Rick Bolt's Blog Random Musings from a Random Bloke

My search to find a legal firm to assist us with the set up of the charity  really is not going how I imagined. I’ve contacted a number of large Brisbane based law firms via their Pro Bono coordinators and all but one has not been able to offer any assistance. There still is one firm considering our request and i really hope they might be able too. I understand that pro bono takes away from a businesses bottom line and am grateful that each firm has been very polite in considering my request. But i did really think that one business might have been able to spare a few hours to help us set the charity up correctly so as to not jeopardize our future applications for Tax exemptions etc. 

I have also submitted an application to QPILCH for some assistance but I feel this service is more for those of us with real legal issues and no funds.

Cate has now updated her blog with the overview of the plan for the charity and what it is we plan to achieve. If you get the opportunity, please have a quick look at the About The Project tab on Cates Blog.

There is also the How To Help page on Cates Blog that identifies what assistance we are after to move forward.

I’m sure by now that if you use Twitter and are following @rickads you would have seen my endless Tweets for a few products. The reasoning behind this is that 50% of all profits from The Elements website and Treat Head Lice website are donated to Cates charity. Also 50% of any affiliate marketing income I can generate is also donated to Cates Charity.

 So I’m doing all i can to market this select few products/sites. I’m more then happy to do so for any donators/supporters of the charity as well.

Also if there is anybody out there that might have a few spare minutes to set me straight on internet marketing and i don’t mean the “give us your money and here you go rubbish”, but real tricks of the trade that might assist me to raise the funds needed to be able to pay for a solicitor to get the charity registered, I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks for taking the time to have a read of another rant.

Rick

I have borrowed a lot of the information below from Cates blog, but feel I also need provide this information to “get the message” out to as many people as possible.

Cate is working extreemly hard and long hours trying to get the charity off the ground. So far things gave gone very slow. With confusing and conflicting information form Solicitors about how to set up the charity correctly not helping at all.

There are so many things that need to happen that we can not do on our own for various reasons. Any assistance that you may be able to offer would be greatly appreciated.

So what can you do to help? LOTS – but firstly, We have to be frank and tell you that you’ll be donating from the kindness of your hearts because we aren’t going to qualify for gift/donation tax deduction for .. wait for it… two years. This is one of the joys apparently of being a foreign aid charity. So even once we are registered, we aren’t going to be able to qualify GDR status for 2 years – so we may as well start begging now and hope people will offer their time/services/donations knowing there is no tax benefit. Bless your beautiful souls As much as it pains us, Cate is not willing to take cash donations until we are registered as a NFP company, cause I just don’t think this is cool – even though it would apprently be legal.

The list below is things we are going to need real soon, or are in need of now:

• A solicitor (preferably pro bono) that specialises in charity set ups – even more specifically foreign aid.
• A tax accountant on the Sunshine Coast (preferably pro bono), that is clued up in charity matters. We will travel to Brisbane if necessary, but putting fuel in our car is starting to become an issue.
• Graphic Design – we have chosen a name for the charity. We would like a fresh, funky and compassionate soul to design a logo for us.
• Business cards, flyers & letterhead – and I know beggers can’t be choosers but we’re going to be ridiculous here and insist that whomever we go with for this can offer us recycled/eco paper/stock.
• Web Design & Maintenance for the charity’s official website. If we have no offers I know I can do this myself but it will take me away from sewing, which will mean less money coming in.
• Web Graphics – we’re going to need some banners designed in a few sizes
• Back Links - from your website, blog, online community, Facebook page… anywhere really. Preferably nowhere that’s not wholesome or family friendly though, please (I know… fussy!)
• Publicity – write an article on your blog? Build a billboard? Umm… I’m willing to do whatever press I have to do to get the word out, so feel free to contact Oprah LOL
• Recycled Fabric Items - I need as much fabric as I can possibly get my hands on. I’m aiming to have a 90% recycled content to everything I make to support our conservation message. I desperately need donations of anything you don’t need anymore – clothing, bedding, tablecloths. Obviously the fabric needs to be in pretty good condition, but if you have something with a big stain on it, or a hole in it but 80% of the fabric is fine, for example, then I can still use it. If you have kids clothes that you think might be too small to be useful, I’m still happy to take them. I need to be able to cut a square of 10-12cm out of it to use for patchworking. Any clothes that can’t be used for sewing will be stored and kept to use in the orphanage when we get there.
• NON-Recycled Items – Fabric, zippers, buttons, ribbons, trims, interfacing, bag closures. The biggest need is probably interfacing at the moment – I’ve spent a small fortune on this even though it is cheap, I’m going through a lot. Things are getting very tight here now, so I can’t spend too much more of my own money or mouths won’t be fed. Second to that would be bag closures. Whilst I’m not willing to accept cash, I will accept Spotlight or Lincrafts gift vouchers.
• Make me an offer – if you have something or you can do something that you think might benefit us and I haven’t listed it here PLEASE get in touch with me, I’m really not good at this asking for help & handouts, so I didn’t want to make this list too long – yet. Just fill out the form below and send me an email.
• Volunteers on the Sunshine Coast - the plan is to start a stall at the Eumundi Markets probably starting in October. We will probably need some help with setting up Saturday & Wednesday mornings, staffing the stall & handing out flyers – even if you can only help for an hour. We would love to meet you.

