Donation Drive 2012 Update

Section: 

First of all, you see that picture to the left; that's a sneak peek at the artwork Bombsfall has put together for donors at the $25 level. Just to be clear, it is awesome. I'm just sayin'.

*Cue Barenaked Ladies* It’s been one week since we started our donation drive — also I’m sorry if I just put that song in your head [Editor’s note: He’s not sorry.] — and the outpouring of support to date has been certifiably epic. Normally, in our better years, we cross the $10,000 threshold somewhere in the third week of the drive. This time around we hit it after three days, and now after eight days we are within striking distance of our primary “Keep The Lights On” goal.

That’s a big deal. It means another year of GWJ podcasts, articles, events and forums, and that’s something that makes me very happy. So, the only thing we can really say to that is, thank you. We are happy that you find that kind of value in what we’ve provided, and frankly in what you guys provide to one another, and it is a privilege to get to keep doing this thing that we love. In short: group hug time!

We will be providing periodic updates on the drive, as well as a running list of those forum members who have donated and provided their forum name for the annual icon. I can tell you that we have had at least one 10 year donor, however, we are still fine tuning the final icon so it doesn’t exist in the wild yet. Since we are being more transparent with our drive information this year, I can break down a few of the details for those of you interested in such things. For those of you, however, who just want to check in and get a sense of what the mood is, were I wearing a 70s mood ring it would be whatever color represents a blend of humbled and ecstatic. I’m thinking a nice rosy pink, like a blush.

Was that weird? It was kinda weird, wasn’t it? Let’s just move on.

Now, into some of the nitty gritty. I should warn some of you in advance, now that I’m in management in my professional life, it’s hard for me not to throw a lot of numbers into Excel and make grand generalizations. I apologize if this reads like a quarterly corporate report, and I’ll try to be brief, but I think some of you might be interested in this, considering this is the first year where you guys have had a lot of access to see the actual numbers and pace of donations.

What I can tell you is that, compared to previous donation drives, after one week we are roughly double what the normal total would be at this point in the drive. What is equally interesting is that the number of actual donors is only up by about ten percent, which represents pretty standard yearly site growth. That means a couple of things.

First, as a site and community we don’t have a large rate of attrition. People are sticking around. Of those who submitted a forum name for tagging, more than 80 percent have donated in the past, and an amazing 35% have been not just with but donating to GWJ for half the life of the site.

The other thing this represents is an upswing in the average donation from each individual, which is up over 50%.

I know that we’ve changed the structure of the drive this year, and so it throws some uncertainty into the mix to try and compare year-over-year information. There’s still some uncertainty about how having rewards and stretch goals will change the pace of donations in the middle stages of the drive. There’s information to be gathered about which of the incentives actually got people’s interest, and which did not. There’s also my deep need to see Julian Murdoch forced by a mischievous community to write an article about Sparkle Ponies. But, overall, it’s impossible not to feel like this has been a rousing success so far.

In some ways, I think we feel like this is a referendum on the quality of what we are providing to you. We like that the donation drive ultimately holds us accountable for our work, it asks all of you whether what we are doing is worth supporting for another year. But, that’s also a scary thing for obvious reasons, because we are keenly aware that if we are irresponsible with the faith and expectations you have for us, there are no shortage of alternatives waiting for you. So, we go into the drive knowing that this is you telling us whether what we do is worth supporting.

I personally have the genuine luxury of getting and manually sorting through the donation emails. A lot of you end up writing very thoughtful, occasionally irreverent messages. Reading those comments is frankly one of the highlights of my year.

Thank you for your support. Below you will find our initial list of donors who have followed up with a forum name -- updated as of last night. All of these individuals except those waiting on their 10th year icons should have received their updated forum icon. If your name is not on the list and should be, please send me an email at [email protected] that includes your forum name, real name, date you donated and donation amount.

