When you visit the blog now, you will see a little green "Donate" button with a coffee cup. This is Ko-Fi button, which allows you to "buy me a coffee" (aka tip me $3) via PayPal. I've donated to other creators' Ko-Fi accounts before, and I've come to realize how beneficial this could be for Bad Outfit, Great Lipstick.
You see, sometimes people ask me if there's a way they can thank me for writing this blog. It's a labor of love, a hobby, a passion project; I don't make money from it and I pay for most of what I write about. But I don't want money for myself. That's not why I blog. Even when I was offered money or products from readers in the past, I would always thank them and say, "Please consider donating to a charity instead." Some readers actually donated in my name, or spoke to me about their favorite charities, and I'm still oh so grateful.
I thought this would be a great way to make those charitable donations more substantial. When you buy me a coffee with the Ko-Fi button, I won't pocket a penny; instead, I'll add your $3 to my next donation. I'll keep track of the donations in a Word document to avoid mixing them up with my own funds. I will always make note of what organization I'm donating to underneath the Ko-Fi button, and
Let me be clear: I appreciate your non-monetary support so much. Your wonderful comments, kind emails, and helpful shout-outs on forums and message boards have been overwhelming, and I am beyond thankful for them. You are no in way, shape, or form expected to hit that Ko-Fi button. But charitable giving is incredibly important to me. And for those of you who would like to send some kind of gift? This is the best gift you could give.
I understand if this button makes some people uncomfortable. Please feel free to ask me any questions you'd like in the comments section of this post, and I'll do my best to answer them.
Thank you for the many years of support!
A few quick Q&As:
Will you publish my name if I donate to your Ko-Fi?
I'll be keeping track of donations on a Word document. Whatever you write as your name in Ko-Fi is what I will list. If you want to be anonymous, no problem; post anonymously, use a handle, whatever works for you.
How often will you donate?
I'd like to donate at least $20 at a time. Depending on how many tips end up in the tip jar, I'll either donate once a month, or I'll wait until I hit $20.
Will my full $3 be donated?
Unfortunately, PayPal does take out a small fee. :( In my experience, they take around $0.23 for every $3 donated. I'll keep track of this in the Word document. ETA on 1/14: I stand corrected! PayPal takes their standard fee: 2.9% plus $.030 per transaction. This means they take $0.39 if you donate one coffee ($3), $0.47 if you donate two coffees ($6), etc. Again, I'll keep track in the Word document.
How do I know you're going to donate this money?
I'll keep track of the donations in a Word document, and I'll try to screenshot that and the donation screen when I make the donation. Beyond that, it's a matter of trust. If you don't trust me to donate your money, I completely understand! Please consider donating directly instead.
How often will your charity of choice change?
I think I'd like to make at least two or three donations to each charity before switching, unless a catastrophe pops up (like the recent slew of natural disasters). The current charity will always be listed under the Ko-Fi button.
How will you pick charities?
I will only donate to charities with high reputations and A grades that I have donated to in the past. The exception would be a disaster relief fund, since those are often set up on an as-needed basis by the area in trouble.
How often will your charity of choice change?
I think I'd like to make at least two or three donations to each charity before switching, unless a catastrophe pops up (like the recent slew of natural disasters). The current charity will always be listed under the Ko-Fi button.
How will you pick charities?
I will only donate to charities with high reputations and A grades that I have donated to in the past. The exception would be a disaster relief fund, since those are often set up on an as-needed basis by the area in trouble.
What a great idea! Quick question: how often will your charity of choice change?
ReplyDeleteExcellent question! I think I'd like to make at least two or three donations to each charity before switching, unless a catastrophe pops up (like the recent slew of natural disasters). I'll put that answer in the post. Thanks!
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