Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser - Results Page 5!

[Xylianna Paladina]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I think this is a great idea & I am thrilled to see how much was already donated. Yay!! :joy

One question: If Aldus & I send in a check, will the donation be split to count as half from each of us? or just go under one of our names (for drawings etc) or how would that work?

 

[Riley Maconnar]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Um.... How would you like it to work?

I would imagine if you place both your Tower names on the memo line, and make mention of it splitting between the two of you, if you would like to do that, in a note, the Keeper will let me know, and I will pass that information along to whomever needs to know.

But, as you are working as a couple, I would make mention of the two of you together, in the absense of any special instructions.

Whatever works for you....

 

[Xylianna Paladina]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Sorry for any confusion, Riley Gaidin! I just meant, since there are certain $$ levels for the incentives, if for example together we sent in $100 check, if that would earn us both the incentive for $100, or for the $50 level since there's two of us. Doesn't make much difference to me, we'll still send what we can send. :P I was just curious how donations from married couples (or I suppose, any group that donated together) were to be handled.

Thanks for all you are doing on this fundraiser effort!

 

[Riley Maconnar]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

As far as I'm concerned if it were, for example, a gift of $100, you are giving it together, from your resources as a family, you would together receive the $100 incentive, unless you specifically wanted it to count as two seperate donations. It's also how I would attribute it when I send out yucky tax statements in January (yucky, 'cause I'm not looking forward to it ).

You know, if any couple (or family) were to qualify for a special reception at an event, you would both be invited.

 

[Xylianna Paladina]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Thanks so much, that clears up my confusion perfectly!

 

[Ben al'Den]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Got my donation in!

 

[Vivianna L'antreau]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Mine went in today as well!

 

[Eleyan Al'Landerin]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I also donated!

As for the Special Activity with the Amyrlin and special guests? Well, I can't drag the special guests with me to Europe, I'm afraid, but I will be there myself! We are currently planning on hosting a small group for drinks and appetizers in the US to give people a chance to socialize more privately than they might get otherwise. There might be another surprise, depending on how many donate, but I wont know until we get closer to the event. If it does come through, it is unfortunately something that can only be done in Charleston. But if our Euro friends wish to donate at this level, and are happy having an evening down at the pub for an hour or so where I pick up the bill, I would be happy to extend this as best we can to Euro Anni as well!

We accept donations all throughout the year! It's just that this is a particular fund-raising drive with specific thank-you's associated with it both for individuals and the community as a whole. It's been awhile since we've had one (we used to hold them twice a year, which is a model we will likely adopt again as things get going).

Riley says:

You know, if any couple (or family) were to qualify for a special reception at an event, you would both be invited.

Riley, I think we have different opinions on this as the thank you gift in this case has a guaranteed and tangible thank you that costs resources. The thank you notes I can address to a whole family! But anything with a tangible reward should be one per donation. A family donating enough to enter the drawing should have one entry for the drawing, not one per family member. It's the same with the cocktail hour. A $100 donation gets an invitation for one.

 

[Eleyan Al'Landerin]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I just meant, since there are certain $$ levels for the incentives, if for example together we sent in $100 check, if that would earn us both the incentive for $100, or for the $50 level since there's two of us.

I think you could chose to go about it one of two ways if donating $100:
- Donate together, but mention both individual names. You each get a leaf on the tree, special recognition, and a chance each in the drawing
- Donate together, but as the "Tyloredrid Family". You get a leaf on the tree for the family, special recognition, one chance in the drawing, and have one invitation to the special cocktail hour.




Also, I believe that the tree will be an ongoing thing! So no matter when you donate, you will be recognized as such! I know we also have some plans to work on year round recognition.

 

[Kiana a'Jadein]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Happily donated!

 

[Locus Sarania]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Im in

 

[Kariada Kunai]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

So Mother & Riley already responded to a lot of this, but let me add in a few more things...

Yes, donations are accepted year-round! This is one of the reasons why US members will get one receipt at the end of the year showing all donations throughout the year. The prizes for this particular drive only go for donations made during the drive however.

The Avendesora tree is an ongoing thing. This will actually recognize anyone who donates, anytime throughout the year. It's listed for this drive specifically because it's a new thing that we're doing!

