I just have to say...

[EarlG]

Last Thursday I posted a personal fundraising plea explaining that a recent downturn in global ad rates had caused a worrisome hole in DU's budget. Since then your response has been, frankly, overwhelming.

THANK YOU.

The last few months have been difficult for me personally, trying to manage the transition from DU3 to DU4 while also trying to figure out what to do about the financial situation. I didn't want to say anything because I figured I could resolve it myself without having to ask for help -- until it became apparent that asking for help was exactly what I needed to do.

And, dear DUers, you came through, and then some. Your generous contributions over the past week have gone a long way to resolve our short-term budget situation, which is exactly what we needed while we wait for expected improvements in ad rates as the year goes on. Not only that, but MANY of you signed up for a monthly subscription, which doesn't just help us in the short term but helps us to stabilize our budget on an ongoing basis.

After the fund drive we will immediately start work on an important required database upgrade, which is a major project, and will be potentially expensive as we have to purchase additional server space for testing purposes. So your help couldn't have come at a better time.

And your overwhelming response has made us realize that it's time to start looking into improving our contribution system to better track everything and offer additional options beyond PayPal. This will be no small task either, but it's something we'll be adding to the pile of projects.

If you are still interested in helping us stabilize our budget to keep DU financially healthy in the long term, the fund drive is not over -- you can keep buying hearts for your favorite DUers until Thursday.

• If you already have a recurring monthly or yearly payment, and you want to make an additional one-time contribution, use the One-time online payment option -- your recurring payment will not be affected.


• If you already have a recurring monthly or yearly payment and you want to increase the amount, my recommendation would be to visit this PayPal page and cancel your existing payment, then come back to DU and start either a new recurring monthly or recurring yearly payment. (If you're unable to cancel an old subscription, please contact me directly and I'll take care of it for you.)

I noted in my personal plea that DU is full-time work for the Admins -- it's a real job. And that's true, but it's so much more than just a job. It's a real privilege to be able to provide this service for you, because I get to enjoy it just as much as you do. And without you all, there is no DU. So thank you for being here, and thank you for caring about this place so much.



EarlG, on behalf of Elad -- the DU Administrators

[spooky3]

1. Thank you for all of your hard, skillful work. nt

[sagetea]

8. Why? N/T

sage

[JohnSJ]

14. I suspect some people just want to be jerks.

[JohnSJ]

11. If you aren't happy here, then why don't you go find somewhere else instead of posting

snarky replies that you don't want to pay a voluntary contribution?

[Think. Again.]

12. Hmmm, I guess...

...I'll have to start one then to cancel you out.

Anybody up for taking on the 2nd one?

[JohnSJ]

15. +++

[FakeNoose]

3. Thanks EarlG and Elad!

You guys are amazing, and DU is a large, mostly-happy family with thousands of wonderful members.

[Delphinus]

4. Yay!

Asking for help is hard, but such a needed skill. I am glad to be part of this wonderful community.

[2naSalit]

5. Thank you for all you do!

Your job is definitely a full time gig, and I am thankful you're there and we are here.

[IrishAfricanAmerican]

6. 👍🏼👍🏼

[sagetea]

7. Soooo...

I was thinking about this, I don't know why, but if I may, I might have a suggestion.

How about doing a fund drive four times a year? And do a 'themed' drive like the Valentines Hearts?

Not sure about other's, but I can do 80-100$ a year by spreading it out, that way I am not taking on such a financial obligation, once a year or monthly. And I can just add it to my grocery budget.

I loved giving away those hearts, giving makes me happy but I don't have a lot of $$ to give away, but 20$ worth of hearts to give away was wonderful!

I don't know...maybe it's stupid, but I want to help.

sage

[XanaDUer2]

27. Like little shamrocks on St PD!

[bdamomma]

35. Little

shamrocks that would be nice. I love giving out those hearts, so heart-warming.

[sagetea]

37. Well...

Sure, that would be cute, but I think it's too close to the hearts. But that is kinda what I was thinking.

sage

[tblue37]

66. Easter eggs. Halloween pumpkins or Thanksgiving turkeys. Christmas trees.

[csziggy]

76. Someone suggested pumpkins for Halloween

Little flags (or fireworks) for 4th of July would be nice, too.

Heck, there are plenty of holidays, come up with a theme for once a month and we could have fundraisers all year long!

I'd kick in more, and it would make it easier for those who need to spread donations out.

[EarlG]

45. Back in the old, old days we used to do four fund drives a year

After we started running advertising we pared it back, because we thought that four was too many. Ads plus contributions were bringing in enough money to fund the site, so we didn't want to go out and keep bugging people if we didn't need to.

