Hello everyone. I am wondering if it is allowed on Makerworld to fundraise for a nonprofit organization that works with children with developmental disabilities in a small town in Croatia. The idea is to create a model, publish it on Makerworld, and donate all the earnings from boost tokens and downloads. I would then exchange the earnings for Bambu Lab gift cards until I collect around €500 for an A1 with AMS, which I would donate to the organization. They have expressed a need for a printer, but the city currently does not have or does not want to allocate funds for the purchase of one. Other donations are directed toward essential items necessary for the organization’s basic functioning, so there is no possibility of purchasing a printer from those funds.
You would be better off emailing Bambu directly.
I’m also interested in hearing others’ opinions about this idea and whether anyone is willing to participate. This post partially serves as a poll. I hope Bambulab will jump in with a response if there’s enough interest.
I have my doubts they’ll allow it to take place on the site in a major way. That would just open the floodgate of others doing so as well both the well meaning ones and the ones trying to pull a fast one. Regulating the rules on this site is already a challenge for them so adding something else to keep an eye on I don’t see happening. It would prob just be best to create your main campaign off site and just funnel the users to the final download here.
That idea is good, but it’s not applicable in my case. Besides printing and creating 3D models, I’m not very active online. I don’t have social media or a YouTube account. For a GoFundMe or similar campaign to succeed, it needs to be well-promoted to even become visible, and unfortunately, I don’t have the means for that. A few years ago, I tried to start a campaign to raise donations to buy a 3D printer for the high school I attended. Other than a few page views, I didn’t achieve anything. The school is in the same city as this organization and also receives little support from the state or the city. I’m giving it my all, but I’m not able to make a real impact.
In Croatia, we dont care about those things xD
It’s not that I don’t care about the legal aspect, but this doesn’t involve a large amount of money, and it doesn’t require anyone to make monetary donations. Simple interactions like downloading or printing models, or possibly boosting, cannot put anyone in legal trouble. I live in Germany but I’m originally from Croatia. I plan to buy the printer using points collected on MakerWorld as a private individual from a German warehouse and personally deliver it to an organization in Croatia, also as a private individual. I don’t see how anyone could get into trouble here.
I completely agree with you, that’s why I wrote here. I will definitely contact Bambulab; maybe they will come up with an idea on how to properly implement such things. I’m not particularly good at planning these kinds of things.
I don’t think there’s an issue with donating a printer earned using points, but you’re in a gray area if you tell people that downloading the model would help fundraise since they might abnormally download/boost a model they otherwise wouldn’t. Obviously it’s a good cause, but that would open the floodgates to people begging for downloads/boosts for [insert reason here] and also normalize the idea that you can download/boost for reasons other than model excellence. Just my opinion
Customs agent? Why would customs be involved here? Germany, Croatia and all the countries in between are in the EU. It’s like taking a printer from Ohio to Indiana.
I’m not worried about the legal aspect of this. There are no national borders, and I own a house in Croatia where I live for about two months a year. I’m doing everything privately as an individual. What concerns me is that this idea could potentially trigger a wave of fraudsters who might exploit it for their own benefit. There’s also a valid concern about whether Bambu Lab would allow this. After all, downloads and boosts should be linked to the quality of 3D models or profiles, not for donation purposes to third parties.
I’ve already bought myself a printer with the help of points on MakerWorld, and I currently have some points left in my account. From now on, all my profile’s earnings will go towards purchasing a printer for an organization in my hometown. I’m not going to create a separate model for download, but all my models will be directed toward the purchase and donation of the printer. If Bambu Lab agrees, I’ll also update the descriptions of the models to emphasize that everything is for donation purposes. Until then, everything will stay as it is—I don’t want to get banned, I just want to help.
There are no borders anywhere in between Germany and Croatia. No passport or customs checks. It’s literally like moving from one US state to another. The restrictions that apply are for bringing goods in from outside the EU.
I’m not arguing with you at all. I’m not the OP.
I live “over here” as well. Again, I’m not the OP.
It is allowed to bring any 3D printer into Croatia. I also regularly take one of my printers when I go there, as well as my DJI Inspire 1 drone equipped with several batteries and a 4K camera, which I also use there. I have permission. This has become an unnecessary conversation about border crossing, which doesn’t exist, and the transportation of products that are allowed to be brought into Croatia. The post has turned into an argument instead of us coming together and focusing our energy on helping. I haven’t noticed any additional model downloads or boosts. If you don’t want to help, don’t, but unnecessary arguments were not my intention. I will gather the funds in another way. If anyone wants to help, send me a message with ideas. Thanks
It’s already been done, though that doesn’t make it automatically allowed by Makerworld.
I think if you have a story you can tell it, you can also do whatever you want with the gift cards you redeem. Users will decide if they want to support your cause even if they have no use for the specific model.
If you earn enough point and get a printer, you can certainly do what you want with it. But with all due respect, to ask people to download a model that wouldn’t otherwise get downloaded just to artificially farm points is essentially gaming the system. Although the reason is noble, the method is essentially stealing from the company. My advice would be to use your motivation to hone your design skills and create models that will gain attention and points naturally that you can donate.
I’ve been giving away 3D printers to schools.
It’s simple, buy a new one, earn points and get a new one, give an old one.
I didn’t need to tell any one or seek the assistance of others by asking them to download a model that they wouldn’t be interested in.
Not all of us are able to help in that way, nor do we have so many published models because we are not as skilled in CAD programs. There must be a reason why I chose this path for collecting funds. Boosting some pointless thing to spin between your fingers or boosting something for a noble cause costs the same, nothing. Such pointless things get boosts and thousands of downloads on MakerWorld, it’s unbelievable. Meanwhile, ideas like this are mostly criticized or have flaws pointed out. We’ve failed as a civilization.
Does anyone want to donate unpublished models? I will create a special MakerWorld profile just for this, publish everything I receive, and direct all the collected points towards donating a printer.
Have you thought about asking Prusa to donate a printer? Prague’s not too far from Croatia and I believe they have a program where they donate printers to schools. Just an idea…
It doesn’t help that you suggest the people who print these “pointless things” that they say help with their ADHD, their family member’s medical issues or their special-needs student’s focus.
You then double down on those less fortunate than yourself (based on what you are saying) who benefit from a tool which doubles as a toy.
Then throw in a request for donations after insulting other designers and those who enjoy the work they produce.
I am concerned you have missed the feedback you have received from so many that you then chose to attack, one after the other.
If you do not have the skills to generate the revenue you need, utilise the skills you do have to get the same result.
I am not willing to participate, in the U.S. we have what is called a 501 C.3. organization that certifies that someone working for an entity is a cheritable organization and there are laws that govern use and taxation, in other countries there are similar situations Nonprofit Law in Croatia | Council on Foundations
But you’re just a rando on a message board asking for free stuff. you could be the most pious person ever wanting to help children, or a scam artist, there’s no way to tell, so don’t be surprised if you’re not even replied to by BBL.
Besides the ethical ambiguity, you’d be using MakerWorld for a purpose other than that it’s built for - advocating, or spamming. You can still post your model and direct people to it and even reference back to where it’s featured, e.g. a youtube video, but trying to guilt users who come across it is against the guidelines.