Responsible Men is not, as of yet, a non-profit organization.  We are trying very hard to avoid taking that path because we recognize there is a very limited pool of grant and foundation money available for the prevention of violence against women and for direct services for survivors.  We do not want to take money from other organizations that already depend on it.  Perhaps more importantly, we feel that since men are largely responsible for violence against women, men should be largely responsible for ending it.  Part of that responsibility is financial.

So, here is our plan. We are asking lots of people, particularly men,  to donate small amounts of money on a regular basis.  We suggest $5 – $10 a month.  If enough people donate regularly, we will never need to be a non-profit to function.

Ultimately, our goal is to raise enough money to start a foundation of sorts.  We want to build a pool of funds that we can lend to people who want to start a Responsible Men chapter outside of Austin.  Specifically, the loan is intended to cover the cost of holding a fundraiser and the purchase of promotional materials (T-shirts, hats, stickers, etc.) that can be sold to repay the loan.  Any left over money would become seed money for the new chapter.   The loan would be interest free, but the sooner it is payed back, the sooner another person can borrow it to start another chapter.

Additionally, we plan to offer weekend workshops for men to help men understand how we contribute to the problem and the many ways we can and should be part of the solution.  Some of your donations would go to offset the cost of the workshops for men who couldn’t afford to attend otherwise.

Please consider making a contribution to Responsible Men.  If you have any questions abouthte organization, please feel free to email me at responsiblemeninfo@yahoo.com.  I’d be happy to assist you.

Peace.

Ted Rutherford

Founder – Responsible Men