The special guests for the Anni incentive can't be dragged to Europe, as Mother says. We can work something out though. I don't want to say specifically what we'd do, because I'd rather only set something up if we end up needing to. But IF Euros win, and IF they aren't going to US Anni, and IF they are going to Euro, and IF they don't want to gift it to someone who will be going to US Anni, then we can look at our options.


Thank you to everyone who donated! Riley will give us another update of online donations on Monday. Mail donations will take a little longer, since the Keeper is picking those up and her time is a bit interesting this summer.

 

[Alyccea Nymaessene]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I'd rather know specifically (or at least, as specifically as the US prize is) what I would be in with a chance of winning, since I don't want to donate the money and then find that the prize isn't of equivalent value. But if that's just me, then I can just not donate anyway and no harm done.

 

[Vivianna L'antreau]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Also keep in mind that the primary purpose of the fundraiser is to keep our Community financially going, and that the prizes are just a bonus...very nice bonuses, but bonuses never the less! They're neat RL incentives that are being tried out this time rather than just the online incentives we've done in the past

Thanks for all the clarifications, Mother, Riley and Kariada!

 

[Loira Al'Ramoidra]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I think that, if everything went well I just donated! ^_^

 

[Riley Maconnar]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

:clap

 

[Tian el' Nvidia]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Done and Done!! :joy

Thank you guys for doing this, and for all your hard work. The RL prizes are indeed a great bonus to donating, but I think donating regardless of bonus' is the most important thing. I'm really looking forward to seeing how this turns out!

<3

 

[Rehtaeh al'Navi]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Thank you, TarValon.net for being a home for me!
Thank you to everyone who acts as a Servant of All to help make TarValon.net a wonderful place to be.
:clap :joy :dance :dance :joy :clap

I have donated to the Fundraiser. Even if I "won" I won't be able to use it since I won't be at Anni, so for me this was not about the prizes.

 

[Eleyan Al'Landerin]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

I'd rather know specifically (or at least, as specifically as the US prize is) what I would be in with a chance of winning, since I don't want to donate the money and then find that the prize isn't of equivalent value. But if that's just me, then I can just not donate anyway and no harm done

I felt the need to address this as well!

TarValon.Net takes money to run, and it is not an insubstantial amount. I have, at every fundraiser (aside from RL auctions where I was serving as speaker), personally donated myself. Heck, for the first few years I funded the whole thing myself. Our operating budget may be the largest of the Wheel of Time communities given the vast amount of things we support. We have also, thank the Light, never had to operate in debt. That's pretty unique in our situation as well.

You have no ads.
There is no push marketing.
You have no membership fee.
Someone cannot get more access to something by paying a monthly fee.

All of these are regular models that are used by other communities of our size to make ends meet. We have avoided them because... well.... I rather hate them all. This is a commen sentiment. As a meritocracy, I do not like the idea of membership being based on people paying. I hate ads. Hate. :P And we have, so far, been always able to make our way through private donation.

I may be a poor student one year, and only able to give $5 the next. But! Maybe one year I have more and can give $50 or $100! I do it because, when I was a poor student, someone ELSE gave the money needed to cover MY expenses. It's an incredibly altruistic model. "Pay in what you can, and what you think is reasonable." It relies entirely on the better angels of our nature. It is supported entirely by the idea that, while this all costs something, there are worthy people out there that we want to support right now who can't pay. When they can, they will do so and cover others.

And that is certainly something to consider. If any of you have been members for more than 1 year and have not donated, someone has covered your costs so you could have ad-free access without worry.

I, personally, don't want to move from this model. As such, I'll keep on donating. I've been working for a decade, but I will keep donating. It's my personal choice. Sometimes I can only do $10 or $20. Sometimes I can do a couple of hundred. But I think of the incredibly talented younger members we have, or those going through tough times. I think of the members who send $5 cash just to make sure they get something in to help.

Long speech to come back to the idea of donating for equivalent value (sorry ).
Whatever you donate wont be of equivalent value. It's why we don't buy and sell memberships. The point of donating is to keep us afloat as an organization that can bring on and recognize members based on how they help others. If you can't financially donate, don't! If you can, please consider! But any "thank yous" are not financial compensation. They are simply a "thank you." If you cannot donate, or need major incentive to do so, then don't stretch for it. Do it if you can and want to, and we will try to give you a good thanks.

 

[Caerwyn Jolan]

Re: Announcing our 2010 Fundraiser!

Done!

I dont, as yet know if I'll be at Anni, but the RL prizes are another (!) incentive to go!