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+--- Thread: Shameless kickstarter plug (/showthread.php?tid=163542)
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Shameless kickstarter plug - Mike Johnson - 01-31-2014
I'm the president of the parent-teacher organization for my son's elementary school. It's stressful, but at our school, raising money is easy. By December, we'd met our budget for the school year. We bought a class set of laptops for the fifth graders this year, we pay for the computer teacher, we pay for the school librarian, and we'll probably pay for half of the cost of a new playground this summer.
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, another school struggles. Ten percent of their students are homeless, more than half receive free/reduced lunches, and they have to reach beyond immediate families for support. I know some of the parents there, and I do what I can to support their school.
Today they're launching a Kickstarter campaign to build an Art Fence. Their goal is modest, and if you could donate even a dollar I'd be grateful. Every name on the supporter list is a victory. I'd like to address some of the educational inequities we have, even here in California, from one side of a city to the other. Also, I'd like to see art return to its rightful place in the elementary schools. But more than that, I'd like it if some of the kickstarter campaign supporters weren't parents or local businesses, just good people who recognize the effort Lincoln Elementary families are putting into making their school a better place. They put so much work into raising every single dollar.
So, if you can help, even by spreading the word, I'd appreciate it. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1550992223/art-fence?ref=live
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - mrlynn - 01-31-2014
I'd like to make a small contribution, but they don't seem to offer PayPal as an option. All I see is to go through my Amazon account. That seems short-sighted (not everyone has one).
/Mr Lynn
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - Ombligo - 01-31-2014
The arts in schools are being cut across the nation. It's an easy target for those that fail to understand that art education utilizes and enhances every skill taught in the traditional core subjects. Art students develop superior critical thinking skills, the very backbone of the common core standards. Yet school districts that are strapped for cash are making the choice to cut funding.
I worked in my districts Art Academy - last year one fourth of the staff was cut. Both the full-time photography and chorus instructors were eliminated. Funding was reduced across the board in all areas. Just today the discussion was made about whether to begin charging students to take the classes in order to cover material costs. Teachers are spending hours writing grant proposals and conducting fundraising exercises.
This is in a school district that prides itself on supporting the arts. Districts with differing priorities have already eliminated art from the curriculum. The students are the ones who suffer, and once a program is gone the odds of it coming back are very remote.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - Filliam H. Muffman - 01-31-2014
I'd like to make a small contribution, but they don't seem to offerPayPalAmazon as an option. All I see is to go through myAmazonPayPal account. That seems short-sighted (not everyone has one).
I don't do PayPal. I have been waiting 12 years for someone to set up a widely accepted alternative. It looks like Bitcoin or one of the competitors might assume the mantle.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - DavidS - 01-31-2014
mrlynn wrote:
I'd like to make a small contribution, but they don't seem to offer PayPal as an option. All I see is to go through my Amazon account. That seems short-sighted (not everyone has one).
/Mr Lynn
Every Kickstarter campaign that I've backed has gone through Amazon payments. I've never seen one use PayPal.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - Mike Johnson - 01-31-2014
mrlynn wrote:
I'd like to make a small contribution, but they don't seem to offer PayPal as an option. All I see is to go through my Amazon account. That seems short-sighted (not everyone has one).
/Mr Lynn
That's very kind of you, and it's unfortunate they only take Amazon. I don't know if kickstarter could use PayPal to collect pledges. I think Amazon works because they can treat it like a preorder -- if the campaign don't meet its goal, none of the pledged money gets collected. Charging supporters' credit cards, or debiting their bank accounts, then returning the money if it falls short, would be a pain, and expensive to boot.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - Mike Johnson - 01-31-2014
I have no way of seeing who pledged. I know I was the first. I suspect the second one came from the forum, so whoever it was, THANK YOU!
They held a fundraiser tonight. My wife and I went and met lots of great parents, teachers, and staff. There were quite a few parents whose kids have grown out of elementary school, but they stay involved with Lincoln because it's such a special place.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - RAMd®d - 01-31-2014
The arts in schools are being cut across the nation.
That seems to have been going on in CA for quite a while, along with music (which I guess could fall under arts.
And sports, to some degree.
Using Kickstarter is a truly great idea, Mike. Not everyone has Amazon or PayPal, but using Amazon makes sense.
Best of luck to your campaign.
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - mrlynn - 01-31-2014
Mike Johnson wrote:
That's very kind of you, and it's unfortunate they only take Amazon. I don't know if kickstarter could use PayPal to collect pledges. I think Amazon works because they can treat it like a preorder -- if the campaign don't meet its goal, none of the pledged money gets collected. Charging supporters' credit cards, or debiting their bank accounts, then returning the money if it falls short, would be a pain, and expensive to boot.
Well, I can use Amazon. I've just been trying to reduce credit-card exposure on the 'net by using Paypal, which also seems more universal. By restricting donations to Amazon, KS reduces the universe of potential donors. But I didn't realize that you don't get charged unless the goal is met; that does create complicated accounting. Seems like the software Amazon uses could be replicated, though.
/Mr Lynn
Re: Shameless kickstarter plug - mattkime - 02-01-2014
this $hit pisses me off. always enough money for bombs, rarely enough for schools - particularly the poor ones.
i really don't understand why we accept this.