View Full Version : Forum Financial Update - 1st Half 2012
NRM has released financials for the 2nd quarter of FY '12. The Simple Living Forums portion reads as follows for the year to date:
Bank & Biz Fees: 8
Contract Labor: 271
Web & Internet: 490
Total Expense: 769
Donations: 117
Balance: (652)
Alan- Thank you for posting that here. I know that info exists somewhere on the website but I never go search it out.
Although I have used this forum for a long time I just recently sent in my first donation.
And I sincerely appreciate that the site doesn't guilt everyone about contributing or have annoying fund drives, etc... Stewardship is a tough nut to crack for an organization.
The address I sent my (albeit meager) donation to was listed on the following link:
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/faq.php?s=&do=search&q=donations&titleandtext=1&match=all
New Road Map Foundation
PO Box 1363
Langley, WA 98260
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated in any way with New Road Map Foundation, but I do firmly believe in the MtnLaurel principle that 'You can't fight math for too long, eventually it will bite you in the arse if it's not on your side."
I couldn't imagine a month going by without having this tool here for me.
Sincere gratitude to all that volunteer.
That is $117 not 117 donors. Wow, that is lame.
Thanks for the reminder. I just made a donation. This time I remembered to add a note that it was for the Simple Living Forum.
Wow, for six months that is very poor indeed. I'm sure with this post you will get more like me that needed the reminder.
If you hit the Donate button does it automatically go to the forums specifically? Or just to NRM? I didn't specify the last time and now I'm afraid the $ didn't go where I intended.
If you hit the Donate button does it automatically go to the forums specifically? Or just to NRM? I didn't specify the last time and now I'm afraid the $ didn't go where I intended.
As I understand it, donations made via the 'Donate' button are not automatically credited to the forums. You can specify where you want it to go in the second Paypal window where it says "Add special instructions to the seller".
awakenedsoul
7-4-12, 10:36pm
Can I send my check to the address mtnlaurel posted? Thanks for letting us know. It should be easy to wipe out the balance. I hope you get a lot of contributions. Do I make the check out to New Road Map Foundation and put "simple living forum" in the memo line? I prefer not to pay on line, if that's okay.
Thanks Allen I will send my donation.
Can I send my check to the address mtnlaurel posted? Thanks for letting us know. It should be easy to wipe out the balance. I hope you get a lot of contributions. Do I make the check out to New Road Map Foundation and put "simple living forum" in the memo line? I prefer not to pay on line, if that's okay.
Yes and Yes. :+1:
That is $117 not 117 donors.
Yes, that is $117.
It seemed much more obvious when I typed it, but the formatting went all to hell once it was posted. :doh:
Super. Check is in the mail.
another small donation sent.
As I understand it, donations made via the 'Donate' button are not automatically credited to the forums. You can specify where you want it to go in the second Paypal window where it says "Add special instructions to the seller".
Darn it, I had donated just before you posted this, and didn't realize that we needed to specify this. Too late to get NRM to redirect to forums specifically?
Darn it, I had donated just before you posted this, and didn't realize that we needed to specify this. Too late to get NRM to redirect to forums specifically?
I'm sure if you send a message to Rozie, she can direct your contribution to the right place. Alternatively, you can send an email to admin@financialintegrity.org.
awakenedsoul
7-5-12, 4:32pm
My check is also in the mail today. Thanks to the moderators for all your hard work!
Good time for another donor challenge -- I'll kick in an extra $1 over and above my individual contribution for every individual donation of $10 or more between January 1 and July 31, up to an extra $100.
Guantlet thrown :)
lhamo
I'm sure if you send a message to Rozie, she can direct your contribution to the right place. Alternatively, you can send an email to admin@financialintegrity.org.
Yup, thanks, Alan. If you're not sure your donation wishes went through okay, you can let Rozie know at any time and she'll make sure it's directed according to your wishes. The admin@ email or her NRM email, rozie@financialintegrity.org are the most timely ways to get info to her.
Thanks Alan and HKPassey, I've just sent the email specifying I'd like my donation to go to the forums.
early morning
7-9-12, 11:43pm
Sent my check in today! (Add another dollar, lhamo! and what a generous thing for you to do!)
rosarugosa
7-14-12, 9:23am
Donation made - thanks for the update Alan, and thanks for your generosity, Lhamo!
Mailing a donation today.
Good time for another donor challenge -- I'll kick in an extra $1 over and above my individual contribution for every individual donation of $10 or more between January 1 and July 31, up to an extra $100.
Guantlet thrown :)
lhamo
A little reminder about my personal SLF donor challenge -- I'll throw in an extra $1 over and above my planned donation for every donation of $10 or more NRM recieves for the forums between Jan 1-July 31.
Encourage other brave souls to join me in this challenge :)
lhamo
I'll mail a check before I hit the road. Is that address in Langley, WA still good to mail donations?
Tussiemussies
8-22-12, 2:34pm
Hi Alan, I pushed the donate button but when I tried to get to PayPal from the next window it would not load up the window. It kept trying to load it, but it never was successful?