Ok, so that’s the list for now. If you can help with ANY of these items, or another item not listed, please use the contact form to send me an email.

SPONSORSHIP – Any business or individual who donates goods or services to a value of $100 or greater will be listed on Cate’s new sponsorship page, including a link back to your website. We’ll also plug you to death on Twitter! And I’m sure you have seen RICKADS plugging away day in and day out. You can also send us a bunch of business cards or flyers and we’ll include them with our sewing project items for sale. I know it’s not much but it’s the best we can do.

Address for Donations:

I am proud to say that “Cate Bolt“ is my beautiful wife. Why on earth she chose me I will never understand, but she did and I am grateful to have the chance to part of the life of someone so special. I must say that calling my wife Cate is not something I like, I married Catherine and that’s who she is to me.

Cates Blog does not even give you a tiny look into the person she is and what she had done and been through. There is much more to her, which she may let you see at some stage but I doubt it. Anyway, I’m not a person that shows emotion, I grew up this way and its served me well through most of my life. It has been my downfall on a number of occasions and a total pain to Catherine. I hide behind this, and I do it well. I’m what many would call an imposing figure, 6’5″ tall, passed the 100kg mark, scruffy goatee beard and an aggressive nature. In fact most people confuse my nature with me being rude. I’m not rude, I just don’t trust anybody, if you give trust you get hurt and if you get hurt you show emotion. Makes sense to me!

My wife broke through all that today. It’s not something that happens often, I’m sure Cate will attest to that. But I read her latest blog Throw Away Society – The Brief & Inaccurate History of Conservation! And I cried> It hurt me inside as I know how much Cate loves her Grandma and I know how much those pillowcases mean to her. And yet she still lovingly took them apart for a greater reason then her own love for her Grandma. Cate’s focus is on helping the orphans in Indonesia no matter what pain it will bring her.

But at the same time we are struggling to get some very important matters moving. We have spoken to several solicitors about registering the charity and been given several different accounts on what needs to happen and what it will cost. We don’t have $3,000 to $5,000 to get things started. And even if we did, that money would be better spent setting things up in Indonesia not lining the pockets of a law firm. We understand there are just some costs we have to pay, like the registration of a company (If indeed that is the correct way to start). I have applied to many firms for Pro Bono assistance but to no avail. So if you know of or are able to provide any assistance or guidance in any way, please contact myself or Cate?

There are also many other ways to assist Cate, Please Click Here to read how you could be of assistance?

To end this off, I Love my wife and will fight to the death to support everything she does!

Project 18 is the brainchild of my beautiful wife Cate. A majority of the information on this page is taken from the “About the Project” page on the Project 18 website at http://www.project18.org.au

About Project 18

The founding member of Project 18 is Catherine Bolt.

Project 18 Inc. is a not-for-profit association incorporated in Queensland, Australia

The association is made up of seven like-minded management committee members headed by husband & wife team, Rick & Catherine Bolt.

Project 18 is currently in the fundraising phase for their first humanitarian/conservation mission in Sumatra, Indonesia.

About Project 18′s  Indonesian Orphanage/Wildlife Refuge Project

Some Background:

We love children, and we raise our children to love and respect the earth. We are passionate about children and it pains me to see children suffering in any way. For those of you with children under 5, or even older, try this simple visualisation exercise for a moment:

Imagine taking your child into a crowded street at dusk, walking away from them and never going back. Imagine the fear in that child when they realise you’re gone. Imagine them wandering scared and hungry through the streets…imagine their life now, day after day.

If you can do this exercise without tears, then you are stronger than me, but for 1.8 million children in Indonesia, this is reality. Every night 1.8 million children in Indonesia sleep homeless. For most of us that number is unfathomable.

Over 50% of Indonesians survive on less than $2US per day. Of the 500,000 children in Indonesian orphanages today, almost 90% still have a living parent. They just simply cannot afford to feed them and out of desperation, many of these children are dumped in hope that someone more fortunate may be able to give them a better life.

We don’t expect everyone to give up everything. We don’t expect everyone to build an orphanage. But EVERYONE can do something. Whether you sponsor Project 18, or one of the dozens of other aid agencies, whether you just extend the hand of friendship to a colleague or stranger or whether you just take a “man in the mirror” moment and be the change that you want to see in the world. EVERYONE has the power to make some change in the world.

Project 18 Mission Statement:

To increase the quality of life of underprivileged and orphaned children through family placement, housing, education and emotional nourishment. And to lead the children to a life of compassion & understanding of the environment by creating sustainable lifestyles which enable them to live in harmony with the planet

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