# I can't pay my rent. I'm doomed.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-pay-my-rent-im-doomed/667777>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 2, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-pay-my-rent-im-doomed/667777 "2013-09-02T01:11:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 50

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**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-pay-my-rent-im-doomed/667777/50 "2013-09-03T02:56:44Z")

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> [@runningdude](#):
>
> I’m not sure how you would expect an artist to pay his rent and board if not through the money given to him by stranger’s supporting his work.
> 
> This strikes me as one of the more honest “scams” on the internet. Having turned down a fundraising job once, I know that most money raised for a lot of causes goes to pay the wages of those who are soliciting the money. I would never donate to an anonymous artist over the internet, but him using it to pay ordinary living expenses is so thoroughly predictable that it would be naive to expect otherwise.

That maybe true, but if you look at how he worded his thread on the dope:

> [@Please help crowdfund my Steampunk short film](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-help-crowdfund-my-steampunk-short-film/665764/1):
>
> Hey there
> 
> I have permission from the Mods to post this here. I’m looking to crowdfund my first short film via [IndieGogo](http://igg.me/at/eleanorxandler/x/4322702), to get it complete and out and about, and also to keep me alive while I finish it up.

To my naive eye, it seemed the money he wanted was for two purposes: Getting it completed/distributed _and_ to help with the bills. Being naive to the process, but eager to help, I assumed most of the money would go to direct expenses for the first part. However, this thread comes along and it seems all the money was for indirect costs. I have a lot of experience writing grants to fund projects. While that situation is admittedly different, that is where my experience lies and I assumed this would be similar. In my experience, funding is for direct, not indirect costs, unless explicitly stated.

That being said, I have no problem with funding living expenses that way, but my issue is that lack of transparency and the assumption that everyone should know how it goes. Maybe the OP was being naive in not predicting that the folks funding you might have these concerns. It’s a learning experience on both sides. After all, my naive money pays bills as well as more experienced money. I just want to feel good about what I’m donating towards.

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