CZ:Monthly Donation Day
Beginning September 2012, Citizendium will inaugurate a monthly Donation Day on the second Wednesday of each month. This will serve both as a reminder of the on-going need for donations, and as an opportunity for Citizens to experience a sense of community while donating.
This page provides further explanation.
Background
Citizendium depends on donations from its members to provide us with the software and hardware infrastructure that lets us experience the sense of accomplishment in sharing our knowledge by contributing to the ongoing project.
Monthly donations must, on average, meet our monthly expenditures for the server that hosts our website — running the software and hardware required for the writing of articles, editing them in collaboration, and finding and reading them. For the six months preceding August 2012 monthly donations did not match those monthly expenditures, resulting in a declining reserve of funds that, unless remedied, would have required shutting down the website within 2 to 3 months.
Members rally in August 2012
In August 2012 the members rallied to the crisis situation, balancing the books for the month, and generating a reserve. Without replenishing the reserves each month, we will once again have the same difficulty in maintaining the project. Hence the need to focus attention on monthly donations.
Donation Day
Although members may donate on any day of the month, and receive credit for their donation that month, setting aside the second Wednesday of each month as Donation Day will serve as a reminder to members to contribute what they can, and will provide the members with an opportunity to experience a sense of community when donating.
• How to donate
Advantages of maintaining a reserve
Maintaining a positive bank balance will keep Citizendium out of "impending crisis" mode. Building that balance may permit Citizendium to acquire software extensions to increase the website's functionality, extensions requested by the members.
The future of Citizendium
Sponsorship or partnership remain possibilities for reducing or eliminating the financial burden on our members. Ideas are germinating, and more will emerge from discussions on the Forum. We might consider game changes within the bounds of Citizendium's founding mission.
We have only recently reached our 5th birthday since launch, agreed on a Charter, and moved out of Beta. Still, we have a history, an accumulation of experiences, and learning experiences. An asset to exploit for growth and development.
Welcome back
Welcome back August 2012 donors who have not edited or started articles in recent months. When you can, share what you know.
Link to the Treasurer's Financial Report
This is brought up to date on the 1st or 2nd of every month.