May 31, 2014
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Hand-Powered Stone Saw
Jonathan
Sheetz, MD
1.1 Project Summary
The current project is to demonstrate the exciting new design (patent-pending) for a hand-powered
stone saw – using ancient materials – whose cutting specifications are same as
what was used in the stonework of ancient masons: the (pre)Incan builders of
Cuzco and Machu Pichu.
The dream to create this design was
inspired in large part by the exploits of the late Thor Heyerdahl. The idea is to organize a science education charity and raise funding for an expedition to Peru to build the saw and use it
to build a stone wall (fourteen meters by four meters) comparable to those
built by the Incan masons.
The overriding purpose of the
expedition is to share with our fellow Americans an act of paying homage to the
awe-inspiring feats or our Latino, Incan ancestors – narrow cultural gaps with
respect to draw together fellow Americans from the North and South.
The Society of Future Ancient Masons
is established on June 14, 2014 on leased property at 45 Tudor Street,
Apartment 6, Lynn, MA 01902.
1.2 Project in Three Phases:
Phase 1 - June to August
2014 – [raise $2,000]:
·
File Patent
·
Recruit Four Expert Consultants; Managers
(Engineer, Carpenter, Tanner, Blacksmith)
·
Prepare Project Presentation (Power-Point &
3D Animation)
·
Launch ‘Kick-start’ Fundraiser
·
Finalize Plan for Building Prototype
·
File Business with State & Open Bank Account
Phase 2 - September to
November 2014 – [raise $40,000]:
·
Recruit Archeologist
·
Publish Journal Article
·
Build & Test Quarter-Scale Prototype
·
Lobby Sponsors [National Geographic / Discovery
Channel / Thor Heyerdahl Foundation / etc.]
Phase 3 – December 2014 to
March 2015 – [raise $450,000]:
·
Finalize Plans for Building Saw &
Transporting Stone to Build Wall
·
Make Final Preparations for Project
May-September, 2015
2.1 OBJECTIVES
·
The Society of Future Ancient Masons provides
the documentation and structure for organizing an expedition
·
SFAM provides an appropriate body for handling
donations transparently
·
Build a Hand-Powered Stone Saw and use it to
construct a monument comparable to ancient masonry.
2.2 MISSION STATEMENT
The Society of Future Ancient Masons
mission is to engender and spread so-called ‘Masonic’ values of honesty,
morality and friendship – regardless of gender, culture or religion – through
exploration, and leave the world a better place for children to dream.
2.3 KEYS TO SUCCESS
1. Create a compelling Presentation
for Fund-raising by July 2014
2. The design of the Saw is the
underlying basis for this project, and success depends much on its integrity.
3. Raise $40,000 by the end of
September 2014 to purchase material
4. Recruit competent specialists
able to complete their part of the prototype
5. Successfully demonstrate design
in November 2014
6. Raise $450,000 by the end of
March 2015 to fund the fourteen-member expedition to Peru
Donations by Phase
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3.1 STRUCTURE
The charity will be composed of volunteer educators and volunteer students
3.2 LOCATION
The charity is to be located in Lynn,
Massachusetts, seven miles north of Boston - a hotbed of innovation.
3.4 ASSET STRATEGY
The charity will have no physical assets. The charity will donate the Stone Saws and Walls it
builds. After this and each future expedition, the charity will return all
donations in excess of the costs incurred. All donations will be used towards funding the expedition and the student volunteers.
3.4 MARKETING STRATEGY
The charity will rely on word of mouth, press releases, attracting media attention and web
media (primarily ‘KickStart’, Facebook and the SFAM Blog). SFAM will have no
promotion budget.
3.5 PROMOTIONAL SCHEDULE
July
4, 2014
KICKSTART - Launch
FACEBOOK - Launch
SFAM BLOG – Launch with power point
presentation (3D Animation)
1st APPEAL TO SPONSORS
October
27, 2014
Academic Journal Article - Submission
Quarter-Scale Prototype Test (Quarry in New Hampshire)
Press Release – Media Campaign (community College support?)
FEBRUARY
4, 2015
Expedition Press Conference – Confirm Permit Approval, etc.
MAY
10, 2015
Expedition Project -
Begins in Peru
4.1 ORGANIZATION CULTURE
The charity will promote positive creativity while being honest, forthright and
on-the-level in all its actions and interactions – and remain faithful to its
stated mission of spreading integrity and friendship.
4.2 BRAND STRATEGY
The Charity wishes to be seen as a promoter of wonder and positive inspiration across
cultures. The charity is undertaking a fairly complicated and financially
intensive project. The charity will rely on its members to spread their image and that
of the Charity across the U.S. and the world. The combination of technical goals,
friendly positive teams and cross cultural goals that charity has set will be attractive to sponsors.
4.3 FUNDRAISING STRATEGY
June to September 20, 2014
This first Phase of fundraising is
the most crucial. The charity will need to raise $40,000 from private donors to
build and test its Quarter-Scale replica saw in October, 2014. If the prototype
is a success, the project to Peru will likely go smoothly.
This first part of the fundraiser
will be largely reliant on the quality of our Power-Point Presentation – to be put
together in July/August and used as the basis for our campaign on KickStart. If
it is good, the idea is exciting to enough people it could easily generate
enough interest to raise the $40,000 in a month on the Web. After posting the
presentation and launching our KickStar, we will link the charity's Facebook page and
Blog.
Family and friends will be the second
step, for getting the word out – tell people to check out our cool
presentation.
The third step will probably be a
bit premature and low-yield. But, it will be worth the gamble to send a slew of
cold letters to potential corporate sponsors and charity foundations. As a long
shot, the charity will submit a half-dozen grant proposals by September.
Beyond October, 2014 After September, Fundraising
will focus on sponsors and big donors.
4.5 DONOR SEGMENTATION
Obvious potential donors include the
networks: National Geographic / Discovery / TLC / Science Channel and the
History Channel (even CNN, Univision and Telemundo). All of them have sizable
budgets for reality programming.
Another promising supporter is the
Heyerdahl Foundation in Norway. They may be sympathetic to our project – and
refer a Norwegian oil company to our aid. Likewise a distant relation at the
Sheetz gas station chain may take pity.
Private donors may be our saviors and best chance to build and test the prototype – even if they are later overshadowed. |
·
It should become apparent within a few weeks how
receptive potential sponsors will be.
4.4 STATEMENT TO DONORS
The charity pledges to adhere to complete transparency in all financial matters.
The charity will publish all donations
(anonymously if requested), and will post itemized expenses (those over $200
will be posted with a copy of the receipt) – including all stipends for labor.
The charity will only accept donations for the current expedition. At the end of the
expedition if there are any donations left over, these will be refunded to the
donors – in accordance with the proportion of their donation to the whole.
The charity will seek to sell the rights to
footage of the expedition, in part to disseminate the project. Any money
received will be put towards the next expedition.
4.5 DONATION FORECAST
The two real wildcards in this
forecast scenario are the Media (Including TV sponsors) and the Internet
(Kickstart). Of the three pivotal dates pointed out below – in 5.2 Backup Strategy – the most crucial
is the first. Once a Prototype test has been successful, there is every reason
to feel confident about finding a sponsor.
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*(plus need $350,000 from -Sponsor in Jan.2015)
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5.1 MANAGEMENT SUMMARY
Day to day operation of the business
will be handled by a Managing Director, Katherine Roth. This will
include all routine purchasing, reservations, financial accounting and payroll.
The director may delegate any of these duties to one of the five ‘Expert
Consultant’ manager, each of which will be supported by an assistant.
5.2 PROJECT BACKUP STRATEGY
… Caveats…just in case…
September
20, 2014: If $40,000 has not been raised by September 20, 2014,
members of the charity will meet to decide together whether to postpone and reschedule
or pull the plug on the project.
December 1,
2014: If $40,000 was raised but the prototype has yet to be
built, members of the charity will meet to decide together whether to postpone and
reschedule or pull the plug on the project.
April 20,
2015: If we raised $40,000 built the prototype and its test was
a success, but haven’t been able to raise $400,000, members of the charity will meet to
decide together whether to postpone and reschedule or pull the plug on the
project.
5.3 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
Jonathan Sheetz will be the
volunteer director, handling day-to-day operations with the assistance of the Managing Director, Katherine Roth. The director will be responsible for renting houses, arranging
food, contracting volunteers, and arranging travel (and buying insurance)
Four Expert Consultant volunteers will
be delegated portions of the project to handle. Each manager will have the aid
of an assistant – whose explicit function is to help coordinate/communicate
with the Peruvian Archeologist/Authorities during the actual Project. Managers
and assistants have the same voting rights in decision making.
Engineer (Christopher Dunn?)
|
Asst.
(Physics student)
|
Make
Winches
Make
Crank-Levers & Plumbs
Check
Cutting Heads (balance-force)
Make-Stabilize
Winch Anchor
|
Master Carpenter (Ron Alewife)
|
Asst.
(Andrew)
|
Create
Saw – grooves+hole for gut
Make
Tracks+Struts
Make
Center Track-Puller
Make
Scaffold
|
Tanner (????)
|
Asst.