4dSwissChesse
Aaron D.
Abana
Aerto
ahrezmendi
Alien13z
Amethyst
AnimeJ
Antichulius
Apollo0507
B Dog
BadKen
BKlamik
Blacksabre
Blondish83
BNice
Bonus_Eruptus
Braehole
branmyson
brouhaha
Bullion Cube
Burnt Toast
camnipotent
Capricorn1
CaptainCrowbar
Carlbear95
carljetter
carrotpanic
casktapper
CEJ
Chairman_Mao
Cheeto1016
ChrisGwinn
coffeemike
ColdForged
Copingsaw
CptDomano
Cragmyre
Crimeny
Crunchy
cyrax
DanyBoy
DarkenSky
dejanzie
demonbox
Demonicmaster
DevilStick
disobedientlib
Donan
Duoae
Dynaes
edosan
Edwin
Eezy_Bordone
Elliottx
evildoc
EvilHomer3k
Feegle
felix
FermionAce
firesloth
Fredrik_S
Fripper
Furtivespy
fuzzyb
Gains
garion333
georob
Giftzwerg76
Goarn (no such name)
Gorilla.800.lbs
Gremlin
Growat
grubber788
Grumpicus
Gunner
hbi2k
heavyfuel
Hedgewizard
Hemidal
Higgledy
hoosierjoe
Hypatian
ianunderhill
ibanezdropd
IHateDRM
il dottore
Infyrnos
Intal or ifaiw ? (it's Mattt)
Jarpy
Jasonfindy
jaygittings
JediK809
Jennska
jlaakso
JMotown
JohnnyMojo
Jolly Bill
jollyeskimo
Jonman
justinmcelroy
juv3nal
kaostheory
Kier
Kincher Skolfax
KingMob
Knowin98h
Kosars
Kraint
KrazyTaco[FO]
Krev82
Kurrelgyre
LobsterMobster
Lupus Umbrus
Mad Baron
maestrod
MannishBoy
Maq
Markly
mcbarney
McChuck
Merphle
Merzy
MikeSands
MilkmanDanimal
Minase
MitchellW
Moggy
mondits
MonoCheli
MoonDragon
mrober20
Mrtomaytohead
mrwynd
mudbunny
mwdowns
MyBrainHz
MyLadyGrey
nel e nel
Nightstorm
nijhazer
Niseg
Nomad
NoTomToLose
oilypenguin
Oldgoat
Orphu
Oso
Outlandish
Pacman
padriec
PapaLoo
Parallax Abstraction
parallaxview
Pdossett
peedmyself
pgroce
Pirate Bob
PoderOmega
Propagandalf
ragin_redneck
Rahmen
Ravenlock
Reaper81
RedJen
Redwing
Reshogg
Rezzy
ringsnort
Running Man
SamF7
Schmutzli
scurvydog
Secret Asian Man
Serengeti
sheared
shoptroll
Sibrax
SixteenBlue
Sloopy_DE
Slumberland
Social Chameleon
Sonicator
Speeddokken
spider_j
sr_malo
stauf7
stevenmack
Stilgar Black
Strident
Superbeard
SuperDave
Sway
Tach
tagg
Tamren
Tanglebones
tanstaafl
tboon
Tekman
TempestBlayze
Teneman
The Great Skeeve
The_Judge
TheCounselor
TheGameguru
TheHipGamer
TheWanderer
thinkklinck
Thurgrim
TigerBill
Torq
Trachalio
trueheart78
UMOarsman
Underflow
Undeterred
Unknown Soldier
Wakim
whispa
WipEout
wld
WolverineJon
Wordsmythe
Xeknos
Yew

Comments

First time poster, long time listener. Really enjoy the podcasts!!! Good luck!

Though it breaks my heart, I'm moving up from the weiner bomb. I'll just pretend that it's stuffed in the trunk of my shiny new car.

Goarn (no such name)
That must be me since im not showing up!

garion333 wrote:
Goarn (no such name)

Probably Groan. Kids these days can't even spell their own names. Shame.

But I did spell it right in my email. I even jsut went back and checked!
Kids these days, Can't even read other people's names. Shame.

I didn't check copy for the name list. Donate enough for us to pay me, and I promise to catch 50% more errors.

groan wrote:
garion333 wrote:
Goarn (no such name)

Probably Groan. Kids these days can't even spell their own names. Shame.

