Ron Hart of the Missouri-based Route 66 Chamber of Commerce has launched a $5,000 GoFundMe campaign to help keep up its website and other activities benefiting the Mother Road.
According to the crowdfunding site:
With more than 100+ pages on our popular, ten-year-old Route 66 Chamber of Commerce website, it has become the largest Route 66 website in the world! We provide our visitors with information that helps them plan their adventure on the Historic Mother Road of America, and today, over two million hits have been recorded! […]
In addition to promoting Travel and Commerce along Historic Route 66 that benefits it’s thousands of businesses, we publish links to Route 66 Events, Activities and Special Interest Happenings…and much more. […]
Route 66 Chamber Projects include the promotion of better directional signage, making communities more RV-Friendly, encouraging more Route 66 Welcome Centers, developing ways to attract heritage tourism to the Route, linking all Cities, Chambers, CVB’s and State 66 Associations to share. […]
In order to achieve the Mission of the Chamber, our following goals
and strategies have been established:• To support activities beneficial to the Route 66 community of business owners,
the Chamber’s top priority is to improve directional signage so our visitors can
easilly find their way.
• We promote the historical and preservation interests of Route 66.
• We assist existing businesses in addressing current challenges,
and to promote increased expansion of Route 66 businesses.
• We assist new business along the Route.
• We aggressivly promote Heritage tourism.
• We promote positive relationships with all Route 66 communities and State Associations.
• We advocate for our Chamber members in city, state and national
legislative and governmental matters.The Route 66 Chamber of Commerce is a not-for-profit organization, and we have no membership dues….we simply ask for contributions from our supporters to cover our expenses. Make a contribution over twenty dollars, and you will receive our colorful and watermarked Membership Certificate, and thank you for supporting our beloved Mother Road.
Here’s a video Hart produced that accompanies the campaign:
I asked Hart in an email why he was taking the crowdfunding route for his organization:
I have been incurring more and more expenses every year, and to be able to pay for those project costs, I need to have some contributions besides my Social Security to continue….hence the first Go-Fund-Me for the Chamber.
The Chamber does not have any commercials, but does ask for $20. contributions (one-time) to receive a free membership in the Chamber and a certificate, and for a one-time $66. contribution, I will place two promotional ads for Route-specific businesses on appropriate pages. Same for listing Route 66 Property for sale. The ‘Route 66 Cares” program has raised over $10,000. for tornado relief in Joplin and S.E. Kansas, and every penny raised went directly to where the need was the greatest. […]
Hopefully, I can raise enough to fund becoming a 501-C6 Non-profit designation and have a board of directors to continue the Chamber should I be unable to do so.
Crowdfunding seems to have taken on a larger role among people and organizations along Route 66.
Author Jim Hinckley launched a Patreon campaign to help keep “the Facebook live programs rolling, develop new content for the blog posts, provide travel planning assistance, and promote small town America.”
The new owners of the Launching Pad Drive-In in Wilmington, Illinois, in December launched a GoFundMe campaign to help reopen the long-shuttered Route 66 restaurant faster.
The California Route 66 Museum in Victorville this month launched a GoFundMe account to cover the insurance deductible and other expenses after a break-in caused $30,000 in damage to artifacts and display cases.
A search for the term “Route 66” on GoFundMe reveals more than 300 campaigns — ranging from a couple who wants some cash for their bicycle ride on the Mother Road to flood relief for Devil’s Elbow, Missouri. A “Route 66” search on Kickstarter, another crowdfunding site, also brings up 73 campaigns.
According to a 2016 article, less than one-third of all crowdfunding campaigns reach their goal.
(Image of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce logo)