Announcement Donation target adjusted

[dbeachy1]

Hi all,

The server switchover to Digital Ocean is complete! After review we have reduced Orbiter-Forum's donation target from $123/month to $60/month. The new cost breakdown is $40 hosting & administration fees + $20 cushion = $60 month, with any excess beyond $60 in the forum donation account at the end of each year being donated to a charity to be chosen by the Orbiter-Forum membership. The amount donated to the charity will be posted on the forum each December when the donation is made. To see a list of perks that donator members receive, check the donation page here.

Please list your charity nominations below in this thread. The top ten or so nominations will be posted to a poll where forum members can vote. You will be able to vote for more than one. Thanks for your continued support!

 

[mvronsky]

http://b612foundation.org

 

[tl8]

International Redcross

 

[Pablo49]

I would suggest possibly picking a charity at the end of every year, so we can target topical charities, like helping out the Philippines here. This is through Direct Relief

Also, I recommending taking a look at http://www.charitynavigator.org/ before making suggestions, so we don't waste our money on on things like the Red Cross. A link to the Direct Relief summary on Charity Navigator can be found here.

 

[Codz]

The CDC Foundation would be my personal choice, given the work it does in the fields of infectious, and non-infectious diseases, and other public health issues. It also has a very high rating on Charity Navigator.

SETI would also be a good choice, given the theme of the forum.

http://www.cdcfoundation.org/

http://www.seti.org/

 

[Enjo]

I wouldn't donate to charity at all, but rather keep the excess money to cover future O-F expenses. Let everybody choose what to donate to on an individual basis.

Big congrats on cutting down costs, while increasing the quality in the same time!
To quote Urwumpe: "Damn capitalism..."

 

[Quick_Nick]

I wouldn't donate to charity at all, but rather keep the excess money to cover future O-F expenses. Let everybody choose what to donate to on an individual basis.

Strong agreement here.

 

[jedidia]

I wouldn't donate to charity at all, but rather keep the excess money to cover future O-F expenses.

I think that might cause legal problems... As far as I know, it would technically make OF a for-profit organisation, pulling a whole lot of paperwork along with it.

Anyways, a very impressive reduction on costs there!
I will abstain from advising on a charity, as there's the off-chance that I might be getting some of that money in the future based on my advise even without blatantly suggesting the organisation we're currently cooperating with... :shifty:

 

[Pablo49]

I wouldn't donate to charity at all, but rather keep the excess money to cover future O-F expenses. Let everybody choose what to donate to on an individual basis.

Or, since upkeep was just halved and there is already a cushion in that upkeep (50%!) and keeping $60 in the account at the end of the year, we could not just stockpile money pointlessly? If the money isn't really going to go anywhere, I'd rather see O-F not accept donations when there is X reserve in the donations account. I would imagine that is why the whole charity thing has come up. Also, with us being a large group we have the ability to give more than a few bucks to two dozen charities and actually make a little bit of a difference.

If you take a years worth of the difference in the old upkeep costs and the current ones, there is $756 excess, assuming goals weren't exceeded. Could wait a few years and buy an O-F car I guess.

 

[Quick_Nick]

If you take a years worth of the difference in the old upkeep costs and the current ones, there is $756 excess, assuming goals weren't exceeded. Could wait a few years and buy an O-F car I guess.

Orbiter Space Program. We'll do a Kerbal job for a fraction of the budget.

 

[Enjo]

Reduction of donation target would solve this "problem". I, for one, really don't have excess money in my current life situation, so such a reduction would help from my point of view, and I'd like to keep this forum running, without having all the donators pissed off because somebody manages their money in a way that wasn't originally intended. Think about it.

 

[Urwumpe]

I think an "end-of-the-year" donation is OK, but it is not what the money is paid for.


I would also rather prefer donating the money personally at the end of the year and handle the O-F donation excess differently. But I see that such donations are likely the simplest way to get this solved.

Since we are a spaceflight forum, I am more for donating to something space, education or science related. Especially education.

