Our Operating Expenses

Below is a basic summary of our most basic operating expenses.

YOU CAN DONATE TO HELP US COVER THESE COSTS, and help us improve and grow to serve even more of the community even better: https://rpgresearch.com/donate

Prior to 2022, we have been using the facilities and resources of other organizations and individuals to run our programas around the world at community centers, schools, libraries, parks, healthcare facilities, camps, etc.
We still rely heavily on these generous volunteers and facilities to continue to do so globally.

We have always been run by 100% unpaid volunteers, staff, founders, executives, and board members. So that our administrative overhead costs as a non-profit have been as tiny as possible, so that as much of the donations possible go directly into our programs serving the populations we help.

Prior to acquiring dedicated facilities, our average operating costs were around $5,000 (peaking at $10,000 in 2020 when we directly provided services to 30,000+ people worldwide).

Annually about $1k USD of that $5k typically went into government costs (business licenses, city, county, state, federal, and international government agency fees, taxes, etc.). The rest typically into paper, pencils, wear and tear on replacement materials, etc.
We also have been fortunately able to grow with so litte in cash donations thanks to volunteers and others kindly donating specific items like books so that we can offer a broader range of options.

2020 brought to the fore that we could not scale any further without a dedicated space. We significantly overstrained our core volunteer staff and resources due to our 100% mobile no-HQ approach.
The up side is that we saved a number of RPG-related conventions worldwide from cancellation thanks to our partnership with Zombie Orpheus Entertainment and TheFantasy.Network.
Most notably WorldCon New Zealand and GenCon Film Festival at the same time!
So we began the search and fundraising to try to find something we could afford (most likely a fixer-upper property with a minimum of 2,000 square feet, that we could still afford with out tiny budget) to have a stable HQ location to help us increase our ability to train more volunteers and increase our ability to further serve far more people locally and globally with the beenfits of our role-playing game and cooperative music programs.

Learn more about RPG Research's History


Donate to RPG Research Today! You can donate items and supplies directly through our Amazon Wishlist or help us cover our monthly and annual expenses through cash donations through Paypal, Benevity, or Patreon.

You can also donate items directly to the RPG Museum (it must be role-playing game history related). We regularly receive and welcome such donations. Pending enough financial donations to finis improvements on the RPG Museum building, we hope to be able to open the Role-Playing Game Historical Experiential Learning RPG Museum to the public some time in early to mid 2023!

You can send museum item donations to:
RPG Research
ATTENTION RPG MUSEUM
101 North Stone Street
Spokane, Washington 99202
USA

Donate to RPG Research Today!
You can donate items and supplies directly through our Amazon Wishlist or help us cover our monthly and annual expenses through cash donations through Paypal, Benevity, or Patreon.


Our Operating Costs

As of August 2022

Lot 1 (~1/12th of a city block) - 101 N. Stone St. Spokane WA: 7,350 square feet

  • 2 main buildings and 1 small building (Building A: Single story ~900 sq.ft.)(Building B: 2 stories (1,000 sqft per story) ~2,000 sq.ft. total) (Building C: ~250 sqft)
  • 4 Storage sheds
  • Enclosed Parking lot.
  • Covered and uncovered, fence enclosed and unenclosed, yards

    • NOTE: These average expenses are without including any funds for growth or improvements. It just includes keeping the doors open to the public, as-is.

  • RPG Community Center and RPG Museum property monthly lease:
    • March 2022 to February 2023: $1,500/month
    • March 2023 to February 2024: $2,000/month
    • March 2024 to February 2025: $2,500/month
  • Electricity (averaged): ~$500/month
  • Internet and phone: $350/month
  • Websites, email, etc. services: $350/month
  • Sewer, water, waste disposal, and other city fees: ~$200.00
  • Liability insurance: ~$600/month
  • Incidentals (paper, pencils, printer toner, replacement dice, etc.): ~$100/month
  • Gaming books, miniatures, and supplements wear and tear replacements: ~$100/month
  • City, County, State, and Federal fees and taxes (annually / 12): ~$80/month

    • Current (August 2022) minimum to keep operating for the public with public access and "just keeping the lights on": $3,780/month ($45,360/year).


    Donate to RPG Research Today!

    Planning Growth for the (near) Future

    Lot 1 is very old. We are making do with what we can on a shoestring budget.
    We hope over time our donations and grant options will grow so that we can first improve the existing lot to be much nicer than it currently is, and then expand to be able to take on the demand we already have that far outstrips our current facilities.

    Building A was built in the 1890s, is very small, and has many issues. This is our temporary (phase 1) RPG Museum building).
    Building B was built (poorly) in the 1990s and not finished (we are having to finish it ourselves). This is our commnuity center, broadcasting, and HQ buildnig.
    Building C is actually a large storage shed that is big enough to convert into another full game room once it has windows, insulation, sheetrock, and air-conditioning/heat added. It already has 2 doors and electricity).

    Pending potential expansion (need significant donations or grants to achieve):

  • Lot 2: 73' x 144' = ~10,512 sqft.
  • Lot 3: 48' x 144' = ~6,912 sqft.


