Doug--How much of a hit does ETS take for bank charges on credit card donations? Is it 3%? Isn't it better to mail our (valid ) checks to:<br><br>Equipped To Survive Foundation<br>2211 W. Rockrose Place<br>Chandler, AZ 85248-4208<br><br>Please put the Donation Logo and Link on every page of the site. It is very tasteful....almost too ta!steful--you have to search for it on the home page! But a lot of people finding specific information through a search engine aren't going to the home page. <br><br>Those of us that have bosses or partners need to remember that most responsible companies make charitable contributions, so it is not a matter of If they donate money, but to whom. Many may actually appreciate a suggestion for a new and worthwhile recipient--one that is more relevant post 911 than some of the others that we may be sending money to--if only out of habit. The business/corporate donation is really important. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, More importantly, while we are waiting for our companies to make a decision(and even if they decide to help, often they will do so only on the last possible day of their fiscal year--most likely Dec 31) we have to get involved personally. How great is it that we can help Doug literally save lives and get a tax break for doing it! In a very real sense we are directing our tax dollars ---the government (State and Federal) is, in effect, matching our donations. <br><br>Almost half of what we send is really just a tax free loan to Doug until we file our taxes for this year and the government pays us back. <br><br>I am writing all of this because, although I don't know Doug personally, everything I know about him leads me to believe that it will be difficult for him to ask for the money that ETS MORE THAN DESERVES. <br><br> It is unbelievable what one has to go through to get 501 (c) (3) status. I have before likened it to writing and publishing a textbook. Doug had to go through the hell of dealing with IRS to make our contributions tax deductible. <br><br> DOUG HAS DONE HIS PART--LET'S DO OURS! The checks don't write themselves and I'm sure the lightbills at ETS don't pay themselves either. <br><br>Warmest to all.....Robb

Robb,<br><br>Would you like to join the Board as our fund raising committee and chief cheerleader? <br><br>I sincerely appreciate your most kind support and your description of the 501(c)(3) process is certianly right on the money. Actually, I think a book would have been easier since I'd know what I was doing.<br><br>As to your question, apparently my donation banners are too subtle. As the animated button says, 100% of the donation goes to ETS. That is the beauty of the Network for Good program. They are themselves a non-profit and the people who process the credit card is a non-profit and every penny goes to the charity. (That's also something to think about for other donations you might make, you can donate to any 501(c)(3) via them.) The downside from a fundraising perspective is you lose some control in the process since it is fairly sterile once you leave ETS for Network for Good.<br><br>I did the banners myself, so they are rather crude, but you do what you can with what you have. My graphics skills are somewhat limited, to put it mildly. <br><br>I am slowly deploying the banners on all the pages on the site, I am up through the "Ds." Try to get some done every night, but... Because ETS is all hard coded HTML done over a period of years, I basically have to do each page individually. If they were dynamic pages it would be easier, but... Once that's done, I'll theoretically be able to make changes via Search and Replace if I want/need to change out the banners.<br><br>I'll also be setting up a sponsors page to acknowledge donations, as suggested. At least, it's on the list near the top.<br><br>Again, thanks very much for your support. Helps make the effort worthwhile.<br>