Kariada Kunai
Aes Sedai
Hello, friends!
I'd like to take a few minutes and talk to you about this wonderful community we have here.
Let me begin with a bit about my experience. I joined over 7 years ago, one evening when I happened to be bored. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.
I was living in Germany at the time, and feeling very much out of place and away from home. But at the Tower, I was instantly welcomed and befriended. I met so many new people from all over the world, and they were genuinely happy to get to know me. This became my home away from home.
In the years since then, I've moved six times. I seem to always be in a different place, not setting very deep roots anywhere. But you know what? No matter where I am, I can be home. All I need is an internet connection. This home away from home has become an anchor of sorts through all the changes in my life.
The Tower has given me so much. I've made friends, and new family. I've fallen in love, and experienced new things. I've travelled to places I never would have gone otherwise. I've helped others in times of trouble, and received help when I needed it in return. I would be a very different person without the Tower.
Now I'm sure that most of you have had a similar experience. And that's kind of the point. This place has a way of touching people's lives.
Even though we are based online, we have very real-life costs. Our message boards and website need servers. We have bank fees, and financial software costs, and administrative costs. We purchase items to give as part of our member awards. And on the list goes. All of these things cost money.
Take a look at that gorgeous banner at the top of your screen. Do you notice anything about it? It's completely ours. Now look at the left bar. Everything there is TarValon.Net. There are no ads. There is nothing asking you to buy, click, or otherwise take you away from anything but this community. TarValon.Net has never, and will never, use membership traffic to make money. When you sign up for this site, you register for nothing but this site. We don't sell your email address. We don't flash ads at you.
And we don't charge you membership fees. We don't believe that anyone should have to pay to become a Servant of All. We instead value members' hard work and personal contributions. So how do we meet our financial needs? We do what we do for many things here: we ask you to pitch in and help out where you can. I ask you now to please consider donating to our community's annual costs.
Think about how much annual membership fees at another organization would normally cost you. Think about how much a magazine subscription is, or how much it costs to go see a movie. How much time do you spend enjoying these things you pay for?
How much time do you spend here?
I realize that money is tight for many right now. I realize that many of you may find it difficult to contribute. But please know that even $5 can make a difference. $5 can get you a latte at Starbucks or a beer at your favorite bar. Why not skip the drink this week? If 10 people donate $5....that's enough to cover our accounting costs for 6 months.
And, as our 501(c)3 application has been submitted, donations made to the community will be tax deductible in the United States pending IRS approval. US members will receive a receipt at the end of the year aggregating their donations made throughout the year.
As a way of saying thank you, we have some great incentives lined up this year for everyone contributing.
Individual awards:
Incentives for donations made by individuals. Donors will receive the incentive(s) for each monetary level up to and including their donation amount. Only one prize can be won per person.
$5 - leaf on our new Avendesora "giving" tree
$10 - chance to win a special role in the community award online event
$20 - chance to win a prize from Badali or Cafe Press ($30-$50 value)
$50 - chance to win an invitation to a private activity at 10th Anni with the Amyrlin and some VIP guests (transferable to other members)
$100 - recognition in the 10th Anni program
$150 - personal thank-you letter from the Amyrlin
Community awards:
Incentives for how much is raised as a community. This is a way for us to celebrate our fundraising accomplishments. Only one activity will be carried out, depending on how much we raise.
$1,000 - free day
$2,500 - Feast of Fools week
$5,000 - super special week-long event and free week
How to donate
Online - donations are accepted via paypal.
Click here to donate.
Offline - Personal Checks or Money Orders, made out to TarValon.Net, can be sent to:
TarValon.Net
PO Box 12421
Huntsville, AL 35815
Please be sure to put your Tower name on your donation so that we can thank you appropriately!
This drive will end on July 17. Names will be drawn for prizes on July 31. We will be keeping a running list of contributors and the total amount we have raised so far on our main site. Please allow a few days for your name to be posted after donating online, and at least a week after donating via mail.
$5,000 is an ambitious goal, but I'm sure that if we all work together, we can achieve this! As Mother likes to say, "many hands make light work."
Thank you all for your time, and for your contributions. You make me proud to be a member of this community.