Now that the ad landscape has shifted -- it's actually related to major technology changes, and it remains to be seen how it will all play out in the long run -- it seems that it would make a lot of sense for us to have more balanced revenue sources. If we put all our eggs in the ads basket, and ad revenue starts falling, then we don't have a backup. That's not very smart.

So while we have no firm plans yet, I'll say there's a possibility that we might add an additional fund drive, or mini fund drive, between the two we currently have. It partially depends on whether I can come up with a good idea for it -- I really do like trying to make fund drives entertaining, it's a lot more fun for everyone that way.

[sagetea]

48. I remember, MrG!

Last edited Mon Feb 12, 2024, 06:36 PM - Edit history (1)

I was thinking a lot over the weekend, how DU used to be. I was here, very rarely spoke, but I read and learned. I've 'known you and many, many people here, than I have known in my life! This is home to me.

DU has matured so much, We've all taken part in raising it...I like to think that anyway! We need that 'vibe' back! This place is home to so many people, I think we can do this! It's time!


Ho`
sage

[niyad]

51. A Halloween drive, with pumpkins?

[live love laugh]

64. I want one where we give flags. 🇺🇸 Because the RW tries to hijack the flag.

[YoshidaYui]

9. I bought 100 hearts ❤️

Hope that helps!

[gab13by13]

10. No one better EarlG,

If it wasn't for DU I would never have known about Mojo Nixon.😊

[RainCaster]

13. How could I NOT help?

You & Elad have given so much joy to me. I had never thought of a recurring payment for you, but once you so clearly explained the need, I felt I had to step up. I know many others feel the same way.

Please, let us know before it becomes this painful. We are here to help.

[Think. Again.]

16. EarlG, I don't recall you mentioning it, but...

...is there a fee or percentage DU has to pay to accept recurring donations?

[EarlG]

46. Yes, but it's for all transactions, not just recurring

The fee is pretty low, and standard -- any payment processor we use is going to charge to process payment card transactions, it's just part of the cost of doing business. That said, as mentioned in the OP I'm going to start looking at alternative contribution systems since I think we need to bring our current system up to date, so transactions fees is something that I would look at when shopping around.

[CrispyQ]

17. Glad to help & really glad you reached out!!

DU has been my #1 virtual landing spot for many years!

[sab390]

18. If you are prioritizing

Please get something other than PayPal. Beyond a political and moral question, PayPal has given me a lot of problems so I won't use it anymore. Being associated with Theil and Musk, even if they may be gone now, I can't do. I know every thing sucks, but like I said, it just doesn't work for me.

[NBachers]

25. For those who don't want to use PayPal: is ActBlue a possibility? We're already plugged in there.

Would it be possible to contact ActBlue and see if we could use them as a contribution source?

[hedda_foil]

43. That is such a good idea! DU was responsible for over $1 million in donations in 2020.

And seeing the totals on our beloved Omaha Steve's daily Act Blue link posts, we are well on our way to going well past that amount this year. That should be a selling point to use with Act Blue.

[EarlG]

47. We're not actually plugged into ActBlue

OmahaSteve set up the ActBlue pages for Democratic candidates, and uses the Democratic Underground name on them with our permission. But contributions made via ActBlue go directly through their system, to the candidates. That money never goes through DU, and we do not have any kind of financial connection to Act Blue. Steve has put a lot of work into his fundraising efforts and raises a ton of money through that page because if you type "donate to joe biden" into google, it's the third result that comes up!

[elias7]

19. Glad to be able to give back

Thank you

[mountain grammy]

20. DU is worth paying for.. it's that simple.

Nearly everyone is kind and respectful and the very few that aren't manage to contribute something useful too.

When I first arrived, I lurked for free, but soon took advantage of voluntary star membership and have done so for almost a dozen years now. Some years were tight and I could barely contribute $25, but fortunately can do much better now thanks to a small inheritance from my right wing nut father in law. It gives me great pleasure to spend some of his money on the Democratic Underground and donate to Democratic candidates. Thanks Dean!

[planetc]

26. You sound like E. Jean Carroll, you know ...

"Now what can I spend this money on that willl really annoy him?"

[mountain grammy]

29. Well I began with DU is worth paying for

and I have. If I had e Jean Carroll's money I'd give DU $1million!
No ulterior motive here. DU is worth paying for and I'm happy I can afford to pay a little more along with contributing to Democratic causes..

Really don't get your comment.

[planetc]

33. I'm sorry if I wasn't clear -- it happens frequently.

E. Jean was interviewed after the jury award of $83.3M. and she said twice or so that she was trying to think of causes to donate to that would really annoy TFG.

