[Formerly the EA Hotel]
Centre for Enabling EA Learning & Research (Blackpool, UK)
CEEALAR
Karma: 1,156
Here’s an idea: sponsorship of individual rooms: £500/month, minimum commitment of 12 months, voided if hotel ceases to exist in current form in the mean time. You’d get to name the room—e.g. “x suite”—and perhaps specify a cause area it’s to be reserved for. If you’re interested in this, let’s talk.
“What about EA Grants / EA Funds?” We are still talking to EA Grants and the EA Long Term Future Fund. They have one or two sticking points that we’re hoping to resolve with their input. We need funds to bridge the gap in the mean time.
“Tax deductibility?” We’re still in the process of trying to get a charity registered. This has ended up being a lot more complex and time-consuming than initially expected down to the uniqueness of our project. We do have some potential donors waiting on it, but again, we need funds to bridge the gap to getting charitable status (best case scenario: this could happen by the end of 2019).
“How might you get on a sustainable footing in terms of funding?” We’re hopeful that within 2-5 years we could be sustained by alumni donating back amounts higher than their stay cost.
We have talked to people about this but it often comes down to the fact that even if they could hold the money for us, they’d only be able to give it to us if we get non-profit status (and this isn’t a certainty).
Not sure how much we’re allowed to say. Will ask the grantmakers.
We already have an honour-based system where people with an income or >24 months runway in savings are asked to pay cost price. We could perhaps tighten this up, but don’t really want to end up with a system where people with very limited resources would feel obliged to pay and thus don’t apply.
Another idea: we’d be happy to offer a value-aligned significant donor a seat on our Board of Trustees (kind of like Holden Karnofsky and OpenAI, but on a smaller scale). Let us know if you’d like to discuss this with us.
Please read the posts linked to on eahotel.org/fundraiser (and as stated in the OP, we have more in the pipeline).
See also the totaliser on that page (will be updated soon) - total donations (in addition to those made founder Greg Colbourn) are currently ~£36k from >50 individuals, they have come through various means—the PayPal MoneyPool, GoFundMe, Patreon and privately).
UPDATE 6th Nov 2019: the fundraiser page has now been updated, and a histogram of donations added: https://eahotel.org/fundraiser/
With the charity structure we’re setting up, charging cost price will also amount to a grant in the form of a partial subsidy. Charging anyone less than market rate (~double cost price) means they are a beneficiary of the charity. So in practice everyone will have to apply for a grant of free accommodation, board and stipend, and the amount given (total or partial subsidy) will depend on their need and merit.
It’s looking like we now have runway until the end of the year, thanks to you three and others who have donated in the last few days :) Will post a more detailed update (and update the fundraiser page) in the coming days.
OP and fundraiser page now updated. tldr: runway now ~3 months :)
Our next post will include some case studies with counterfactuals.
The Project and Community Manager (or Community & Projects Manager) is a role that largely involves overseeing the EA-focused work being done at the Hotel, facilitating productivity and offering practical and strategic advice to guests, in order to help maximise the value of their work to the world.
Other tasks for this role include: answering email enquiries; video calls with applicants; coordinating with Trustees and Advisors to vet applicants; helping maintain community morale at a high level, and resolving conflict if it arises, in coordination with the Operations Manager; developing overall strategy for the EA Hotel, in coordination with Trustees.
We hope to do a hiring round for the role as and when we get back to 6 months runway of general operating costs, and appreciate Nicole’s interest in potentially funding the role. Denisa Pop is currently in the role in the interim.
Missing karma scores added (and the rest updated for consistency—scores correct as of 8th Nov 2019).
Post now up.
Re: “water wars”. That article is from 2009. Since then there has been Syria.
The main reason for the change is to make it immediately obvious that we are a non-profit. The building is still called the Athena Hotel.
Using the word “Hotel” is problematic as it’s generally too associated with “for-profit” unfortunately. The other ideas you mention seem too generic; “Enabling EA Learning & Research” is a very concise summary of what we actually do. We didn’t come up with anything better that was a pronounceable acronym.
“Why not just charge people?” I think that would end up missing most of the counterfactual value. We are providing grants in the form of free accommodation and board for those working full time on EA related endeavors (at a very low cost per person year of work - ~£6k). Having a default of charging would curtail the interest of the people and projects most likely to benefit (and the value produced by them). It kind of goes against most of the point of the project (like trying to save a scholarship by asking the recipients to pay).” See thread here for further discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/EAHotel/permalink/2617815558273857/?comment_id=2618854804836599 [Note: Closed group, welcome for people to join]