Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

Thank you for starting this thread. Quite simply I don't know why I never donated before. I remember when the donation option first became available and truly meant to donate but just never did. I guess I just got so used to the ads at the top that I never noticed the little PayPal box in the middle. Frankly, I have no excuse. I have now donated my $5 and feel I still owe much more than that for all of the knowledge I have received here. Again, thank you for starting this thread and bringing this issue back to my attention.

Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

This thread is making me pretty upset. The whole point of the donation is for someone to contribute if they feel the cause is worthy. If not, there's no obligation.

I donated the first day the option was available. I would have donated more had there been an easier way to. My 6 months ran out, but I wasn't on the site enough to justify donating again when nothing had even been mentioned about it in a while. I would save my donation until January when they needed it the most, as it might not get used to full potential in the fall. After reading this thread, I'm stuck between a rock a hard spot. If I had never donated and continued that pattern it would just show that I didn't think the cause was worth it. But now I feel like I'm being called out for not donating (having the "excuse" of being a college student - read: sarcasm - I fully plan to donate again come build season) when in actuality I have donated before.

For the record, I think it would be great if everyone donated. Who knows what cool new features we could have here. Yet, at the same time I believe that I should at least have someone ask me for a donation before I pull out my wallet. A stagnant donation button certainly isn't very convincing.

Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

One of our annual fundraisers for the team is a donation letter written to family, friends and loved ones. We time it to go out right after Thanksgiving. In our past letters, we have asked that the donor consider helping the team in lieu of a gift for the team member that is requesting. (I think the team members have always received gifts but it is something we offer.)

Maybe CD could look at a simple and timely donation campaign done on an annual basis around this time of year, asking for the $5.00 donation from members of CD. Those who can, donate. Those who can not, wait until a time that they can.

If it were to become annual at the same time each year, it would set a pattern of reminding us to help support CD and providing us the opportunity to express our appreciation.

Just for fun, maybe we could have a theme title contest for the yearly donation campaign.
Just a thought.
Jane

Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

I think Tom makes a really good point. CD does WONDERFUL things for all of us, and I know if we all had the money, we would toss it towards supporting CD, but some of us are less fortunate than others. That and, I'm not so inclined to just donate of my own free will. Now, being pestered to give some money to something I support is different. My own team does that to me all the time, and I throw out cash to them all the time. Just a thought...

Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

I'm not feeling any extra pressure to donate now that this thread is out there. But then again, I guess I focused more on Steve's initial post which just raised the curiosity question rather than the middle comments...

But some of the comments did remind me of our HS's PTA. Last year they converted from an independent organization to a PTA. A PTA requires you to be a member to have voting privileges and that membership costs money. There are 5 student reps who are elected or appointed based on their class policies. Because of their position they have to attend the PTA meetings to represent the students. But now they can't vote unless they pay money for a membership ($5/student). And when they were given the position, no one had told them they would have to pay for it. So we put forth a proposal that the student memberships would be paid out of the PTA budget. One of the most memorable comments in opposition to this request was "well the students go to Starbucks and spend that much for a cup of coffee, tell them to give up one cup and use that to pay their membership fee." And while that may seem logical, that statement was way too generalized and damaged the working relationship between the students and the adults.

Moral of the story...For some $5 is big and for some $5 is little. And either way, what each person does with it is their own choice. And it goes both ways, we shouldn't judge another's use of that money, and we shouldn't care what someone else thinks of how we are spending that money. Caveat: unless it is your kid, and you gave them the money for one purpose and they spend it on another. :D

Re: Poll - Supporting CD
 

If Chief Delphi do make this an annual event, more people will be aware of this, and it won't seems like people are being pressured to donate whenever this is brought up by a simple thread. I support this idea completely.

On a side note, this thread started out as a very simple idea of asking people their attitude toward donations. Let's not side track and make it something else ;-).

-Ken L