Our Entrecard Pay Out Money will be Shared by Active Creative Cafe members. Tell us how do you want this done?

[Jill]

Well most of you know we get a lot of traffic and have gained some lovely new members here on Creative Cafe from Entrecard. The company has now introduced a cash out system in which they will buy back credits we earn in the system for real dollars. This is all very new and the exchange rate is low at the moment at $1 per thousand credits but they say this will soon go up. While we want to keep a lot of the credits we earn for our own advertising on EC widgets across the network I estimate we will be able to afford to cash out around 5000 credits a week. Once the rate goes up to $3 a thousand this would give us $15 a week.

Now that we have closed Creative Cafe Salesrooms and no longer need to pay the hosting costs for them and we have put in quite a lot of advertising on Creative Cafe our hosting and other costs are pretty well covered and we don't need to rely on donations to pay our way.

So we will be able to share out the Entrecard pay out among our active members. $15 a week may not sound much but it could be a $10 and a $5 prize each week in competitions. Or it could go to reward our top active members who write blogs and comments and are friendly. Or we could save it up and have bigger monthly prizes for example.

Basically I'm writing this post to find out how you our Very Important Members would like to see this money shared out among you?

All constructive comments and suggestions are welcome. And if you are already an Entrecard member as a bonus I will send you 50 credits for commenting on this post as well!

Bye for Now
Jill

[Jill]

Hi Sarina

I like idea of entering blogs with stories and/or pics in them as a challenge/contest.

Thanks to everyone who has made the effort to comment and I will go through the replies and see which ideas have got the most suggestions.

Then we just need to wait for the money!

Bye for Now
Jill

[Sarina Megna-Bentley]

Contests sound fun, I like the idea of a challenge. We could enter cute/interesting pics or stories relating to our art/craft.

[Jill]

Hi Katherine
Having scholarships or help with supplies is an interesting idea so thanks for thinking of that as well as having challenges.
Bye for Now
Jill

[Katherine Babcock]

Hey Jill :)

I haven't been as "plugged in" here as I would like to be - life seems to just get in the way sometimes! I feel out of place commenting on how I feel the monies should be spent, since I am not one of those who do the work to keep the group going.

I would prefer to defer to your judgement. I do like the idea of challenges/prizes...and have one other idea. What do you think about saving up the money and offering small "scholarships"? For instance, if one active member wanted to take a class online, or fell on hard times and needed a little help with supplies temporarily? There would have to be a limit on the amount, and the member would have to have been active and in the community for ___ amount of time. I belong to a different group that does that and it's been a lot of help to a couple of memebers who have lost everything due to fire, or hurricane, etc.

Just my .02. I still like the idea of challenges. I threw the other out in case it strikes a cord in someone else. :)

xx,
Katherine

[Jill]

Thanks for your suggestion Hass and good to see you here.
Bye for Now
Jill

[Jill]

Hi Karen

You may be new but everyone's ideas are welcome.And you have put a lovely poem blog up as well which is great. Thanks. Bye for Now Jill

[Jill]

Hi derekengavin
Thanks for your comment and have a good day
Jill

[Hass]

Hi All
I think as Jull said bigger monthly prizes are better.
Hass

[Karen Chaffee]

I am very new to this wonderful site, so will leave that decision to those who know it best : )

[derekengavin]

that is a very generous offer for your members...am sure they are very thankful for that...the idea of putting up a contest would be great too..good day!