Anyhow, this is an idea. Does anyone have E. Jean's address, email, anything? Of course, we know TFG hates paying for anything, so we'll have to watch for news of E. Jean actually getting a check. But I think we have the annoyance factor covered!

[democrank]

21. The check is in the mail......

No, really. It really is.

Thanks again for all you do. I love this place.

[Give Peace A Chance]

22. I would prefer to mail you a donation

Since I don't like / trust PayPal. Is there an address I can send a donation to?

[Deuxcents]

38. I send my contributions by mail..here's the address

P O Box 342453
Bethesda, MD 20827

[byronius]

23. DU has been my primary news source since it started.

If I was a billionaire — I’d give you a giant chunk.

[usonian]

24. A couple of us would like to see the fund drive a regular feature, especially since the code is already in place.

https://democraticunderground.com/100218668845
What great ideas, not all mine!

Just set up a forum for thank-you threads, since there will be countless ones.

Also, Can we gift star memberships at some point?

THANKS!

[sagetea]

39. Oh Man!!!

Thanks I never saw that post!!

It's a good idea!!

sage

[pandr32]

28. It has been fun!

Way to go for coming up with such a fun fundraiser.
Whoever is the brains behind it deserves some love.
A heart from me!

[planetc]

30. OOh! a jury that I didn't ave to be on! Oh, Joy!

More seriously, usonian and I both think we could handle more fund drives, perhaps not one a month, but more than one a year.

Also, be sure to leave the "Contributing Membership" button on the front page.

My only objection to PayPal is that they brag about how safe and wonderful they are. That's hubris. It's clear to me that the internet is a long unpaved road through a forest where highwaymen lurk behind every tree and bush, waiting to rob the poor to pay themselves. If an alternative can be found, I'd love it, but for now, it is what it is.

And lastly, there was a large billboard I used to pass on the way home from work: In about eight foot tall letters, it said BE STRONG. In small but clear letters underneath, it said "Ask for help." Let us know when you have enough breathing room to think about a retirement fund -- even if you're 26 and a half right now, the day will come. It's probably because Bill Clinton suggested putting SS funds in a lock box that the Republicans panicked and are trying to compound their earlier theft. There's a lot of work to be done, and we need your help!

[usonian]

40. I reluctantly used PayPal for a one-timer.

But I used ApplePay, so that my credit card number never crossed their hands or database.

Son of Musk and Thiel, I trust them zero.

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

[CaptainTruth]

31. Thank you for all your hard work!

We appreciate it!

[bdamomma]

32. Any way

we can help EarlG.

[CTyankee]

34. I only wish I could do more, Earl. But I love DU and will gladly make a yearly donation to your worthy work.

Thank you for all you and your staff do for us each day!

[TeamProg]

36. That's GREAT !! nt

[Hekate]

41. Cheers! A number of us have indicated we could deal with a quarterly fund drive, especially if we could give away treats

Valentine’s Day is covered. Halloween is a natural. July 4 is another natural. Finally, December Festivals— Festivus, even! If our little treats could stay up for a whole month, that would give laggards like me a week to get our acts together (in my case, a list) and just do it.

[Alice Kramden]

42. Appreciation for you, EarlG and Elad

DU is indispensable - thank you for keeping it going 👏

[sarchasm]

44. Thank you for all you do!

[piddyprints]

49. Flowers in the summer?

Chicks or bunnies in the spring? Pumpkins in the fall? Snowflakes in the winter? Something like that? It would be fun to set up 4 recurring donations, one for every season, plus the hearts. (Who would want to replace the hearts! Nooooo!) I would happily do that. The hearts thing is very popular and comes across more as "give a heart to someone" than "send us money." It would be fun to "give a flower to someone," etc.

[BootinUp]

50. That's great Earl. TY

[judesedit]

52. I just added another star membership monthly donation.

Wish it could be more. Thank you so much for all you all are doing.

[niyad]

53. Well, of course we did, EarlG, and we are glad that you told us what is going

on so that we could help.

DU has been my home, my family, for well over twenty years, and I am so happy that I can make a contribution in return. We are here with you and Elad, every step of the way!

[tanyev]

54. Yay! We rock!!

[dlk]

55. Go grateful for all of your blood, sweat & tears keeping DU up and running

And thanks to all of the DU administrators, as well.

[OAITW r.2.0]

56. When my annual membership is up in May, I will switch to monthly donations.

For posters who won't use PayPal, you can do one-time donations with the "one time" link. You have to switch the blue check mark off and it will process your donation just like any direct bank related internet purchase.

