The iconic Dancing Dog building in Footscray is for sale. The Real Estate Agents say most interest is coming from developers, that the town planning scheme encourages 6-8 story residential developments on the site and that the heritage overlay may not even save it from being pulled down completely!

The response from local has been overwhelming. They are not anti-development, but this building is special to people. It is part of the soul of Footscray. The community also seems to feel a sense of ownership already and does not want the space to be privatised as it would if it were to become apartments.

For years individuals and community groups in the area have also been asking for a community hub. Somewhere central and easily accessible by public transport that can be used for community activities and to support community groups. Somewhere run by the community for the community. This building would be perfect for such a hub. It's central; it has lots of different sized space and its charm inspires creativity.

So our audacious plan is to raise the money from the community to buy the building. We've set a target of at least $2 million, but we may need more!

From the community  response so far, we are absolutely confident that there are enough people out there to get behind this idea and do it. The question is, can we do it in less than 3 weeks?! The answer to that question lies with you!

If enough people pledge and share as soon as possible, we could just make it. It's a huge amount, but crowd funders have raised that amount before in a just as short a time. The more people who back this project quickly, the better the chance are of getting some bigger donors on side. And even if we don't quite make it, the bigger this campaign gets before auction, the more wary developers and Council will be about plans that are likely to upset the community.

And the great things about pledging is that your money will only be processed if the project goes ahead!...We have arranged with Pozible not to have any money transferred unless we win at auction, so all you are doing now is pledging an amount you'd be happy to give IF our project is successful. IF WE DON'T RAISE OUR TARGET AMOUNT OR IF WE DON'T WIN AT AUCTION OR IF WE ARE UNABLE TO PUT EVERYTHING IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO BID IN TIME, YOU WILL NOT PAY A CENT!

This is an opportunity to set a tone for future development in Footscray. By doing something inspiring, we may attract developers who have more than the bottom line in mind in the same way that the High Line project in New York has.
We also see this as an opportunity to inspire, engage and empower our local community. We hope that whatever the outcome, that the community is more connected and people within it are inspired to make a difference where they can.

So if this building means something to you or if you've ever cared about a similar building and want to show support for our community, please pledge what you can (even small amounts help) and pass this around as widely as you can as quickly as you can!

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL PLEDGES SMALL OR LARGE ARE OF VALUE - We have some rewards but this does not mean that ACCESS AT ANY LEVEL, including the opportunity to run for a place on the Committee of Governance will be determined by capacity to pay. This campaign has a very short timeframe and the rewards were set up as a means to indicate that the investment in this building is an investment in our community.

All the money collected will go to an incorporated association - a legal entity in its own right that can buy the building. The association will own the building. It will be made up of members - all the people or groups that pledge $200+ to this campaign and people who give a certain amount of time. Those members will elect from their ranks a Committee of Management, responsible for managing the building and making decisions about its use.

The Committee will be bound by purposes and Constitution of the association, which will put parameters around how decisions must be made and how the building can be used. The Constitution will also require the Committee to consult regularly with its members and incorporate the results of those consultations into its decision making processes.

The association will be not-for-profit, which means there will be no financial return for those putting into this project. Instead your return will be in the form of the joy that comes from saving the building and bringing the community together. You will also receive certain rights and acknowledgment, depending on the level of your pledge:

$50 + will entitle you to be part of the initial community consultations around the use and management of the building.

$200 + will make you a founding member. This membership will last for 2 years. You will be able to run and vote for the initial committee of management and you will be involved in the community consultations for the first two years.

$1,000 + will give you membership for 10 years. You will be able to run and vote for the committee of management and you will be involved in the community consultations for the first ten years.

$2,000 + will give you membership for life. You will be able to run and vote for committees of management and will be involved in community consultations for as long as you want.

$10,000+ will give you membership for life AND your name on a plaque on the building. IF YOU PLAN TO PLEDGE $10,000 OR MORE, PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST

$100,000 + will give you membership for life AND your name on a plaque and non-executive membership of the governance committee for the first five years. IF YOU PLAN TO PLEDGE $10,000 OR MORE, PLEASE CONTACT US FIRST.

This structure also means that contributing to the purchase of the building will not give you any financial or legal liability for the building. The only individual liability will be if individuals on the Committee of Management breach their directors' duties.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT ALL PLEDGES SMALL OR LARGE ARE OF VALUE - We have some rewards but this does not mean that ACCESS AT ANY LEVEL, including the opportunity to run for a place on the Committee of Governance will be determined by capacity to pay. This campaign has a very short timeframe and the rewards were set up as a means to indicate that the investment in this building is an investment in our community.

If you have further questions about how the building will be owned and managed or about liabilities, please visit the FAQ page on the "Let's buy the Dancing Dog" website and if the answer isn't there, please contact us.

$1.5 MILLION IS NOT ENOUGH
It may not be, but Pozible lets us raise more than our target, so please keep pledging even if we reach it. The more we have the more confident we can be. If we end up with too much, the money will go towards any repairs or maintenance costs the building may have and if there is still money left over, it will be put towards community projects that will be determined by the community through a community consultation process.

As well as the $1.5 million target through Pozible, we will be seeking some private pledges and possibly a bank loan so that other bidders don't know exactly how much we have to bid with.

WE RAISE THE MONEY BUT DON'T WIN AT AUCTION
We have spoken to Pozible about not processing any money until after the auction. Your money will only be processed if we raise enough money AND if we go ahead and win at auction. If we do not do these things, you will not have given anything.

THE BUILDING IS UNSAFE AND REQUIRES MAJOR WORKS
We will have the building inspected and only buy if it is ok.

THIS IS A PUBLIC CAMPAIGN, SO OTHER BIDDERS WILL KNOW HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO BID WITH
We are seeking some significant private pledges as well as the ones on this site, so that we can be confident we have enough to outbid developers at auction and so that our final amount is undisclosed. If you plan to pledge $10,000 or more, please contact us to discuss whether it is better to be a private pledger.

WE CAN'T JUMP THROUGH ALL THE HOOPS, SUCH AS SETTING UP THE CORRECT LEGAL STRUCTURES, IN TIME FOR AUCTION
There are still a number of things we have to do to be in a position to buy at auction and it may not be possible to do them in time. However, if we wait for all of them to be in place before taking pledges, we won't have the time to raise the money needed. At this stage, this campaign is just asking you to PLEDGE (not donate) an amount you WOULD be happy to give IF the project is successful. If we can't jump through all the hoops in time, we will halt our campaign and you will not pay a cent.

If you have further questions about the campaign and the future use of the building, please visit the FAQ page on the "Let's Buy The Dancing Dog" website.