1/30/2013: Donation total is holding steady at $1885. Our goal is $9,000 or more to do what we want to do with TMV. You’ll start seeing more content choices as time goes on (of varying viewpoints) as we also work to monetize TMV to take it to the next-step level in 2013. We are out of the DONATED books by TMV TMV writers but I’ll be sending out some review copies and other copies of books. Some may seem a bit off the wall but all were GOOD books (for instance, I’ll send out Jesse Ventura’s latest book which I never reviewed but which had a core that was excellent for centrists and independents in detailing the excesses of partisanship.) When the books are exhausted I will note it in the updates. However the goal is $9,000 or more.
FYI Andrew Sullivan raised over $100,000 for his new site in pay for access. And Daryl Cagle raised $40,000 to pay for a cartoonist. TMV is seeking at least $9,000.
(1/19/2013: We just refunded a donation mistakenly made to TMV so the total is now $100 lower. Also, in the past three weeks I have gotten emails from some readers saying they will not donate unless we remove ads or posts that they consider too far to the right or left. Sorry. We will NOT rpt NOT N-O-T change our content in exchange for donations –and any donations made will NOT impact what we run. Emails expressing that view will simply be deleted and not replied to.)
Can you help TMV? The great Andrew Sullivan is turning his site into an ad-free, pay to access blog and has raised more $100,000. The great cartoonist Daryl Cagle, in his ongoing quest to keep the art alive, is close to raising $33,000 to actually employ a cartoonist so he can keep drawing.
TMV is seeking to raise $9,000 in our second rung of our fund drive which began 12/26. As of 1/19 we’ve raised about $1655 since December. We are hoping to raise the $9,000 within the next few months so TMV can make a big push in content and other areas between February and June. You CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
TMV CAN USE YOUR HELP so we can take it to another level. TMV has grown substantially over the years, particularly in the latter half of 2012. We added some new features — and hope to add some more. But we need YOUR help.
TMV is NOT part of a big corporation or website. It has NO big corporate donor or wealthy owner. It has no political party or political movement bolstering it. And it has the potential to also offer original reporting and more features — but financial constraints have prevented that.
Which is where you can help. Right now.
NOTE ON BOOKS: We’re almost out of the books we were giving out. I have some review copies of books (some reviewed on TMV, others never reviewed including some good ones) that we’ll continue to gift people who give $65 or more until the books run out.
UPDATE: We ran a fundraiser in October through election day. TMV raised a little under $1,000 which allowed us to pay for the redesign, new security measures and some other time-consuming technical fixes. Additionally, it paid for an emergency site-related issue.
(The FUNDRAISER was relaunched December 26. and as of 1/8/2013 has raised about $500.
OUR NEW GOAL HEADING INTO 2013 is to raise AT LEAST $9,000. This would allow us to:
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
!. Donations of ALL amounts are welcome.
2. If
3. If you’re aware of some grant we might get please let us know.
4. If you know of someone in business or the media who’d like to make a corporate donation please let us know.
TMV does not have a ton of ads (yet) but it does make a small profit. It’s almost entirely written by volunteers and yours truly does have a non-blogging incarnation, but donations could allow more time to be spent on the writing, networking and building the site up. MANY readers from all over the country have emailed me about the potential for TMV. There is no big bank account and it is not a big business with offices. Some “seed money” could help it blossom.
FOOTNOTE: During the fall we gave out gift books to all who donated $75 or more (two books were declined by donors who suggested they go to others). We will now LOWER that to $65. There are approx 14 books left.
PREVIOUS POSTS ON THIS FROM THE FALL:
UPDATE: The measure of how the TMV fundraiser is going is not just the total (ALL contributions big and small are welcome) but also whether we’ve given away the roughly 13 great political books to those who’ve contributed $75 or more. So far we’ve sent out four books.
TMV’s funds, among other things, have gone to pay for the redesign, fight off a very nasty attempt by some to bring this site down (this took work by our techs and turning over the case to a company to help keep TMV up and also gather information to identify those who tried to take down this site), and some other measures to improve TMV. And we’re not done yet. TMV really doesn’t get a ton of ads. SO: we hope people will continue to contribute until every one of those books are gone — big and small donations are gratefully appreciated.
(Our previous post:)
The last time the Moderate Voice did a fundraiser was about four years ago. Now due to a variety of factors, we’re doing it again.
This fundraiser period will run through Friday November 9 — and the first 10 people or so who donate $100 or more will receive a free must-read book that we’re reviewed and highly recommended for the Democrats, Republicans, and independents who visit TMV.
If you are a longtime visiter to TMV, you’ll note that we recently redesigned the site — due to site security as well as aesthetic reasons. Two weeks ago TMV suffered a major attack, which was fended off by our techs who put in long hours and collected the attackers originating address info. And there was also another urgent matter TMV had to swiftly resolve.
The fundraiser is to cover these expenses and also to get some money into TMV’s coffers (you see ads but TMV is not crammed with ads) for future improvements or emergencies.
If you like TMV, any “tips” — no matter how big or small — are welcome: just use the Paypal Donate button on the upper left.
The first dozen or so people who donate $75 or more will get one of the following three books sent to them. Each book has been reviewed on TMV and is considered a MUST-READ and MUST-OWN for TMV readers:
- The Hillary Effect by Taylor Marsh (a Guest Voice TMV Columnist). The story of Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the impact she had immediately and in the long term on American politics. GO HERE to read the review.
- Resurrecting Democracy, by Robert A. Levine (who also writes on TMV as a Guest Voice columnist.) A lively overview of American politics, recent American political history offering specific solutions on how to make it better. GO HERE to read the review.
- Political Scientist Samuel Popkin’s “The Candidate: What it Takes to Win — and Hold — the White House,” a highly readble, quick paced serious political book written by someone who has not just studied but worked on major Presidential campaigns. Popkin is now being quoted by many top columnists and journalists. GO HERE to read the review.
All three authors have graciously donated their books to TMV to be given away as special thank yous to the first people who donate $75 or more.
When these run out, there may be a few other books not on this list that will be donated, but we officially have about 12 books to give out.
Even when the books are gone, if you like TMV please do donate. All donations will be put to good use as we continue to try to improve content, display and easy site access. Just click on the Paypal donate button on the top left.
This post will remain at the #1 position on the site until November 9th.
UPDATE: 10/10/2012
We thank everyone so much for the contributions so far. In terms of the great give away books, so far we’ve gifted three books. I’m giving out the Samuel Popkin book first due to its immediate (and detailed) relevance to the Presidential race. All donations of whatever size are greatly appreciated.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.