a further year then you're looking at £50K straight away. If we manage to sell the 50 new DFC500 then you're looking at about £40K and straight away you've got more than half of what we need.

Then there's the community share angle - a scheme where you can actually get a return on your investment albeit 5 years down the line but surely better than just putting cash into a black hole.

We've a fan base of at least 1500 - once you start to divide the amount needed across that number it starts to look more realistic.

[Neil Johnson]

There was a lot of positive "football" info from Martin tonight, but it's NOW time for all to read and act with the fundraising.

I am extending my Club 500 standing ticket for a sixth year - plus £120

I am converting my current club shares (donations) to new share (investments).

I'll probably increase my new share investment as well, because we will need more than the initially planned seats for a family scheme to be practical and for visiting fans e.g. at "big" cup games.

Dont forget the bucket collections and other ongoing fundraising!

[Neil Johnson]

The club said that interest would be automatically accrued on the new type of shares p.a.

This is discretionary interest and must come out of a cash surplus.

1.5% is indicted for next season.

Companies can buy shares up to the upper limit.

Shares are non-transferable - so may need to be included in wills.

Once DFSG own 90% of new shares the interest from them can benefit from 30% tax relief.

There will be a limit to how many shares IN TOTAL can be cashed in per season, but this can be tweaked to suit circumstances (like bereavement of a fan) at the discretion of the board.

[footifan]

I was 2nd!

https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupport ... are-issue/

We're up to £400 already - only another £99,600 to go!

Got to say - our Crowdfunding site is brilliant. Who needs ClownCube when we can do it all ourselves?

Fantastic effort by all involved!

Mr Tibbs
Is there a simple way to invest from overseas ?
I will be investing, I still have UK bank accounts but I will be asking some of my USA friends to invest too.
Who is the best person to chat to re this ?

[AndyPark]

There's £200 in from me

We can do this

[Mr_Tibbs]

I was 2nd!

https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupport ... are-issue/

We're up to £400 already - only another £99,600 to go!

Got to say - our Crowdfunding site is brilliant. Who needs ClownCube when we can do it all ourselves?

Fantastic effort by all involved!

Mr Tibbs
Is there a simple way to invest from overseas ?
I will be investing, I still have UK bank accounts but I will be asking some of my USA friends to invest too.
Who is the best person to chat to re this ?

I answered on the Q&A thread.

If anyone else has any queries please

CLICK HERE TO POST THEM ON THE Q&A THREAD

[Mr_Tibbs]

Keep it going

[moodymonica]

Sorry of this has already been asked
How much is it to join the dfcsg?
Do you have to be a member each of the five years?
What would happen if you didn't renew membership
Only ask as I'm not a member and I would have thought I'm not the only one.

[coles]

It's £25 to join but this will cover this season and next you don't have to be a previous member to join. However you must join now if you want to contribute. If you join I would guess you need to keep rejoining to keep your shares.

[super_les_mcjannet]

Sorry of this has already been asked
How much is it to join the dfcsg?
Do you have to be a member each of the five years?
What would happen if you didn't renew membership
Only ask as I'm not a member and I would have thought I'm not the only one.

You can pay £2 a month to join.
If you don't renew then you still own the shares. (Good to be part of the group but I guess some may not want to be part long term).

[Mr_Tibbs]

I'm not 100% sure what the situation is regarding renewal of memberships (whether they are required after you've made your initial purchase, or not) but I think we will focus on ways to retain members, once they've signed up.

Things like the Community Shares Offer is just one benefit of being a member - we need to promote the other benefits more (and think up new ones) to encourage more people to sign up and then to renew at the end of each year.

In the words of Karen Carpenter... "we've only just begun"

[super_les_mcjannet]

Two rules are

In the event that a member fails to renew their annual membership, and they have purchased chares, these funds will remain invested in the scheme until a request to withdraw is made in line with the process outlined for members.

By not renewing your annual membership fee, you may cease to be entitiled to member benefits which include your equal voting share in the CBS.

