Donations needed

Actually this is one of the issues which I've been attempting to address with the concept of a centralized investigation agency. We all know that being a paranormal investigation group/agency/team is not a very profitable concept. Most of the individuals who you are going to be working with don't have any money, and even if they do is it right to ask them to pay for something.

I've heard this argument many times from both sides. I'm a bit in the middle on the subject, but I think help should be freely given when its needed. I think if there are funds they should come from advertisement, from fan base, and from those interested in what you do but not as clients.

As you said one of the issues is that you get calls for help from locations that are not near to you. We face the same problem. I think that is one of many things that a central agency can solve. One agency to contact, but with many franchise groups through out the country and world. Shared income and resources, but also shared fees. While at the same time retaining some level of autonomy.

With a shared case manager, you can enter your case information. If you wish to take it on yourself you continue on as you were. But if its something you don't have the resources for you push it up to the rest of the teams and a resource in the area of the call for help can address it.

All the members of the centralized agency are accredited through some means, if nothing else than through the feedback of the clients. There's many things that still needs answering, but I very much believe that will be the future of paranormal research.

Since I have joined my newest team we have been working out funding issues, for equipment and travels.

We absolutely DO NOT CHARGE for investigations, and honestly have been getting hit left and right for investigations, actually we have an investigation every week for the next 2 months from Pa to North Carolina and Tennessee.

These are some of the things we have done to bring up our investigative purse in the last year:

We have held several public events, at local businesses, in which people donate upon their own free will, we have gotten business sponsorship from Sporting stores ( hunting ect ), with the Halloween approaching we have been a part of lots of small business Halloween events ( not in the commercial sense) We have raffled spots to join us on public investigations.

Also another way to cut expenses to double up with other local teams ( that way you can share travel, equipment and experiences )

You can always try and become a non-profit but you need to do the research to accept donations/handouts and understand the "dos and donts".

Not only does it become a business when you start charging...you are bound to meet the clients wants. If a client hires you to prove that a place has a haunting and you find nothing then what do you do? Are you bound to make it haunted. Asking that donations are made to your organization is so much safer and keeps the ability to investigate in your fashion.

I would say set your goals with the expenses that your team is comfortable with. If you are asked to investigate out of your comfort zone tell them your predicament. If they are serious then they shouldn't mine paying your team expenses in traveling . If they don't try to refer them to a team closer to them.

All reasonable things, Josh. No fee, donations welcome.

We don't charge, we accept donations only if the donator will not accept no for an answer. We do have monthly or yearly dues that as members we pay. That provides us with money for equipment, business cards, website hosting and gas money. What we pride ourselves on is not charging for our services.

I feel the same way. But what really bites is the fact we have leads all over the state and they are asking for ASAP responses. Without $ to travel, those leads disappear or they think we are phony. I guess we will take it as it comes and continue to do what we do as a "hobby" and assist people who have paranormal on our own time and $. Thanks for the response.

If you start charging it becomes a business for which you need licensing, insurance and must pay taxes on, but the upside of that is that you can deduct expenses such as gas and equipment.
It is my personal opinion a paranormal team should never charge for services, ever.
For that reason and the fact that I believe it is unfair to the spirits of these pay to play venues to be forced to perform like circus monkeys every night for eternity, I do not support those locations. Its a money grab, pure and simple.
We do events yearly and raise a lot of money, for local charities, but although we put lots of time and money into these events we take nothing except the goodwill within the community that it creates.
That translates into residential investigations for us.
To me even asking for donations for a team is the wrong way to go.

I am sure everyone who has investigated locations out of their area, knows how much it costs to do these investigations. Not to mention how much equipment costs. What I want to know how do the more professional investigation teams get money for their services and how to get donations. I love what we do as a hobby to get more evidence but, it limits us to certain areas due to the expenses. If we had more cash flow, we would be able to go further than what we do. Any one have any suggestions on how to ease to pocket? Thanks
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