That cost a lot of nerves: Never knowing when I was going to be laid off; only ever being able to plan for one month, rarely ever three. Yes, it was an exhausting year. But it has also made a lot possible and it has been extremely stimulating to let our association blossom again!
Our archives confirm it: In the winter of 1990/91, a handful of young people got together, drew up bylaws, opened a post office account, and then distributed many flyers for our founding celebration in October 1991. The first year…
2015 will now be the 25th year of life of Legalize it! We thought already at that time: The prohibition must go away, a legalization must come. We were then mainly concerned with the legal issues, the consequences of hemp prohibition. Because all attempts to contain the repression failed.
And now: While the state power in Switzerland is taking tougher action against THC from year to year, in the states of the USA one cannabis initiative after another finds a majority of the voters. So it does work: You can find majorities for hemp legalization, even in conservative milieus!
We will not be able to achieve legalization on our anniversary. But we can become a bit bigger and stronger. So that we don't have to wait until the 50th birthday until we can enforce an end to prohibition against hemp in Switzerland as well.
For this we need your help: your membership, your small or big donation, your regular or phased collaboration.
Sure, we had to beg for donations again and again, three or four times I saw no chance at all in 2014. But now I am a real Legalize it secretary again for 20 months - with office, time and infrastructure. It was a gamble to grow our association again and to increase the paid working hours from four to 24 a week. Or in money: To grow from 20'000 francs revenue in 2012 to now probably about 65'000 francs in 2014, in just under two years, that was a special piece of work.
Again and again a door opened, more membership fees came in, large donations were transferred, our acquisition efforts brought success. Sure, it is still a bit shaky in our new size. But we have been able to build up quite a bit in the last year and a half:
Our “blue folders” have been expanded, the 9th edition Shit happens has been brought to the people and we were able to write a first extension to it. We have continuously revised our www.hanflegal.ch - there is now a lot of new and prepared information in it!
We were able to receive 21 large donations (500 francs and more) until November 2014, which brought in 25'100 francs. Equally important are the many hundreds of member contributions, rounded-up member contributions and donations. These also brought in about 25,000 francs. We see: We need every francs, both the 12.30 donation and the large donation of 2'500 francs.
I would also like to thank you personally. Without your support, without your trust in my work, my position as secretary of our association would not exist. I will continue to make an effort, to work, to keep at it. For this I hope for your support!
So, we are back. I think I can say that at the end of 2014. We are available, planning, organizing, researching, writing, publishing, consulting, supervising, canvassing, printing, mailing, advertising - there is a lot going on. We want to continue and see chances (the international development, the opening of new layers for legalization discussions, the complete absurdity of the total ban) and risks (the board is short staffed with two people, also money-wise it will remain tight). Our budget, somewhat simplified, looks like this:
Revenue | Expenditures | ||
---|---|---|---|
Membership fees | 20'000 | Wage incl. NK | 52'000 |
Donations | 10'000 | Rent | 6'000 |
Large donations | 30'000 | Phone/Internet | 1'000 |
Advertising | 4'000 | Office expenses | 2'500 |
Miscellaneous | 1'500 | Shipping costs | 3'000 |
Miscellaneous | 1'000 | ||
Total | 65'500 | Total | 65'500 |
Almost all items are well secured according to experience, especially the expenses can be budgeted fix. Membership fees and donations should be reasonably budgeted according to all experience. The item large donations is particularly open. Of the required large donations, 3,000 have been provisionally pledged, i.e. 10%. So a start has been made. It is possible. Alternatively, we will of course continue to try to find more members, to sell more advertising, to tap other sources of funds: just to pull out all the stops that are possible.
We have a spreadsheet that shows us exactly how much we need to spend to meet our obligations (office, salary, other bills) and how much we can expect in income. Beforehand, if it is financially possible, we postpone the termination dates (thus extending the office and secretarial position) by one, two or six months. This gives us a tool that tells us very precisely what is possible and what is not.
Concretely: Currently my termination date is the end of February 2015, for the office the end of March 2015 (salary and rent are the two largest expense items). With the large donation appeal, we would now like to further postpone these deadlines (and with large donations of more than 30,000 francs we will certainly get through until the end of 2015).
Fundraising will therefore continue to be a very important issue in 2015. But ultimately, of course, it serves our projects, which only became, are and will be possible thanks to the larger funds. For 2015, we see the priorities as we present them on the next page.
2015 is to be the 25th year of our association. I hope it will be another great vintage - and maybe the starting signal for the Swiss hemp legalization?
Factsheet Association:
Board of Directors
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