The idea of donating computers seems like the right place to start. A scholarship fund would be a great long-term goal, but would mean raising more money and helping fewer people (at least in the immediate sense).

I propose that we put forth the goal of providing computers and internet access to public institutions in poorer neighborhoods - schools, libraries, community centers, etc. - anywhere they could be accessed by a bunch of people. The reason this makes sense: this website has always been about the power of the internet to bring people together, to form a virtual community based on our common interests and goals. This would be a way of reaching out, to bring more people online, especially those who may not be able to afford a computer or internet access on their own.

My biggest question is how this would be organized. As janey mentioned above, it is possible to work with an existing charitable organization to set up a grant for an institution that needs computers, where we cover half the cost, and the charity covers the rest. This could be a pretty easy thing to set up, once we had a clear idea of who we want to help.

Another approach might be to set up our own organization to give grants. This would require some work on our part, getting the legal affairs straight so that people could donate to our "okayfund", and to ensure that everything is handled appropriately, and that its tax-free. I would envision such an organization to be run by a board of directors consisting of okayplayers (including artists, staff, and others) who would determine who to give the money to. Depending on how much money we raise, we would then help as many organizations as possible (schools, community centers, etc.) get the computers they needed. This would also allow us to transition to other causes down the line (such as a scholarship, or other philanthropic ventures).

In any case, there remains a lot of work to be done. But, I would be more than willing to donate some time and money to the cause. There is a great potential here to help people, and if it is properly organized, and I think we could get a significant amount of money behind it without too much trouble. The real issue here is finding people willing to put in the effort to make this happen on a practical level...

peace,
murph

peace,
murph