Groups Find Sponsors in the Most Unlikely of Places

When we built Groupable, we wanted to build a platform that could be useful to any group.  How’ve we done so far?  Let’s pluck a few potential groups out of left field and see if they could use Groupable effectively.

The Montana Militia
Here in the states, the right to organize private militias is not just protected by the Bill of Rights, it’s actually encouraged.  The militia system is here to stay.  But what would a group of rugged, independent-minded warriors gain from Groupable?

If the militia decided to completely eschew corporate influence, then their militia could use Groupable to collect and organize donations from private citizens sympathetic to their causes.  Even though the militia would remain independent, they could still stockpile supplies.

At Groupable, we’d suggest they team up with small businesses around the state. The local sporting goods shop might pay to sponsor their active email list, or perhaps local saloons would be willing to cater their events.

Burning Man )’(

If you have the ability to haul yourself to a remote desert in Nevada, you’re invited to burn some dude in effigy at Burning Man.  The popular ritual draws everybody from hippies to frat boys, free-spirits to cubicle jockeys.  And even though it’s become a multi-million dollar enterprise, it’s managed to shun nearly every form of corporate influence.

At first glance, one might think Groupable would be useless to a group of thousands of people looking to avoid corporate sponsorship. We believe precisely the opposite.

At Groupable, groups always have the final say over sponsorship.  If a group leader thinks a sponsorship offer would damage a group’s ideals or principles, the group can always choose not to sell out.  We prefer to give groups the opportunity to negotiate sponsorships they find tasteful and beneficial.

So what would it look like if Burning Man used Groupable?  They could use their Groupable profile as an emblem to show off that they had never accepted a sponsorship offer, while still being able to make use of Groupable’s internal messaging system to connect with other groups around the world.  Nothing to lose, plenty to gain.  Just as all guests are welcome to Burning Man, Burning Man is welcome at Groupable.

The U.S. Senate
This one’s tricky… who in their right mind would think to sponsor a corrupt group of philanderers, lushes, and criminals?  With constant in-fighting, low esteem from the public, and poor attendance records from its hundred members, you’d think they’d rank pretty low on our Groupability Index.

However, there’s a catch.  Over the course of their two hundred plus year existence, they’ve crafted thousands of opportunities to do business with companies.  They’ve given very large brands the ability to profit from nearly every branch, department, and building in DC.  While most groups judiciously weigh every offer they receive from companies, the Senate has thoroughly sold itself out backwards and forewards.

We’re a little concerned that with Groupable’s useful array of features, the Senate would become too powerful.  We think they might be one of the only groups we wouldn’t want on our system, as they would probably find shocking ways to abuse it.

For the time being, we’ve decided to block them by pre-emptively creating a Groupable page for the US Senate.  If they want it back, they’ll have to take us to court to get it back…  which is admittedly a playing field that gives them the advantage.