But I did spell it right in my email. I even jsut went back and checked!
Kids these days, Can't even read other people's names. Shame.

groan wrote:
garion333 wrote:
Goarn (no such name)

Probably Groan. Kids these days can't even spell their own names. Shame.

But I did spell it right in my email. I even jsut went back and checked!
Kids these days, Can't even read other people's names. Shame.

For a moment there, I thought of Gorn.

duckilama wrote:

That's great, I'm back on the bandwagon. I know it seems silly, but it's wienerbomb!

That's why I didn't send in an email after I donated this time. Wienerbomb for life!

wordsmythe wrote:

I didn't check copy for the name list. Donate enough for us to pay me, and I promise to catch 50% more errors.

But 50% of... now hold on a minute.

The donation ticker isn't showing up on my iOS screens anymore and I'm not home until midnight. I need my numers people!!

Growat wrote:

The donation ticker isn't showing up on my iOS screens anymore and I'm not home until midnight. I need my numers people!!

327 : $14,754

Deadmonkeys wrote:
groan wrote:
garion333 wrote:
Goarn (no such name)

Probably Groan. Kids these days can't even spell their own names. Shame.

But I did spell it right in my email. I even jsut went back and checked!
Kids these days, Can't even read other people's names. Shame.

For a moment there, I thought of Gorn.

IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/sSRyz.jpg?1)

Looks like we hit the goal with 20 days remaining. Woot, 5k to go until first stretch!

I'm still bummed the "get to be on the Conference Call" level is sold out. I was / am going to donate an unreasonable amount of money for that but won't have the money for a week or so more.

I think we are missing a pretty obvious stretch goal here. Elysium must play from start to finish a JRPG chosen by Clocky.

Agent 86 wrote:

I think we are missing a pretty obvious stretch goal here. Elysium must play from start to finish a JRPG chosen by Clocky.

YES!

DSGamer wrote:

I'm still bummed the "get to be on the Conference Call" level is sold out. I was / am going to donate an unreasonable amount of money for that but won't have the money for a week or so more.

There is the torture Rabbit group fundraising over in Everything Else...

Just noticed the text on the banner-flag in the poster. Awesome^2.

Elysium wrote:

I'll commit to this. If we do $1500 between 5:00pmCST Friday and 8:00AM CST Monday, I will commit to two Welcome Perverts articles over the next year, with the first one coming in October.

Did we do it? I'm not sure as I forgot to take down the amount when this was posted! I know it was $13,000 something and we ended on $14,000 something but I didn't do "the math".

(Man you guys need to start recognising mathematics is plural!)

I have donated. *trumpets blare* HA ha.

Strangeblades wrote:

I have donated. *trumpets blare* HA ha.

Are those the Age of Empires II trumpets when you get attacked? That's how I heard it. Do-DOOO!

cheesycrouton wrote:
Strangeblades wrote:

I have donated. *trumpets blare* HA ha.

Are those the Age of Empires II trumpets when you get attacked? That's how I heard it. Do-DOOO!

Whatever sound you dread the most that's what it sounds like.

I've won a prize in the raffle two or three years in a row. And the last prize I won was a custom icon. Despite losing both those incentives, donation made.

Not trying to rush anyone here, but at what point should one expect one's icon to bump up?

FeralMonkey wrote:

Not trying to rush anyone here, but at what point should one expect one's icon to bump up? :cough:

At the point where you shut your sass mouth!

NOTE: I'm not in charge of such things; I'm just a jerk.

Wow. $2 grand from being able to fund the video series. Super excited for that!

Finally stopped being a lazy ass and donated today:) Much love to all at GWJ. This website is a really important part of my life (as crazy as that sounds). Thanks to the founders, and thanks to the community.

I have been listening to GWJ for 3 or 4 years and have finally signed up to the forums to say I have made my pledge. Good luck with the donation drive!

nunami wrote:

I have been listening to GWJ for 3 or 4 years and have finally signed up to the forums to say I have made my pledge. Good luck with the donation drive!

That means a lot. Thanks!

Certis wrote:
nunami wrote:

I have been listening to GWJ for 3 or 4 years and have finally signed up to the forums to say I have made my pledge. Good luck with the donation drive!

That means a lot. Thanks!

Hey, what about my heartfelt message!