Hi Alan, I pushed the donate button but when I tried to get to PayPal from the next window it would not load up the window. It kept trying to load it, but it never was successful?
Hmmm, did you click on the paypal link or did you attempt to login to your paypal account using the login box on the right side?
If you clicked on the link, it brings up an 'About' popup, describing paypal. If you have popups disabled in your browser, you'll likely not see it, which is OK because it really doesn't help you at all.
If you did not use the login box, try that.
Tussiemussies
8-22-12, 2:55pm
Thanks, I think I did that but I will try again. I'm on the iPad so that may be the problem...
I'll mail a check before I hit the road. Is that address in Langley, WA still good to mail donations?
Yes.
New Road Map Foundation
PO Box 1363
Langley, WA 98260
Tussiemussies
8-22-12, 2:57pm
Hmmm, did you click on the paypal link or did you attempt to login to your paypal account using the login box on the right side?
If you clicked on the link, it brings up an 'About' popup, describing paypal. If you have popups disabled in your browser, you'll likely not see it, which is OK because it really doesn't help you at all.
If you did not use the login box, try that.
I tried your directions but it didn't work, I'll have to wait until I get on the computer...thanks again for your help Alan...
I tried your directions but it didn't work, I'll have to wait until I get on the computer...thanks again for your help Alan...
Don't forget you can always just send in a check. Then every penny goes to upkeep the forums, instead of some getting syphoned off to Paypal. Just write SLF in the memo.
New Road Map Foundation
PO Box 1363
Langley, WA 98260
Generally speaking, I can pretty much figure out if someone is an SLF member even if they don't remember to make a note. If they are, then I assume they're giving to SLF unless they've been a longstanding financial supporter of the FI work previously. I'll email to confirm a Paypal donation if it's not obvious either way. SLF is currently not being "charged" for any of my accounting work (neither is NRM!) At some point though (hopefully soon) I won't be doing the bookkeeping and someone less familiar with the SLF side may be, so it's good to get in the habit of specifying and save the life-energy expense. :)
rosarugosa
8-23-12, 6:06am
Will you be giving us an update on the financials soon? I'm curious to see how much action the reminders generated.
The third quarter closes at the end of September, so financial reports will come out by mid-October. But off the top of my head, I'd say we've received about $450 since July 1 from about a dozen people. So others who have not yet contributed to the upkeep of this wonderful gathering space should feel needed and invited to do so. ;-)
To clarify on Alan's report, the annual budget for SLF calls for $2500 in donations to cover projected expenses (based on 2011 actuals). SLF has two big bill cycles (June & December) to pay for internet costs, and that is the bulk of the expenses going forward. Because funds were not solicited prior to setting up the new site, SLF has heretofore been operating mainly by NRM advancing funds and paying those bills prior to any fundraising push that then fills the hole. It would be nice (and philosophically consistent) to have SLF have its funds AHEAD of the bill paying...
On a reassuring note, the expenses for 2012 should be notably lower than projected, because Alan is doing the admin for free that someone used to be paid to do. So if we meet the $2500 donation goal, then SLF will not just be keeping up with bills already paid, but will no longer be operating with a deficit lag.
Under $2500 dollars to run the home of an incredibly useful and productive community for a whole year?! That's so much cheaper than costs at the old SLN - what a bargain!
So, assuming 50 people have given so far this year, if the 90 additional people who participated with a post on August 2 (our high point of the last 30 days, with 140 users posting = 10% of registered members)... if 90 active posters each gave at least $20 as their 2012 contribution, we'd be right on target. (Let alone if the lurkers joined in.) No problem, right? I can hear the beautiful sound of people clicking that Donate button right now...
I just want to add my personal perspective on this. As I read what I just posted, I think to myself, "How much money have I saved, due to the helpful info and wonderful support I've received from this community?" Certainly much more than $20 in groceries, electricity, and/or sheer inattention to the slow leaks that would happen without you wonderful people. (And I'm basically a lurker!)
I think, :idea: even though the "best clothes drying rack (http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?5725-Clothes-drying-rack&highlight=clothes)" may cost me something, it will outlast the machine, which will then last longer being used much less, lower electricity bills (carbon footprint), and my clothes will last longer too... and that's just one thread of the forum.
:cool:
In the interests of helping us get to the goal, and since I haven't followed up with Rozie again about what the figures are, I'll extend my "bonus" offer to the end of August. For every donation of more than $10 that NRM receives between Jan 1 and August 31 designated for SLN forum support, I'll add an extra $1 to my planned donation, up to an extra $100. Need to set the $10 minimum as it costs NRM to process contributions, and need to cap the amount or my DH will not be happy :).
Come on people, make me feel the pain! In a good way, of course -- I am happy to support the forums that have given me so much support, and even happier if it helps encourage others to pitch in.
Huge thanks to Alan, BTW, for stepping in on the tech side of things. And to the rest of the new mod team. This year has been soooooo much easier to manage with all the extra help and support.
lhamo
A special thankyou to Alan for his valuable efforts and Lhamo for her challenge.
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