:grouphug
I'd like to take a few minutes and talk to you about this wonderful community we have here.
Let me begin with a bit about my experience. I joined over 7 years ago, one evening when I happened to be bored. I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.
I was living in Germany at the time, and feeling very much out of place and away from home. But at the Tower, I was instantly welcomed and befriended. I met so many new people from all over the world, and they were genuinely happy to get to know me. This became my home away from home.
In the years since then, I've moved six times. I seem to always be in a different place, not setting very deep roots anywhere. But you know what? No matter where I am, I can be home. All I need is an internet connection. This home away from home has become an anchor of sorts through all the changes in my life.
The Tower has given me so much. I've made friends, and new family. I've fallen in love, and experienced new things. I've travelled to places I never would have gone otherwise. I've helped others in times of trouble, and received help when I needed it in return. I would be a very different person without the Tower.
Now I'm sure that most of you have had a similar experience. And that's kind of the point. This place has a way of touching people's lives.
Even though we are based online, we have very real-life costs. Our message boards and website need servers. We have bank fees, and financial software costs, and administrative costs. We purchase items to give as part of our member awards. And on the list goes. All of these things cost money.
Take a look at that gorgeous banner at the top of your screen. Do you notice anything about it? It's completely ours. Now look at the left bar. Everything there is TarValon.Net. There are no ads. There is nothing asking you to buy, click, or otherwise take you away from anything but this community. TarValon.Net has never, and will never, use membership traffic to make money. When you sign up for this site, you register for nothing but this site. We don't sell your email address. We don't flash ads at you.
And we don't charge you membership fees. We don't believe that anyone should have to pay to become a Servant of All. We instead value members' hard work and personal contributions. So how do we meet our financial needs? We do what we do for many things here: we ask you to pitch in and help out where you can. I ask you now to please consider donating to our community's annual costs.
Think about how much annual membership fees at another organization would normally cost you. Think about how much a magazine subscription is, or how much it costs to go see a movie. How much time do you spend enjoying these things you pay for?
How much time do you spend here?
I realize that money is tight for many right now. I realize that many of you may find it difficult to contribute. But please know that even $5 can make a difference. $5 can get you a latte at Starbucks or a beer at your favorite bar. Why not skip the drink this week? If 10 people donate $5....that's enough to cover our accounting costs for 6 months.
And, as our 501(c)3 application has been submitted, donations made to the community will be tax deductible in the United States pending IRS approval. US members will receive a receipt at the end of the year aggregating their donations made throughout the year.
As a way of saying thank you, we have some great incentives lined up this year for everyone contributing.
Individual awards:
Incentives for donations made by individuals. Donors will receive the incentive(s) for each monetary level up to and including their donation amount. Only one prize can be won per person.
$5 - leaf on our new Avendesora "giving" tree
$10 - chance to win a special role in the community award online event
$20 - chance to win a prize from Badali or Cafe Press ($30-$50 value)
$50 - chance to win an invitation to a private activity at 10th Anni with the Amyrlin and some VIP guests (transferable to other members)
$100 - recognition in the 10th Anni program
$150 - personal thank-you letter from the Amyrlin
Community awards:
Incentives for how much is raised as a community. This is a way for us to celebrate our fundraising accomplishments. Only one activity will be carried out, depending on how much we raise.
$1,000 - free day
$2,500 - Feast of Fools week
$5,000 - super special week-long event and free week
How to donate
Online - donations are accepted via paypal.
Click here to donate.
Offline - Personal Checks or Money Orders, made out to TarValon.Net, can be sent to:
TarValon.Net
PO Box 12421
Huntsville, AL 35815
Please be sure to put your Tower name on your donation so that we can thank you appropriately!
This drive will end on July 17. Names will be drawn for prizes on July 31. We will be keeping a running list of contributors and the total amount we have raised so far on our main site. Please allow a few days for your name to be posted after donating online, and at least a week after donating via mail.
$5,000 is an ambitious goal, but I'm sure that if we all work together, we can achieve this! As Mother likes to say, "many hands make light work."
Thank you all for your time, and for your contributions. You make me proud to be a member of this community.
:grouphug
I actually added more to cover the fee just in case.