Bottom line is that the director told me she wouldn't be able to attend unless they receive a ticket or donations to purchase a ticket, so I want to help out. One of the most important things they can do is get their name out in the domain community, and attending the biggest and best domain conferences is a way to do it.
When Grassroots.org held their auction, I didn't expect Mike Mann to buy every name. Just like most smart companies don't want to have a single account, agent, or client to support their revenue, non-profits don't want to rely on the founder's teet every time money is needed. I think Grassroots.org has a valuable mission, and I was happy to help.
Whether Mike wants to spend $2k or whether Rick wants to give a free pass isn't the issue right now. The issue is that Grassroots.org cannot fund the ticket from their budget, and they are looking to the domain community to help.
Non-profits always say they don't have money which is usually BS.
Try to find out how much the Pres., officers and key employees earn per year which is sometimes as much or more than for-profit corporations. Try to learn what percentage they really give to charity, often very low.
I may be wrong but see little reason why Grassroots would want to attend a TRAFFIC conference other than Michael Mann's love for domains and publicity. Plus getting free links which Grassroots does extremely well.
It is also not unusual for wealthy people to start a non-profit to shelter some of their assets and help with taxation. That does not necessarily mean Mr Mann did that but nevertheless it does happen.
