DiscussMormonism.com Collection Cup

[Gadianton]

Friends (and enemies), we're putting up the collection cup to cover board costs and it may be up for a while. It's going to be about $1100 for the renewals in October, but we haven't collected since 2020, and so we're in the red about $1,900. There is no deadline for paying this back. We understand everyone has been kept in the dark, and so please do not take this as a desperate attempt to collect a huge pile of money by next week. The way I'm going to contribute for my part: let's say I consider $25 to be my yearly contribution, I'm going to pay 25$ now, and then over the next several months, make 4 more payments of $25. Please don't feel obligated to donate if you're in a rough situation financially.


For those who prefer gofundme, which also takes Venmo, this option has been added. I gave a 10$ test donation, and it took out .59 vs. .79 cents for 10 dollars with PayPal, however, it then requests a tip on top of that. I gave .50, and so I ended up spending more than my test payment with paypal.
gofundme allows you to explicitly check a box hiding identity.
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So what happened? After the board was up and running in 2020, I think we were all just relieved it worked out and so we coasted. The 2020 donation round went very well. It brought in enough to cover the first 2 years. The yearly breakdown was 480$ (hosting) + 20$ (domain) + 150$(llc behind domain). We hit a technical difficulty that contributed to the coasting, while the generous individual who pushes the payment button quietly just kept pushing the button. Recently, the difficulty has been resolved, and so it's time to get the ship back on course.

The costs have gone up quite a bit since 2020. That's all hosting fees: discounts expiring, inflation, and the need for more resources. We've had several outages due to lack of space, and for all the years we maintain data, we've got one of the larger message board databases out there. I've recently looked at alternatives, and I think we're more or less in line cost wise, with enough overhead and flexibility to keep the board going. Something can look cheaper, but then you get into it and realize you need to add a couple more things. That being said, we're always open to suggestions.

Feel free to PM me (or Shades) if you have questions. I do apologize for the lack of transparency about the financial state of the board, from now on we'll be sure to keep everyone updated better.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

If we do donate by credit card, is it visible who the donor is? I don’t have PayPal and won’t use it. - Doc

[Marcus]

If we do donate by credit card, is it visible who the donor is? I don’t have PayPal and won’t use it. - Doc

Same for me.

[Gadianton]

thanks for the question; it is by credit/debit card. No paypal needed. I don't have PayPal and wouldn't use it either. The credit card information is in the domain of PayPal and we don't see it. The form does ask for a name and phone number, but you can put whatever you want there. If you make up a fake name and number, then we'd have no PII.

We can look into Venmo if people are interested. I've never used it. I do have Zelle and I think something like that would be much better for the fees. But, I'm not sure about anonymity. Payment is tied to a real email or phone. I doubt there would be a way around that.

[Marcus]

Thank you for the information!

[Jersey Girl]

thanks for the question; it is by credit/debit card. No paypal needed. I don't have PayPal and wouldn't use it either. The credit card information is in the domain of PayPal and we don't see it. The form does ask for a name and phone number, but you can put whatever you want there. If you make up a fake name and number, then we'd have no PII.

We can look into Venmo if people are interested. I've never used it. I do have Zelle and I think something like that would be much better for the fees. But, I'm not sure about anonymity. Payment is tied to a real email or phone. I doubt there would be a way around that.

Similar question. If we pay by CC who attached to MDB can see our names? Please spell this out for me.

1. Is it just you?
2. Does Shades have access to the information?
3. Do non-admin moderators have access?

I don't want to assume anything. Thanks, Gad!

[Hound of Heaven]

For all the sissies on the board like Dr.Cam who's scared of Paypal, In the past, my company has utilized Silent Donor. The donor transfers funds to the Silent Donor, who subsequently forwards the money to the cause in Silent Donors name. The moderators might consider investigating silent donor to determine its compatibility with the link shared in the thread.

Gadianton, there are plenty of third-party donation companies that accept donations then send the money anonymously. Just need to find one that works with the link provided.

[Hound of Heaven]

thanks for the question; it is by credit/debit card. No paypal needed. I don't have PayPal and wouldn't use it either. The credit card information is in the domain of PayPal and we don't see it. The form does ask for a name and phone number, but you can put whatever you want there. If you make up a fake name and number, then we'd have no PII.

We can look into Venmo if people are interested. I've never used it. I do have Zelle and I think something like that would be much better for the fees. But, I'm not sure about anonymity. Payment is tied to a real email or phone. I doubt there would be a way around that.

Similar question. If we pay by CC who attached to MDB can see our names? Please spell this out for me.

1. Is it just you?
2. Does Shades have access to the information?
3. Do non-admin moderators have access?

I don't want to assume anything. Thanks, Gad!

For individuals who are comfortable using a third-party money transfer service like PayPal, it is possible to make anonymous donations through the platform, ensuring that your name and address remain confidential. Simply make your donation via the PayPal Giving Fund, where you have the option to donate anonymously.

This is not particularly challenging to understand. Gadianton shouldn't have to make it explicit for you. Do you know how to use the internet?

[Kishkumen]

For individuals who are comfortable using a third-party money transfer service like PayPal, it is possible to make anonymous donations through the platform, ensuring that your name and address remain confidential. Simply make your donation via the PayPal Giving Fund, where you have the option to donate anonymously.

This is not particularly challenging to understand. Gadianton shouldn't have to make it explicit for you. Do you know how to use the internet?

You have a flavor of salt that brings laughter to my life.

[Gadianton]

Similar question. If we pay by CC who attached to MDB can see our names? Please spell this out for me.

Nobody, unless you put your name and number on that form.