EARTH APPEAL 2007: After Giving So Much, This Is What Ecological Internet Needs
After giving so much for so long so successfully for free, there are many ways you can help our ground-breaking Earth Advocacy, including gifting us! Firstly, we are thrilled that new and continuing donors are coming forth in throngs -- since the last update we raised an additional $20K from 80 people! And that incidentally is how much more must be raised to meet the budgetary goal and ensure full, uninterrupted portals and campaigns for another six months. Many years we have wrapped up our fund-raiser by December 1st, this year we must persevere until we are successful as there is little wiggle room in the budget.
All along, two major donors have DOUBLED all donations as a matching grant. Now a family foundation has pledged $3,000 if we can raise the same amount from this point in small donations. So if you give now, your gift will be TRIPLED. Give $25, we get $75; give $100 we get $300! Please donate right now! I am very hopeful that the hundreds of past donors and people that have expressed support over the past year, to whom I have sent personalized emails, will respond to this amazing opportunity.
The rest of this blog entry briefly explains why both small and large donors are so important to EI's future success, highlights other in-kind needs besides money, and suggests several non-financial ways that you can contribute to the efforts.
Ecological Internet is dependent upon two long-time major donors which I like to call "White Knights" (like the old movies where the good character dressed in white rides in to save the day). Well that is what they have done for years. There is some risk to this dependency including if they depart there goes a major part of our budget. We would very much like to identify 2-3 other people that can afford $5K to $25K a couple times a year. This is the basis upon which an organization can be built. We need new, additional "White Knights" even as we are starting to go after foundation grants much more heavily.
It may sound counter-intuitive, but many small donations in the $10, $35, $50 and $100 are just as important as the larger ones. Not only do they add up, but a requirement for tax exemption is that a certain proportion of your budget comes from a broad based public membership, and not just a few large sources. So while we actively seek out and welcome new "White Knights", we remain completely dependent upon all sized donations. Bottom line: give what you can afford http://www.climateark.org/donate/
Here are some other in-kind needs of Ecological Internet, and non-monetary ways that you can contribute:
1.) We rent space to host our own Windows 2003 based servers (co-location of 6U) and would very much like to find an Internet provider that would donate this costly item. We can do all work on the servers remotely except for an occasional hard drive replacement once or twice a year. A related technical need is relaying of our protest email (smtp authenticated relaying) to make it harder for protest targets to block our emails.
2.) In a related manner, I am seeking 1/3 to 1/2 time job as a network administrator/engineer. I know Windows Server inside and out -- having played with every aspect of it for 15 years since Windows NT 3.51. I am currently getting MCSE certifications as a network engineer (easy, I know my stuff). We are willing to relocate -- particularly to Chicago, New York or Portland area. It would be great to combine free server connections as part of a part-time network administration job.
3.) We very much desire DEDICATED volunteers. There is much work to be done with updating and quality control on the portals. As you get to know the system there may be other opportunities. We need research assistants and help writing funding proposals.
4.) And finally, we just need you to continue being part of our Earth Action Network -- sending and forwarding alerts, perhaps adding news items at http://www.climateark.org/add/ and search links at http://www.environmentalsustainability.info/cgi-bin/add.cgi . How about identifying, researching and helping us launch an action campaign? We could definitely use help scouting out possible places open to grant proposals for more radical advocacy work.
Ecological Internet is the leading environmental protest network successfully carrying out biocentric ecological activism based upon ecological science. And we need your support -- $20K more in money at http://www.climateark.org/donate/ -- and email us about the other suggestions.