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How Do I Donate?

from: Dietrich

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Greetings, thanks for your work and continued efforts.

In many ways I am hoping to simply contribute for your time in these regards-- is there a simpler way for you to accept donations?

thanks!
Dietrich

The Patriarch replies:

Dietrich:

Thank you for the offer and I do appreciate it. I must point out I've had a long-standing personal policy against monetizing this website in any way - including seeking donations; accepting advertising; using cookies or other tracking methods to surreptitiously profit from visitors; or even profiting from links I provide for book purchases. I don't even take a kickback from the UCTAA store - which is an independent operation run by someone else. My preference is to keep this an entirely personally funded operation.

In part this is to make a clear distinction from other sites dealing with religious matters - not just those church sites with flashing "DONATE NOW" buttons, but also those fellow non-believer sites, with annoying click-bait advertisements [10 Disastrous Celebrity Plastic Surgeries] and, a trifle more subtly, sidebar requests for you to "Support this site via PayPal."

I don't want this site to be about money, money, money. I want this site to be about ideas. And I don't want to have to potentially compromise those ideas by a need to maintain a cash flow.

Another reason I'm not keen on getting into revenue producing activities is I don't want to get into bookkeeping and reporting. Perhaps I have an excessive respect for legalities, but if I were to monetize the site in some way, I might have to incorporate as a religious non-profit, I'd have to keep records of expenses and revenue, I'd have to arrange for audit, I'd have to file reports with the federal and provincial government. Without incorporation, there would be income tax implications and record-keeping requirements. Quite simply, I see it all as a major pain in the ass. (I'm probably exaggerating the issue - but still, a pain in the ass.)

That's where I stand today - and the policy as long as I remain responsible.

The future may be different. I'm not going to be around much longer (I'm in my 70s) and whether by conscious decision that I'm no longer able, or by the directions in my will, I'll be passing the operation to a willing successor. I cannot expect him to personally fund the site.

So my preference would be to hold back on donating until I pass from the scene - voluntarily or involuntarily. Then be prepared to donate generously if you feel the website should continue.

All that said, my personal address is reasonably publicly available and if cash or money orders arrive in my mailbox, they won't be refused. (Cheques will not be cashed though.) However, such funds will not be considered as donations and will not go towards the web site, but will be considered as personal gifts with the knowledge the money will go on fine whisky and even finer women.

John Tyrrell

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