(Cravin)
|
Make
& Braid Strong Gut
Make
& Place Slippery Gut
|
Blacksmith (????)
|
Asst.
(Sandro Arandi Mena)
|
Make
cutting bits
Make
log beds for sliding stones
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A film crew (x3 people) is expected
and will more than likely have access to corporate channels and will handle
foreign/diplomatic issues in Peru.
Six (6) Peruvian volunteers will
help operate the Saw. Twenty four (24) Peruvian volunteers will help drag the
stones to build the wall.
A ‘Final Version’ of the SFAM business plan
will be approved by a majority vote*. After that, finances will be handled
according to figures indicated in that business plan. Any deviation from those
figures will required a 2/3 majority vote. Any irreconcilable financial issue
will be resolved by SFAM splitting the cost of an outside attorney (or
accountant) selected by secret ballot (everyone who wants can enter a name and
the disputant picks a ballot). All non-financial operating procedures will
adhere as near as possible to the business plan or will be decided by majority vote.
*votes will be open by hand raising unless otherwise requested.
5.5 PERSONNEL PLAN
PERSONNEL COMPENSATION BY CATEGORY
Personnel
|
2014
(12 months)
|
2015
(5 months)
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Director-Manager
|
$24,000
|
$24,000
|
Experts-Managers (4)
|
$0
|
$60,000 ($15,000 each)
|
Assistants (5)
|
$0
|
$30,000 ($6,000 each)
|
Volunteers in Peru (30)
|
$0
|
$60,000 (2,000 each)
|
Total Payroll
|
$24,000
|
$174,000
|
6.1 FINANCIAL PLAN
The charity will focus on raising $40,000 to build a prototype for
testing in October.
After that
it will focus on attracting a corporate sponsor and confirming its figures for
cost estimates.
6.2 GENERAL ASSUMPTIONS
assumption
|
2014
|
2015
|
Tax Rate
|
20%
|
20%
|
Personnel Burden
|
5%
|
45%
|
6.3 KEY FINANCIAL INDICATORS
$492,000 $30,000 $174,000 $175,000
All Donations Prototype Salaries Peru Project
6.4 BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS
6.5 PROJECTED PROFIT & LOSS
6.6 PROJECTED CASH FLOW
*(Not Included => $80,0000 Tax Expense)
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6.4 BREAK EVEN ANALYSIS
SFAM needs to raise $40,000 by September
20, 2014 to reach the Break-Even point for Phases
1 & 2.
SFAM needs to raise another $400,000 by April 20,
2015 to reach the Break-Even point for Phases
3.
6.5 PROJECTED PROFIT & LOSS
We expect to inspire a corporate network
sponsor (National Geographic, Discovery, etc.) to come on board with $250,000 donation
after our Prototype Test - in January
2015. There remains a sufficiently large market for ‘reality’ TV specials for
such a sum to be reasonable.
Profit
& Loss
|
2014
|
2015
|
Income & Assets
|
||
Donations
|
+$270,000
|
+$222,000
|
…(+$176,000)
|
||
Operating Expenses
|
+$398,000
|
|
Payroll Expense
|
-$24,000
|
-$174,000
|
Rental Cars (x3)
|
$0
|
-$9,000
|
Materials (Wood/Copper/Gut)
|
-$30,000
|
-$10,000
|
Insurance
|
$0
|
-$30,000
|
Houses-Utilities (x3)
|
$0
|
-$18,000
|
Miscellaneous Fees
|
$0
|
-$10,000
|
Travel (x14 tickets)
|
$0
|
-$30,000
|
Permits-Visas
|
$0
|
-$20,000
|
Blacksmith Forge
|
$0
|
-$2,000
|
Quarry
|
$0
|
-$6,000
|
Tannery
|
$0
|
-$1,000
|
Lumber Mill
|
$0
|
-$3,000
|
Taxes
|
-$40,000
|
-$40,000
|
Total Expenses
|
-$94,000
|
$353,000
|
NET
|
+$176,000
|
+$45,000
|
6.6 PROJECTED CASH FLOW
We anticipate the vast majority of
our fund-raising to come in a handful of large donations after the Prototype
test (November 2014) – end of 2014, into 2015.
CASH
FLOW
|
2014
|
2015
|
Donations
|
$40,000
|
$12,000
|
Grants
|
$30,000
|
$10,000
|
Sponsors
|
$200,000
|
$200,000
|
Net
Cash Flow
|
+$270,000
|
$222,000
|
Expenses
|
-$94,000
|
-$353,000
|
Cash
Balance
|
+$176,000
|
+$45,000
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