| Number 530 | December 17, 2012 |
| This Week: The SPRING 2013 Nygaard Notes PLEDGE DRIVE! |
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THIS PLEDGE DRIVE WILL LAST FOR EXACTLY ONE ISSUE. That's right, those of you who have suffered through innumerable Pledge Drives in the past know that they usually stretch over several weeks, during which time I badger and pester you all until some acceptable number of you come to your senses and make a Pledge. But not this time! This time, just for a change of pace, I am having a * One-week * For those of you getting the paper version of Nygaard Notes, you'll notice it's only two pages long, instead of the usual four pages or, lately, eight pages. That's because it really doesn't take long to say this: Please Pledge your support for Nygaard Notes by sending in a check or an online donation TODAY! If you're new to Nygaard Notes, here's how it works: Everything I publish immediately goes into the public domain. The only reason I can do that is because many faithful readers support the project by sending in Pledges of support—similar to the way that people support their community radio stations or public radio. Should you decide to Pledge, you will be supporting not just the excellent newsletter called Nygaard Notes. The Nygaard Notes project also makes it possible for me to: ✱ Teach classes in the community (I can teach a class in your community if you like; just ask.) ✱ Make public presentations to churches, schools, activist groups, and whoever may ask. ✱ Appear on our monthly cable-TV show, "Our World Today." (Find the TV schedule, or watch the show online, at http://ourworldtoday.zxq.net/) . ✱ Keep working on a book I hope to publish, with this coming summer planned as a time when I finally finish the manuscript. (I know, I've said this before!) By the way, you'll be seeing a new chapter or two this summer published in the pages of Nygaard Notes, starting this month with an essay called "How We Make Meaning." ✱ Make myself available as a public resource for my community, which is anyone who supports the Nygaard Notes values of Solidarity, Compassion, Justice, and Democracy. Write me with your questions or requests. How to Make A Pledge 1. Make out a check to "Nygaard Notes," and mail it to: Nygaard Notes OR 2. Go to the Nygaard Notes website at www.nygaardnotes.org , look for "Donate to Nygaard Notes," and click on the button that says "Donate Online." Then you'll pay via PayPal. If you care about such things, 100% of Pledges made by check go to support Nygaard Notes. When you Pledge electronically via PayPal, they take 3-4 percent of your Pledge as a fee. When you make your Pledge, you can let me know if you would prefer an acknowledgment in paper form, via the U.S. Mail, or via email. I enjoy sending thank-you cards, but I don't want to needlessly clutter up your mailbox. So either way is fine. How Much Should Your Pledge Be? I don't care. Anything and everything helps. The smallest pledge I ever got was $5.00. The largest was $2,500.00. ****** New Pledges Versus Renewed Pledges If you've never pledged before, here's what will happen when you send in your Pledge, either by mail or online via PayPal: When I receive your Pledge, I divide it into 12 parts, and then I "pay" myself every month by adding up your 1/12th with everyone else's. After 11 months or so, I send you a reminder asking you to renew your Pledge for another year. Most people renew. Some don't. No hard feelings if you don't, I know there are lots of things you can support in addition to Nygaard Notes. If you have already made a Pledge, and you send in another Pledge before your year is up, here's what happens: If your Pledge was due for renewal in July (for example) and you send in another Pledge in May, I re-adjust your Pledge period from July-June to May-April. So you won't get a reminder in June of 2013, instead you'll get a reminder in April of 2014. Simple! The main advantage of early renewal is that you won't be bothered by receiving yet another renewal notice, and Nygaard Notes saves a stamp or two. Some people Pledge twice a year, too, which is much appreciated! Keep reading to see some ideas of how you can support Nygaard Notes WITHOUT DONATING MONEY. ****** NON-FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR NYGAARD NOTES I depend on your donations to enable me to work less at my other jobs. The greater the total amount of Pledges, the more time I can spend doing the research and writing that are involved in doing what I do. So, thank you to all who make financial contributions! As I never tire of saying: I could not, absolutely could not, keep this up if it weren't for your generosity. HOWEVER, money is not the only way you can support Nygaard Notes. What follows is a list of ideas of ways to support this project without donating money. If any of these ideas appeal to you, please get in touch, and we'll talk about it. ✱ PROMOTION. Nygaard Notes grows by word of mouth. The Nygaard Notes Project benefits every time you: Forward the Notes; Re-post the Notes; Tell your friends about the Notes; Give gift subscriptions to the Notes (I know they're free—don't tell your friends!); Invite me to address your group, class, or club; Hire a blimp with "Read Nygaard Notes" on the side to fly over major events in your area. You can also promote Nygaard Notes through social media, I imagine, although I know nothing about social media. A step up from the ideas listed above would be to volunteer to more formally "represent" Nygaard Notes to potential publishers. Many of you have urged me to be more conscientious at getting my Notes articles published more broadly, but I'm just not good at self-promotion. If you enjoy that kind of thing, maybe you could donate some time to get more exposure for Nygaard Notes essays that deserve it. ✱ I mentioned SOCIAL MEDIA. I'm not on Facebook. I don't have a Twitter account. Maybe I should be on Facebook. Maybe I should have a Twitter account. I really don't know anything about any of this, but I have some vague ideas about how Nygaard Notes readers might benefit from such things. Maybe you can help me understand the how and why of these, and other, matters. ✱ BOOK HELP. 21st-Century Propaganda: How What We Believe Affects What We Believe (And What to Do About It)—that's the working title of the long-awaited Nygaard Notes book—and it's in need of all sorts of help. Could you help me: Figure out how to approach publishers? Know when the manuscript is ready to take to publishers? Effectively critique and organize the raw manuscript? Not get discouraged by the whole thing and how long it's taking? Know how to best footnote/index this type of book? Figure out what "type" of book it should be? If you have knowledge/experience with non-fiction book stuff, and want to support Nygaard Notes, let me know. ✱ WEBSITE RECONSTRUCTION. The Nygaard Notes website has served us well for over ten years, but I think it is in need of an upgrade. If you have web-design skills, and would enjoy working with me to upgrade the site, please let me know. I have lots of ideas, but I don't know how to execute them. And I am certain that there are many other good ideas that I can't even think of. Maybe you know about this stuff, and would like to help me move into the 21st Century? I'm all ears. ✱ NON-FINANCIAL DONATIONS. The main thing I could use right now is a simple "all-in-one" printer/scanner/copier/fax. Mine died. Actually, if there is such a thing as a simple laser photocopier, that is really the function that I'm lacking. This is tremendously helpful when preparing presentations or classes. ****** OK, that's the end of this special one-week, Issue #530-only, no-second-chance, don't-blink-you'll-miss-it, here-today-gone-tomorrow Pledge Drive. ****** SPECIAL EDITION NOTE: Usually the paper edition and the email edition of Nygaard Notes are identical. |
