DW Fall Donation Drive

Twice a year I hold a PBS-style week-long donation drive to help raise funds to run this site. The last one was in early March and we raised over $6500! For this donation drive, I have a goal of $5000 and would be thrilled to reach it. Though I make a small amount of money through ad revenue and affiliate commissions — about $15k after taxes — it just covers the expenses of running this site with no cushion, and nothing is left over afterward. Your donations provide a safety net (for months when my ad revenue, which is never a sure thing, is lower than expected) and a small salary for my time to ensure I can keep DW going.

Among the expenses your donations help cover are:

Web hosting fees
Additional web fees (domain name and special features like spam filtering, comment rating, etc.)
Tech help and web development
Marketing and advertising
Stock photos
Editorial budget (a few months ago, I started paying guest contributors a small fee for their writing, something I believe is important and would love to keep doing as I continue seeking quality content from guest writers)
Childcare coverage (I employ a part-time nanny 13 hours a week so I have some time to work on the site)

If you can and would like to help keep DW up and running, please donate here through Paypal. You can even click the little box that says “Make this recurring (monthly).” (You can cancel at any time!). If you like this site — if it provides entertainment for you or emotional support or a way to just kill a little time during the long hours at your office job, and if you feel inclined, please consider donating here. Any amount helps — a one-time donation of $5 or $10 or a recurring monthly $5 donation all add help to make a big difference. I know that for a lot of people this site is more than just a blog — it’s a community. It’s where you come to share good news or find support when things are shitty. Many of you have met in person, you’ve formed friendships both online and off, and I know that, when the site is down, even for an hour, you miss it. If that describes you — if you find value in visiting this site and can spare a few bucks, please consider showing your support and investing in the future of DW. Your donation will help keep the site going.

As a thank you, I have some fun awards and give-aways up for grabs in coming days, including notebooks, tote bags, shot glasses, magnets, and holiday cards! Holiday cards! If you donate $10 or more or sign up for monthly recurring donations, I will add you to my list for holiday cards (if you want one, please make sure to include your mailing address in the “note” section of your Paypal payment or email me with your mailing address!).

So, get in on the fun and donate. I will keep this drive going for one week and update as I get closer to my goal of $5000 for the next six months. Of course, you can donate at any time, but this is the week when all the donations can really add up. Thank you so much for your generosity!!