Branching from https://community.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-LSOFTDONATIONS.exe?A2=BEE-L;7ca66729.2105

I have to say that this is a really interesting subject.  Thanks for sharing your experience.

I know some of us have quite a bit of experience to share as well,  both from being on funding committees, from raising funds for research, or working in research and dealing and getting approval to fund projects.

Personally, I've been on a provincial association research committee charged with choosing from applicants for a pool of funds replenished annual from dues.  I've also also raised funds from friends for an independent  project and hired a researcher to do a study.  We've also hired Randy for a project. 

I have to say the latter two approaches were far more efficient.  Where there is a pool of money just waiting to be spent, opportunists home in and suck up the funds.  That is not to say that there were not occasional good meaningful projects but it seems that politics, nepotism and greed overcome prudence when it is someone else's money and has to be spent.  

Much such polled money is wasted.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons.  Far better in my experience is to outline a project first and then raise funds.  That way the people who care vote with their dollars.  

I never had a problem getting funding from my fellow commercial beekeepers if I had project that addressed their needs.  Several phone calls to commercial beekeepers would always raise a few grand instantly.  

I'm sure Randy can offer some insight into funding since he has survived and built a reputation as an independent.  I know he has sponsors and could likely use more support for specific projects. If you have a burning question and it is of interest, Randy is the man.  We asked him to look at some common food additives that impair food spoilage as possible cheap GRAS nosema cures and he did tests.  Unfortunately, they did not show promise, but it was money well spent.

Anyhow, with gofundme projects like the Floe Hive?  https://www.honeyflow.com/, maybe anything is possible.  https://duckduckgo.com/?q=gofundme+bee

After all remember 

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