The fund is growing rather slowly... Is there a deadline for donations, at which point we just send whatever we have over?
It's not my fault that the exchange rate isn't $1M/BTC, hence its slow growth.
The tentative deadline is Dec 20, 2013, thus close enough to my self-imposed 30 day challenge.
Looks like I'm going to have to pull a few rabbits outta my ass to see this to fruition, eh! But, I have a plan, and it involves this:
http://www.mediabistro.com/insidebitcoins/Fresh from the success of Thanksgiving at Satoshi Forest, I'm heading to Vegas for the two day Bitcoin conference and expo, to explore the growth of virtual currencies. Part of that exploration should involve NPOs and what role Bitcoin can play in that regard.
Besides hoping that I won't have to pay to attend, along with getting squeezed in for some mic time, I'll be able to rub shoulders with those in attendance then, at the end of the day(s), voilà, a million bucks. How hard could it be? If I come up a tad short, I'll call Sir Richard Branson to make up the difference.
Better yet, I'll call Sir Richard Branson first and ask if he'll match half a million dollars if Typhoon Haiyan Relief Fund raises the first half.
Perhaps, Sir Richard could be instrumental as to where the raised funds should go, given the following:
http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/richard-branson#charitiesCharities & foundations supported 30
Richard Branson has supported the following charities:
21st Century Leaders
46664
Aegis Trust
Avoided Deforestation Partners
Cancer Research UK
Caudwell Children
charity:water
Children with AIDS
Free The Children
Girls Not Brides
Greenpeace
Heavens Angels
International Rescue Corps
Kids Company
Life College
Make A Child Smile Appeal
Marie Keating Foundation
Mineseeker Foundation
Peace One Day
Prince's Rainforests Project
ROTA
Stand Up To Cancer
Starfish Greathearts Foundation
Strike a Chord for Cancer Foundation
Swan Lifeline
The Elders
Virgin Unite
Water.org
Whatever It Takes
WildAid
http://www.charitywater.org/blog/help-in-the-philippines/Many of you have asked about ways to help in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
While it’s not a country where we’re currently working, we do have a local partner, Action Against Hunger, who is. They’ve identified vulnerable areas and setup emergency response teams to bring supplies to the estimated 9 million who were affected by the storm.
If you’re interested in helping, please take a look at their website: actionagainsthunger.org
http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/blog/saving-lives-and-livelihoods-race-recovery-after-typhoon-haiyanIn the coming months, our teams will help farming and fishing communities and other struggling communities regain their self-sufficiency across the Philippines. We’ll also help them strengthen their livelihoods, so they can be more resilient in the face of future disasters. With your ongoing support, we can continue to help the millions of affected people rebuild their lives.
Seems a tad farfetched, but it's worth a shot nonetheless.
Something I didn't take into consideration, albeit I touched upon it lightly, is the matter of having a 501(c)3 in place. Big donors will surely want the ability to write off their donations, thus it's imperative that such is in place.
Although it could be a somewhat lengthy process, even with all the paperwork properly submitted, at least one can still take advantage of a write-off while it's being processed, having a tax ID number to refer to, similar to what BitGive has in place:
http://bitgivefoundation.org/donate.html*Please note: BitGive is incorporated in the State of Delaware as a non-profit corporation. We are in the process of obtaining 501(c)(3) tax exempt status with the IRS. Should that status be approved, it would be retroactive and your donation would be tax deductible.
I'm going to pen a post in legal to get this very important aspect rolling. Meanwhile, I've been adding content to the official website so that, once again, it doesn't come across as lame. Once I reach a point where I'm just about finish, I'll request users here to peruse it to make sue it passes the smell test, so to speak.
Bruno Kucinskas