[Darlo Since 68]

The club said that interest would be automatically accrued on the new type of shares p.a.

This is discretionary interest and must come out of a cash surplus.


Once DFSG own 90% of new shares the interest from them can benefit from 30% tax relief.

There will be a limit to how many shares IN TOTAL can be cashed in per season, but this can be tweaked to suit circumstances (like bereavement of a fan) at the discretion of the board.

The tax relief I believe is on your investment, not the interest. Therfore if you in invest £1000 you could claim 30% (£300) tax relief.
This is why the 90% figure is so important.

[DFCSG Comm Shares]

I was 2nd!

https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupport ... are-issue/

We're up to £400 already - only another £99,600 to go!

Got to say - our Crowdfunding site is brilliant. Who needs ClownCube when we can do it all ourselves?

Fantastic effort by all involved!

Yup totally! What Mikky has done with the platform with some sterling help and hosting from the DFCSG webmaster is fantastic. The beauty of it is it can be used again and again for all manner of things!

[DFCSG Comm Shares]

The club said that interest would be automatically accrued on the new type of shares p.a.

This is discretionary interest and must come out of a cash surplus.

1.5% is indicted for next season.

Companies can buy shares up to the upper limit.

Shares are non-transferable - so may need to be included in wills.

Once DFSG own 90% of new shares the interest from them can benefit from 30% tax relief.

There will be a limit to how many shares IN TOTAL can be cashed in per season, but this can be tweaked to suit circumstances (like bereavement of a fan) at the discretion of the board.

Cheers Neil - that's the gist of it. In regards to tax relief, it's on the total investment rather than interest.

Good point re: wills.

[poppyfield]

Cracked the 10 grand already

[DFCSG Comm Shares]

Sorry of this has already been asked
How much is it to join the dfcsg?
Do you have to be a member each of the five years?
What would happen if you didn't renew membership
Only ask as I'm not a member and I would have thought I'm not the only one.

You can pay £2 a month to join.
If you don't renew then you still own the shares. (Good to be part of the group but I guess some may not want to be part long term).

Quite right - obviously the DFCSG membership fees are a fundraising tool in their own right, over the past few years the DFCSG has purchased further equity in the football club using the membership fees, so the money has gone into the football club.

The £2 a month standing order option is a great way to become and stay a member, plus there are actually some great advantages of being a DFCSG member anyway!

[JE93]

Just a quick question (following my question in the other thread). If you are not currently a DFCSG member. Do you have to register first before investing in the community share initiative or if I say put in £125 as a non member would they take the 25 and register me as a member then apply the rest to the share initiative?

[DFCSG Comm Shares]

If you're using the online platform simply subscribe to the amount you want to invest in shares and then tick the box at the bottom to join the DFCSG and someone will contact you to take payment separately as you'll have the option of paying up front or £2 per month

[Mr_Tibbs]

Just a quick question (following my question in the other thread). If you are not currently a DFCSG member. Do you have to register first before investing in the community share initiative or if I say put in £125 as a non member would they take the 25 and register me as a member then apply the rest to the share initiative?

That's a good question - it was a problem trying to figure out the best way to deal with membership applications because some people have more than one email address so marrying up people who appear to be saying they are a member (simply by forgetting to check the sign up box) with people who are on the list of members isn't quite as straightforward as we would have liked.

If we'd tried to enforce membership before people could pledge an amount then that would've been one roadblock too many for most people so it was decided to treat the two things quite separately.

In short (and as noted in the post above) you just put down how much you want to invest and, either, join the Supporters Group yourself (click here to do that now) or else just wait until someone contacts you after you've put your pledge through help you through the membership process.

It's quite a big administrative task to do it that way, but we have until June (before any monies are collected in the share scheme) to make sure that everyone who pledges to buy shares is signed up as a member of the DFCSG.

It would help immensely if everyone would join the Supporters Group on their own initiative so the membership secretary can start to match up pledges with members.