    • We are hoping to find out in September how much we need to raise to lease or buy Lots 2 and/or 3.
    If we are able to acquire one or both of these undeveloped but fully fenced lots,

  • Phase 1 was getting our first dedicated property. We began the search in 2020, achieved the acquisition March 2022, and opening to the public June 2022.
  • Phase 2: Try to raise direct donations or funds to improve Lot 1 to be nicer (air conditioning, heat, flooring to cover the cement floors, paint the bare walls and ceilings, fix the many utility issues, etc.). We are currently in this phase.
    • Phase 2a: Improve Building B community center first floor significantly
    • Phase 2b: While fixing up Builings A & B, also try to raise direct donations and/or funds to make Building C usable as a large, comfortable, quiet, environment (temperature, lighting, smell, sounds, etc.) controllable quiet game room for those populations that struggle with the noise and chaos of the larger community space with multiple game tables
    • Phase 2c: Improve security sufficiently in Building A to store our library and supplies in it, since currently Building B is already unable to fit our supplies fully
    • Phase 2d: Improve upstairs of Building B significantly
  • Phase 3: Fix up and secure Building A sufficiently to open the RPG Museum to the public (small phase 1 of museum).
  • Phase 4: Convert Lot 1 from leased property to owned, if we can raise sufficient donor or grant funds. This will improve our chances to get facility improvement grants if we own it instead of just leased
  • Phase 5: Lease Lots 2 and/or 3. we are hoping we can temporarily use the additional lots (if acquired) them for our Larp programs and provide more secure parking initially.
  • Phase 6: Raise sufficient funds to convert Lots 2 and/or 3 from leased to owned, that way we can get development grants to build whole new builings on the undeveloped lots once the lots are owned rather than leased
  • Phases 7: (RPG Museum phase 2): Over time, as we raise further funds from donors and/or grants, we hope we can develop the land to create a much nicer new building for the community center and museum on one lot.
  • Phase 8: Pending donations, build a dedicated (covered and temperaturecontrolled) warehouse-sized) larp area on the other lot, allowing other larp, SCA, and similar groups use of the space in addition to our own larp programs. while continuing to operate on the current Lot 1.
  • Phase 9: Then when Lot 2 (and/or 3) is developed, we would move into the new lot.
  • Phase 10 (optional): Once we are moved into the other lot, we have the potential option (pending funding) to tear down the old lot and put new buildings on Lot 1 to expand our offerings further. Potentially RPG Museum Phase 3. With The Museum taking up all of Lot 1, the Community Center and offices taking up all of Lot 2, and the Larp spaces taking up Lot 3.

  • Phase 11+: Once we've had all that experience under our belts, we then hope to be able to open more of these community centers, first around the US, and then who knows, maybe globally.

    • September - October 2022 Expenses

    • Spokane City Utilities (Water, Sewer, Garbage, etc.): $217.57
    • Avista Power (lights, heat, air conditioning, water heater, etc.): $304.48
    • Grasshopper (fax, toll-free phone, SMS): $40
    • Metro-PCS cellular (phone, SMS): $30
    • Stone St Rent: $1500
    • Monroe St Rent: $350
    • Cyber-liability Live Insurance Policy Rider (to open up knowledgebase archives): $1,300
    • Toner: $347.44 (2,000 pages)
    • Paper:
    • Pencils:
    • Markers:
    • Hand Sanitizer:
    • Clorox Cleanup wiped:
    • Clorox Cleanup spray/refill:
    • Window cleaner:
    • Lysol disinfectant spray:
    • Toilet Paper:
    • Paper Towels:
    • Water bottles:
    • Water filters:
    • Laundry (tablecloths, etc.):
    • RPG Center Internet:
    • General Internet hosting costs:
      • -

    November 20th Update

    Donations have dwindled to only a few hundred dollars a month in recent months. After going from year-after-year growth every year, up through 2022, 2023 has been by far our worst year for receiving donations, right after we took the plunge on the highest expenses.

    RPG.LLC has kindly been donating to try to cover the short fall each month for the last several months, as donations have gone done, they have fortunately stepped up, but that can only go on for so long, and is almost exhausted as as resource.

    In late September, due to insufficient donations to even cover turning on the lights and heat each day for public access, (let alone the insurance and rent), we had to close our doors to the public community programs, while we try to continue to operate as a company and online, trying to turn this situation around. This is not what we wanted, one of the main reasons for getting this property, in the very "rough" neighborhood it is in, was to serve the communities that need our our programs the most. They have been grateful, but unfortunately they are not a resource for donations

    Here is the latest update on our October and November (so far) expenses

    Item Base/Month Amount 0 +Amount/Month just stafff & online no public access 1 +Amount/Month Per 1 day per week open 8 hours/day 2 +Amount/Month Per 2 days per week open 8 hours/day 3 +Amount/Month Per 3 days per week open 8 hours/day 4 +Amount/Month Per 4 days per week open 8 hours/day 5 +Amount/Month Per 5 days per week open 8 hours/day 6 +Amount/Month Per 6 days per week open 8 hours/day 7 +Amount/Month Per 7 days per week open 8 hours/day 8 +Amount/Month Per 7 days per week open 16 hours/day Amount/Day When Open to Public Average Notes
    Avista Power A=$ , B=$ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. +A$..,+B$158/Aug. +A$, +B$123/Sep.+A$.., +B$109.+A$.., +B$117.. 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg .
    Spokane City Utilities A=$ , B=$ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. $ /mo 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg Water, Sewer, Garbage, ...
    Comcast Internet and Phone $ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. $ /mo 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg .
    Insurance $ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. $ /mo 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg Required to allow public on property
    Cleaning Supplies $ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. $ /mo 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg TP, Towels, Cleaning agents, etc
    Community Supplies $ /mo 0. $ /mo 1. $ /mo 2. $ /mo 3. $ /mo 4. $ /mo 5. $ /mo 6. $ /mo 7. $ /mo 8. $ /mo $ /day avg Materials for public community participation in programs, pencil, dice, paper, printing, etc.