This is always a tuff one, the age old question, how do we pay for it all? Whichever way you do it there will be people upset.
I myself have been a member of various car forums over the last 20 years. TTOC (excellent club) - pay a yearly subscription and get stickers, badges, tax disc holders, pens and a quarterly magazine full access to all of the website, included a special members area where they post how-to and buyers guides etc… the RSOC runs a similar model, but as someone has already stated, they have a massive following (not so much the RSOC anymore as it’s been spoiled by inside “management” fighting) and its demise is really quite sad
As “we” are a smaller club I can only see the voluntary donations model actually working, but it’s sad that only a few will pay for the masses free use, but isn’t that a fundamental part of what a club is all about? The few that can and care promoting their beloved cars to the masses that aren’t familiar or don’t know about them? What I would hate to happen is that we force away and potential newcomers by making them pay from day one.
Having said that, I for one would be more than happy to make a yearly subscription of £20+ to become a full member and have a full members signature or avatar, I would also be happy to do the August fund raiser (excellent idea by the way) as I sadly have to admit I have also missed the thread/banner asking for donations. What about setting the site up so that guests or none members would get advertising and pop ups, or is that a lot of work to develop?
The member’s only area is a good one, as is member’s deals, maybe an insurance area if we can get any of the insurance companies to give special discounts for club members etc…
I also think that enforcing an “inability to list in the classifieds unless you have 50 or so posts of have been a member for more than 12 months” is a very good idea that is used on many other forums. You could also change the model so that A2OC members get to see new posts before guests, maybe a calendar week before guests can view? Or maybe charging none members for posting in the for sale area?
Either way I am happy to help as long as I don’t have to actually move from my comfy chair