About Silver Fund
Charter
Preamble
This fund exists because people need help and other people want to give it. No more complicated than that. We hold money in common so that when someone in our community faces a crisis, the infrastructure is already there. The 7.77% fee keeps the lights on and feeds the common fund — a pool that belongs to everyone and can be deployed when no individual campaign covers the need.
Scope
Emergency expenses, housing costs, medical bills, mutual aid between community members, educational needs, and transitions (relocation, job loss, family emergencies). Campaigns must be for specific, concrete needs — not ongoing operational funding.
Boundaries
This fund does not support: political campaigns, business ventures, speculative investments, or anything that requires recipients to prove "worthiness." We do not means-test. We do not ask why someone can't pay for something themselves. We do not require documentation of hardship.
Values
We give because we are in this together, not because we are above anyone.
Every fee, every allocation, every decision is visible. The 7.77% is not hidden.
Asking for help is not a failure. The application process treats people as whole humans, not cases.
The common fund is proof that individual generosity can become collective infrastructure.
We say what we mean. No euphemisms for poverty. No inspirational framing of suffering.
Amendment Process
Charter amendments require: (1) written proposal, (2) 30-day comment period, (3) approval by fund owner. Major changes to values or scope require community input. The charter is a living document — it should grow as the fund grows.
Charter v1
The 7.77% fee
Every contribution to a Silver Fund campaign carries a 7.77% fee. This is not hidden in fine print — it's the first thing we tell you.
Here's the decomposition:
The infrastructure fee sustains the platform: servers, development, support. We don't take venture capital. We don't sell data. The fee is how this exists.
The common fund is a collective pool. 30% of every infrastructure fee goes into it. This money doesn't belong to Silver — it belongs to the fund's community. It can be deployed for:
- Bridge funding when a campaign is close but hasn't hit its goal
- Emergency grants for needs too urgent for a campaign cycle
- Gaps that fall between individual campaigns
How it works
Apply
You have a conversation — not a form. An assistant helps you describe what you need. No income questions. No means testing. No "why can't you pay for this yourself."
Review
A human reviews your application against the charter. The charter defines what the fund is for — not who deserves help.
Campaign
Your campaign goes live. People contribute. The fee is visible on every donation. Progress is shown simply — no gamification.
Funded
When your campaign is funded (or the time expires for Keep-What-You-Raise campaigns), funds are disbursed.
Funding models
All-or-Nothing (AoN)
The campaign must reach its goal or all contributions are returned. Good for needs that only work if fully funded — a security deposit, a specific medical bill, a relocation cost.
Keep What You Raise (KWR)
The campaign keeps whatever is raised, even if it doesn't hit the goal. Good for situations where any amount helps — ongoing expenses, partial costs, flexible needs.