 

[Pablo49]

Reduction of donation target would solve this "problem".

After review we have reduced Orbiter-Forum's donation target from $123/month to $60/month.

and I'd like to keep this forum running, without having all the donors pissed off because somebody manages their money in a way that wasn't originally intended.

to be chosen by the Orbiter-Forum membership.

Think about it.

 

[Enjo]

Think about it.

You said something about buying a car for excess money. So if my reply doesn't make sense, then yours doesn't either. But you know what? I'll go back to my work now so I can consider donating in future after you make the final decision what to do with my money.
Have fun.

 

[Pablo49]

You said something about buying a car for excess money.

That's the joke. Jeez, tough crowd.

after you make the final decision what to do with my money.

the Orbiter-Forum membership.

Even I have donated in the past, as I am not currently employed, and heaps of other donators. Is your money though. But I would suggest not donating if the goal is going to be reached so your money doesn't go to a charity, or just count your money as having gone to server costs and let everyone else worry about what they donated.

 

[wingnut]

I second the idea of not donating the excess funds and use them as backup if donation goals are not reached in future periods if this does not create legal problems as indicated by jedidia.

Not accepting donations while there is a surplus sounds like a good idea at first. I don't think this would dispel potential donors in the long run, would it?

 

[N_Molson]

I agree with Urwumpe, educational projects related to space seem an excellent choice. Or for organisms that help students to fund their studies in the aerospace sector. There are certainly people that are potentially top-notch space scientists/engineers/technicians, but that can't afford such studies and will spend their life selling cars. Not that it is a bad thing but you get my point, maybe we are missing a Von Braun or a Korolev somewhere because he hasn't access to the proper specialized teaching...

 

[Lucy]

Reduction of donation target would solve this "problem". I, for one, really don't have excess money in my current life situation, so such a reduction would help from my point of view, and I'd like to keep this forum running, without having all the donators pissed off because somebody manages their money in a way that wasn't originally intended. Think about it.

The issue isn't one of where the donation target is moved to - we've already established that we're paying the costs, and there is a small amount of contingency there to be available should it be required. That's in the $60 target already.

Now, think about this for a minute. We're (almost) halving a target which, thanks to our very generous members, we have managed to meet for several months, largely due to automated donations and recurring payments. The charity concept covers the disparity between the target we've stated, and the money we receive, should the latter exceed the former. Moving the target about doesn't really affect that.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I agree with Urwumpe, educational projects related to space seem an excellent choice. Or for organisms that help students to fund their studies in the aerospace sector. There are certainly people that are potentially top-notch space scientists/engineers/technicians, but that can't afford such studies and will spend their life selling cars. Not that it is a bad thing but you get my point, maybe we are missing a Von Braun or a Korolev somewhere because he hasn't access to the proper specialized teaching...

Hey, this aerospace engineering student right here would love a bit of charity.

 

[Urwumpe]

I agree with Urwumpe, educational projects related to space seem an excellent choice. Or for organisms that help students to fund their studies in the aerospace sector. There are certainly people that are potentially top-notch space scientists/engineers/technicians, but that can't afford such studies and will spend their life selling cars. Not that it is a bad thing but you get my point, maybe we are missing a Von Braun or a Korolev somewhere because he hasn't access to the proper specialized teaching...

I am not sure if there is an international organization helping aerospace students world-wide. Which would be important for me.

Also it must not be aerospace for me... lets take mathematics or physics. Alone preventing that children are sent to work instead to school is IMHO the small important work that has to be done for a better world. Maybe also making sure that girls can dream of landing on the moon one day.

No need to start big and specific there.

---------- Post added at 11:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:35 AM ----------

Hey, this aerospace engineering student right here would love a bit of charity.

Not only just you. We have dozens of aerospace engineering students in the forum, many of them in really greek fiscal conditions.

But what would be left at the end of the year, would be maybe enough for getting a new pocket calculator for one of you. :lol: