How about selling IETF-branded swag? Membership cards? Other cheap
junk that does nothing but take up space, collect dust, and confer
bragging rights as having financially supported the IETF? Maybe even
something useful, like yet another canvas tote bag, like people keep
getting from their local public TV station. B-)
Someone mentioned auctioning off "points" -- I didn't like the idea of
points, but perhaps a fundraising auction would be feasible. Send in
your outdated hardware, your polo shirts from companies that have gone
bust, whatever, and see what some sucker, er, wonderful donor will pay
for it. Another organization holds auctions at practically every major
gathering. One of the popular items is $5 bills -- and they have gotten
triple-digit figures for them! (Yes, I mean plain ordinary $5 bills,
not even with the autograph of some famous or high up in the group.)
Maybe a donation jar? That works VERY well at outreach tables at
events, for a political non-profit I'm in....
--
David J. Aronson, Software Engineer for hire in Washington DC area.
See http://destined.to/program/ for online resume, references, etc.