Street fundraising β the practice of NGO volunteers approaching passers-by to collect subscriptions β is one of the most effective yet contested models in nonprofit fundraising. WikiDeal proposes a transparent, contract-based, community-governed alternative to the traditional agency model. WM-03
1. Context β The (illustrative) Model
Today, most large associations (Amnesty International, MSF, WWF, etc.) outsource street fundraising to specialized agencies. These agencies recruit and manage dialoguers β paid staff who engage passers-by to sign up for monthly Donations.
Agencies typically charge 12 to 18 months of monthly dues for each new subscriber acquired.
An association may not "break even" on a new donor until Month 19 β if that donor stays.
Dialoguers are often young, mobile, on temporary contracts, and poorly integrated into the association's culture.
The passerby has limited information about how their subscription is used in year 1.
2. Problems with Today's System
π° High agency Commissions: 100% of Year 1 dues go to the agency.
π Inflexibility: Contracts are rigid; no mechanism for sharing revenue over time.
π₯ Narrow profiles: Only young, mobile people can participate as dialoguers (no retirees, no social aid beneficiaries, no volunteers).
β οΈ Perverse incentives: Dialoguers are incentivized to maximize sign-ups, not long-term retention.
π Opacity: Passers-by don't know where their money goes in year 1.
π High churn: Many subscribers cancel within 12 months, leaving associations with nothing after paying agency fees.
3. The WikiDeal Concept
WikiDeal distributes the "acquisition fee" across the full life of the subscription, using the bonding curve to generate Credits (WDC). WM-05
Instead of paying 100% of Year 1 to an agency, the association distributes revenue over time (e.g., 20% over 10 years).
Broader profiles: Retirees, social aid beneficiaries, students, volunteers β anyone can become a dialoguer.
Community governance: User Groups coordinate dialoguers, set standards, manage training.
Transparency: Every subscriber sees exactly how their WikiDeal Membership is distributed.
β οΈ A recurring problem in street fundraising: dialoguers sometimes tell passers-by "sign up for one year, then cancel if you want". This generates sign-up Commissions but leaves the association with nothing after year 1 cancellations.
WikiDeal's solution: Revenue is spread over 10 years. A subscriber who cancels after 1 year generates only 10% of the total expected value β and the dialoguer's Credits reflect this. The system corrects the perverse incentive by tying dialoguer rewards to subscriber retention, not just acquisition.
If subscriber stays 10 years: dialoguer receives 10 Γ 20% of monthly subscription = full value.
If subscriber cancels after 1 year: dialoguer receives only 1 Γ 20% = 20% of expected value.
Algorithm alerts dialoguers when their subscriber-retention score drops below threshold. β οΈ
5. The 3 Contracts
Contract A β Association β User Group WM-07
Purpose: Framework agreement defining the relationship between an NGO and a WikiDeal User Group that agrees to conduct fundraising on its behalf.
Integration clause: User Group commits to represent the association faithfully and in accordance with its values.
Revenue sharing: 10% lifetime of subscriber dues allocated to User Group operating costs and Credits.
Audit clause: Association retains right to audit User Group activity quarterly.
Exclusivity: User Group may represent multiple associations (with transparent disclosure).
Exit clause: 3-month notice period, data portability guaranteed.
β οΈ Alert clause: If subscriber retention rate falls below 60% over 3 months, automatic review triggered.
Contract B β Association β Dialoguer/Volunteer WM-07
Purpose: Individual contract based on the APTES convention model (Association for the Promotion of Employment in the Social and Solidarity Economy).
Trial period: 1 quarter (3 months) β evaluated on retention and quality, not just volume.
Material clause: WikiDeal provides digital tools; dialoguer provides own transport.
Quarterly obligations: minimum 4 events/quarter, completion of training modules.
Social activities: participation in regional meals, peer evaluation.
Insurance: WikiDeal User Group provides civil liability coverage during events.
β οΈ Alert icons: Three alert levels β advisory (yellow), warning (orange), suspension review (red). Generated automatically by AI monitoring.
Eligible profiles: Paid dialoguers, volunteers, retirees, social aid beneficiaries (with employer notification), students.
Contract C β Donation Contract (Passerby β Association) WM-02
Purpose: The subscription contract signed by a new donor on the street or online.
[Dialoguer name: Marie, 63, retired teacher] signs up for a 4-hour slot at [Stand location: Place du Bourg-de-Four]. Her target: 3 subscriptions/hour.
At 3 hours in, WikiDeal AI sends: "Marie β 3h on site, 7 subscriptions so far (2.3/h vs target 3.0). Suggestion: move 50m north near the main stage."
By end of shift, Marie records 13 subscriptions at WikiDeal Membership each. With Boost at 50% (popular festival), she earns 50% Personal / 50% Community pool.
Q: Why WikiDeal Membership β isn't that very low for an NGO?
A: The WikiDeal Membership is the WikiDeal platform subscription for the intermediation layer. Associations set their own Donation amounts. WikiDeal's role is to manage the contracts and Credits system, not to replace the Donation itself.
Q: Can a retired person really be a dialoguer?
A: Yes. WikiDeal specifically opens the dialoguer role to retirees, students, social aid beneficiaries (with required notifications), and volunteers. The contracts are adapted to each status.
Q: What happens to Credits if the association leaves WikiDeal?
A: Credits (WDC) are issued on the bonding curve and belong to the individual. They are not association-specific. If an association leaves, credits already earned are not affected.
Q: How does the 10-year revenue spread work in practice?
A: For each active subscription, 20% of the monthly due is allocated to the acquisition cost each year for 10 years, instead of 100% in year 1. This means a dialoguer who enrolled a subscriber who stays 5 years receives 5 Γ 20% = 100% of the Commission β the same total, but spread over time tied to retention.
Q: What is the "correctable tendency" exactly?
A: Some dialoguers tell passers-by "sign up for a year, cancel after." This gets them a Commission while leaving the NGO with nothing after the cancellation. WikiDeal corrects this by tying Credits to subscriber retention, not just acquisition.
Q: How is the Boost ratio determined?
A: The algorithm considers: number of volunteers available, historical sign-up rate at that location/event, weather, and time of year. Low supply of volunteers = higher Cash Credits (no guarantee*) to attract participants. High supply + popular event = higher Gift.
Q: Is this legal under Swiss/French/Belgian labour law?
A: WikiDeal contracts are designed to comply with applicable labour law. For paid dialoguers, standard employment protections apply. For volunteers, WikiDeal uses the association volunteer framework. Legal counsel is part of the required Community roles (see Apply as Lawyer).
Q: Can a User Group represent multiple associations at once?
A: Yes, with full transparency. Subscribers and dialoguers can see which associations a User Group represents. Conflict of interest rules prevent representing directly competing organizations.
Key performance indicators for the Street Fundraising marketplace use case. These targets are indicative and community-modifiable as the programme matures.
Active Dialoguers / Month
β₯ 100
Number of registered dialoguers conducting at least one session per month
New Subscribers / Month
β₯ 500
New WikiDeal Membership subscribers enrolled through street activity
Subscriber 12-Month Retention
β₯ 60%
Percentage of subscribers still active 12 months after enrollment
Session Reporting Compliance
β₯ 95%
Sessions with complete before/during/after reports filed
Alert Rate (Yellow+)
< 2%
Percentage of dialoguers receiving any alert level per quarter
Cost per Subscriber Enrolled
β€ CHF 8
Total programme costs divided by new enrolled subscribers
WIL Miles Distributed
Tracked
Total WIL Miles distributed to dialoguers β published monthly