[AmBlue]

57. FANTASTIC NEWS!!

I am so happy to read this, EarlG! You are all so deserving, and I am so grateful for your hard work. This beloved corner of the internet and bastion of sanity (for the most part!) in a very crazy world is sacred as far as I am concerned. We are here and we care. Please don't hesitate to keep us posted as to future needs.

KUDOS TO ALL WHO STEPPED UP TO HELP!!

Many thanks (AGAIN) to all who keep this place running! Now... on to November, as we channel this passion and energy into pulling our country back from the brink of it's undoing.

[KatyaR]

58. Is there an easy way to find this page?

One-time online payment option

I can't seem to find it, so thank you for posting it. I just sent you some bucks!!!

And thank you so much for you do--you make this a safe place, and we appreciate you!

[denvine]

59. Thank you for all you do!

You have created an amazing place for Democrats who want to stay informed!

[PatSeg]

60. Thank you!

[mntleo2]

61. Monthly Payment

I am a long time member of your news site, almost since your beginning (I believe I was also on your all text forum in the middle nineties). I left you for awhile because to be honest, your speech rules were too much for me as you will not allow anything you deem "attacks" whenever someone disagrees with an elected or a Democratic candidate. I could not see how there would be any way to hear any critical questions, it is only (hate to say it) a very Republican rule about never ever speaking in opposition of any Democratic people. I have been a Democratic voter for all my adult life (over 52 years, I turned 18 when the voting age was changed from 21 to 18). In that time I have seen some things that need to be addressed that are not.

I am a member of The Poor People's Campaign, Repairers Of The Breech, and while most of us are Democrats, we have some major issues that need to be addressed by the Democratic Party. This is for the over 40 million poor, seniors, immigrants, indigenous, people of color, low wage workers, and low income kids that are just not addressed.

But they need to be addressed. Because if you could get even half of this group to vote for every Democratic candidate, they would ALL win by a landslide. We already know that less than 20% of actual voters vote even in the 4 year cycle, so the addition of this huge block of low income Americans would push everything over to the Democratic people. But you need to be there for us, or we are going to vote for the worst candidates, or worse not vote at all because we feel disenfranchised by the so-called "People's Party. "

If you want those of us who are on fixed incomes to give out of our meager incomes, then perhaps you need to allow POLITE and accurate debates, not just speak to the choir.

Just sayin' ...

Cat in Seattle, long time social justice advocate

[True Blue American]

62. Thank you Earl!

For all you do, I love DU and one of the posters gave me the address so will be sending a check

I was in a bad car wreck this week that left me all bruised and hurting badly. Totaled my car, I was hit and am now trying to get things settled.

When I get upset I come to DU. Calms me down

Again, thank you.

MaryAnne Helton
AKA True Blue American.

[ClearSky24]

63. I've been saying this for months...

Bring back DU3 design, and you will increase traffic to your website.

It just isn't the same anymore. I loved that design with white, blue, and yellow color.

It was the peak of DU greatness. Just my two cents.

[thinkingagain]

65. Besides the hearts❤️

I would suggest

⛄️Snowman ( Do you wanna build a snowman)
❄️Snowflakes work also -it’s snowing on DU

🌹Flowers - flowers spring up everywhere

🎃Pumpkins - what fun

🍀Shamrock - it’s all luck



Nothing wrong with doing several
Sometimes someone might not have money in one month but they do the next.

So a half dozen a year are fun but not overwhelming

[Lucinda]

67. ❤️ ✿❧🌿❧✿ ❤️

[Deep State Witch]

68. Thank you, EarlG!

[LittleGirl]

69. Love you guys! nt

[Justice matters.]

70. Thank you for this and for more.

Sending love to y'all from Canada. A big majority here wants Joe/Kamala for four more years, and we want you to succeed.

[herding cats]

71. I'm truly thrilled it's eased your burden some.

We do appreciate you and Elad, and everything you've done for us here in providing this place. Sure, we may get snippy at times, but that's what family does. We still would go to the mat for you if you need us.

I picked up some more hearts since we have until Thursday! Thanks for making this hearts event go a bit longer. I've loved seeing hearts being delivered to more people in a decent quantity than in previous events. We have a lot of amazing contributors here who deserve to know we do notice and appreciate them! ❤️

[chillfactor]

72. I hope that you will find other payment options then PayPal.

I have never used PayPal and never intend to. I bet you would have had generated more revenue with different payment options. I cannot donate much because I live on social security but would have donated monthly to keep DU up and running.

[radius777]

73. An anonymous method of donating would be good

for those worried about security breaches, which could possibly expose a person's real identity and political opinions.

[greatauntoftriplets]

74. That's wonderful news, EarlG.

Congratulations!

[moniss]

75. Earl G you're the best cat

around!!