This post is taking part in the Nouns x Kiwi writing contest.

Prompt: What are the untapped avenues for Nouns to capture more value from their activities, beyond NFT mints? 

Nouns launched on August 8th 2021, is an experimental NFT project that creates and auctions a unique Noun NFT every 24 hours forever using a generative art algorithm. Each Noun is a 32 x 32 pixelated character made up of endless combination of bodies and accessories and the proceeds from its sale go into the Nouns' DAO treasury. This DAO operates with a governance structure where Noun holders collectively decide how to allocate the funds from the treasury which is currently valued in the tens of millions of dollars.

To submit a proposal, you must hold at least two Nouns, which can be financially out of reach for many people. Previously, before June 24 of this year, a system called Prop House allowed broader access to funding. Each week, a portion of funds from the Nouns DAO treasury was allocated to Prop House, where anyone—whether they held Nouns or not—could submit proposals to compete for this funding.

The proposal with the most votes from Noun holders at the end of the week receives the funding. To participate in voting, you must hold at least one Noun, with each Noun representing one vote.

As a fully decentralized project, Nouns has adopted a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license allowing the Noun images and other brand collectives to be used freely by anyone and this has helped foster an active ecosystem.

The Nouns community has grown into a network of sub-communities like Nouns vision, Nouns Town and Nouns Esports which focuses on bringing Esports onchain.

While NFT minting is the primary revenue stream, Nouns' potential to capture more value extends far beyond this.

In this post we will look into other possibilities.

We have already established that Nouns DAO is governed by Nouns holders and all the proposals approved by Nouns are funded from the DAO's treasury.

The problems I see here are these:

• What about those that can't afford to buy Nouns NFT(s) how will they get involved?

• Would it be bad if there are other ways of getting funds into the treasury besides the NFT mint?

• What about allowing more people contribute to funding great ideas approved by the DAO whether they are holding Nouns or not?

• As a decentralized organization, wouldn't it be better if members get to decide how their projects should be funded?

These line of thought gave rise to the solution that I want to propose in this post. It will help foster inclusiveness and freedom of choice.

What I propose is a crowd funding option that allows all lovers of goodwill to donate to projects that resonate with them. We can't deny the fact that a lot of people drive immense joy from giving to projects that will impact lives in one way or the other. This doesn't mean they have a lot of money to throw around, it could be a thing of faith and how they help make the world a better place.

The crowd funding will be open to everyone and to all amounts but the project owner(s) can propose to give certain perks(maybe an early access NFT) to certain amount. Let's make this clearer below

If you donate up to $200, you will receive one NFT. Every $200 count earns you one additional NFT which means that $350 equals one NFT but $400 equals two NFTs.

$900 earns you four NFTs but $1000 earns you five NFTs. The projects owner(s) can decide and include in their proposal the future rewards that NFT holders should anticipate.

When submitting a proposal, you can choose either the treasury route or the crowdfunding route. You should specify the exact amount needed for your project and if the DAO accepts your proposal, it goes live.

If you choose to crowdfund your project, there will be a set time for donations (perhaps 7 days or more, as decided by the DAO). When the countdown ends, the donations will close. The exact amount needed for your project will be automatically deposited into your wallet, and any excess funds will be sent to the DAO treasury, managed by a smart contract.

In situations where the target wasn't met through crowdfunding, the remaining amount will be sent from the DAO's treasury.

This singular act solves all the problems mentioned earlier and this is how.

1. With this approach, both those who can afford Nouns and those who cannot can participate in funding projects. It allows everyone to connect with projects, feel included and know their contributions are valued.

2. Now you see that it's possible to bring additional funds into the treasury simply by expanding the Nouns ecosystem to include everyone's contribution in the funding process.

3. Crowdfunding introduces a new level of collaboration. Projects can gain a community of supporters and enthusiasts even before they launch. This happens when people feel connected to something larger than themselves or something that brings them joy.

4. Some projects, especially those focused on humanitarian impact, may prefer to be crowdfunded. Allowing people to choose how they want their projects to be funded can help advance their goals.

There's still a gap that Prop House would have filled if it were still around.You might be wondering how to submit your proposal since you don't own a Nouns or can't afford one. Going to rounds.wtf as suggested by the DAO as a replacement for Prop House doesn't solve this problem because random people can't submit their proposal on this platform for funding by Nouns DAO. They can only partake in certain tasks and earn rewards for doing that.

This means Nouns DAO still needs to create a platform where anyone can submit proposals and choose whether to seek crowdfunding or not.

While we look forward to the return of Prop House or something similar, Nouns DAO could consider integrating a crowdfunding option into their system.

In conclusion, inclusivity is at the heart of a DAO. Nouns DAO has accomplished incredible milestones since its beginning, but there’s always room to involve more people in different ways. Crowdfunding not only allows everyone to take part in the good work of Nouns but also helps connect people and projects in ways we can’t yet imagine. Hopefully, this idea will be implemented in Nouns DAO one day for the greater good of humanity.