Help FBB pin the needle
New Year’s Eve is a scary time in the inboxes of America as non-profits and political orgs invoke their boogeymen to squeeze out the last 2011 donations. Democrats put a flashlight under their chin and talk about Gingrinches and Bachmenn massing just beyond the horizon. Same flashlight for the Republicans, but they only have to say socialism. Secularist organizations warn of creeping theocracy, and the religious warn of creeping secularism.
Not really one for scare tactics myself, which may put me at a disadvantage here in the final hours of the Foundation Beyond Belief fund drive. The drive is vital to our work, but I can’t say anything scary will happen in 2012 if we don’t meet our goal — just fewer cool things.
And OH, the cool things we have planned! We’re hoping to have a presence at Reason Rally, Rock Beyond Belief, and the International Freethought Film Festival, expand our humanist volunteer network to four more cities, completely revamp our website, and give our quarter-millionth dollar to charity. We’re also about to launch a national FBB Team to raise funds for a major cancer-fighting charity (no, not THAT one).
For all that positive humanism, I hope you’ll agree that our own financial needs are pretty reasonable.
I must say I’m feeling a little giddy about the drive (though mentioning that is an outrageous violation of the Fund Drive Rules). In all channels combined — widgets, website, and checks in the mail — this year’s drive is now at $12,550 [Update 8:39 pm: $14,110!]. That’s really close to securing a quarter of the modest funding we need for 2012, which has me dancing in my jammies. If we end up raising the additional $2,450 $890 in the next 11 3 hours, I may just have to sing in them.
The drive ends at 11:45 Eastern Standard Time tonight. If you’ve already given, THANK YOU — it means more than you know. If you haven’t yet, and you can, we’d be grateful for any amount to help us blow through the goal and keep humanist compassion growing and thriving in 2012.
UPDATE JAN 1, 2012: We finished the drive at $14,460. That’s 97 percent of the goal. I am thrilled and relieved. All of our plans for 2012 can go forward. Sincere thanks to all of our very generous donors! We will make you proud this year.