For those of you on Facebook...

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For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 6, 2009 3:24 am

With Peter Youngbaer's blessing, I created a Facebook Cause for WNS. Check it out, join, recruit others, and PLEASE donate to the WNS Rapid Response Fund (make sure to select "WNS Rapid Response Fund" from the list of funds).
Eliah Kagan
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Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby Squirrel Girl » Mar 6, 2009 8:29 am

I joined the group. But I went to the NSS site to donate there first. If I'd realized it, I would have gone to Facebook first, and donated through them.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 6, 2009 10:31 am

Thank you for your donation to the Rapid Response Fund!

Actually, the group is more of a "beacon" for donating and a way to use "online social networking" to spread the word about WNS and solicit donations. Since Facebook Causes doesn't support donating to a specific fund *within* an organization, the WNS Facebook group just links you to NSS's donation page anyway. (I asked Causes tech support about this, and they said that that's the best that can currently be done with their platform, for donating to a specific fund.)
Eliah Kagan
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Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 18, 2009 2:05 pm

The "Support White Nose Syndrome Rapid Response" Facebook Cause is now set up so that you can donate quickly and easily through Facebook. I contacted Peri Frantz (the NSS's Secretary-Treasurer) and she has arranged to ensure that all money donated to the NSS from this Facebook Cause goes to the WNS Rapid Response Fund.

(For those of you who are Facebook users, donating on Facebook helps spread the word through Facebook and encourages others to donate.)

However you choose to donate (the NSS website or the Facebook Cause), this is a great time to donate, or donate more, to the WNS Rapid Response Fund. As Peter Youngbaer has been telling us, the WNS Rapid Response Fund is just about out of money, and needs contributions to fund new projects.

(When donating on the NSS website to the WNS Rapid Response Fund, please make sure to select that fund, or your money would go to the NSS unrestricted. It would still do a lot of good that way, but it would not specifically go to addressing WNS.)

And remember, Facebook is just one of many tools to spread the word! Tell you friends (and enemies) about the criticality of WNS to bats, their ecosystems, and human beings, and the importance of funding time-critical WNS research.
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby Cheryl Jones » Mar 18, 2009 3:02 pm

Way cool! Thanks! :kewl: :clap:
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 18, 2009 4:07 pm

Well, I've been neglecting to give thanks to all the people whose help was either critical in making this happen, or central to turning donated money into real results:

Jonny Prouty, who contacted me with ideas about getting donation through Facebook set up, and lit the fire under my butt to talk to the necessary people to make it happen

Peri Frantz, who expressed her strong support for this and arranged for the money to be allocated to the WNS Rapid Response Fund

David in Causes Support, who provided me with the information I needed to know I should get in touch with Peri and give her the information she needed, and more generally the entire Causes Team of volunteers who donate their time and skills to making the Facebook Causes application exist and work (they're not getting paid by Facebook to do this!)

Peter Youngbaer, not just for his enormous volume of past and continued work as the NSS's WNS Liaison, but specifically for helping me start up the Facebook Cause for WNS, and co-administering the Cause

all the scientists who are working to figure out WNS and trying to find a way we can do something about it

and all of you, for contributing to the effort by donations, volunteering, and teaching and raising awareness about WNS.

Thank you all, and once again...please donate!

(Go here to donate on the NSS page; go here to donate on Facebook.)
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby icave » Mar 19, 2009 12:55 pm

Remember, the NNS get 4.75% more when you donate directly through the NSS website. This is the note I found in the causes terms & conditions:

"You agree that Network for Good will deduct a small transaction fee of 4.75% from your donation to pay banks, credit card companies, and other associated costs and that this fee is deducted before Network for Good disburses your donation to the charity. Network for Good does not profit from the fee. If you have questions related to the donation process, please contact Network for Good at donations@networkforgood.org."

In my opinion, this is a bit more than a "small fee." Is there a way the NSS site can show how much has been donated?
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 19, 2009 1:16 pm

The NSS will receive the first check from Network for Good on April 15th, at which point presumably we could be informed of the total amount the NSS actually receives.

I would be interested to know the overhead cost of the NSS charging our credit cards directly. I suspect that you are right that the NSS benefits more from a donation on the website, but that when the NSS's own overhead costs are taken into account, the margin in slight. But I could be wrong.

(Of course, if you donate with your NSS Visa Card...)
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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ek
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby icave » Mar 19, 2009 1:18 pm

I figure I'll just donate equally through both links, that way I'm covered. :bananabat:
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby ek » Mar 19, 2009 1:31 pm

Mike--thank you for your donations!

(Meanwhile I am looking into the question of comparative donation "efficiency" of Facebook Causes vs. credit card donation on the NSS website.)
Eliah Kagan
NSS 57892
Syracuse University Outing Club

Fund vital White Nose Syndrome research--donate to the NSS and select the WNS Rapid Response Fund.
Facebook users can also donate here.
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ek
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby PYoungbaer » Mar 19, 2009 4:41 pm

I am not worried about minor amounts that come out for processing fees. Facebook allows a whole additional and much wider group of people to hear about and join the WNS cause than the caving community. If cavers wish to continue to give directly because they know the NSS links, that's fine. But let's not lose sight of the much larger group of people we all have in our social networks This is a terrific addition to the fundraising arsenal.

In terms of posting the fund status, that would be a whole lot of extra work for NSS office staff. As it is now, we gave them additional work in handling the fund, without additional resources. I get reports when I ask - which is regularly - basically to determine whether or not we have sufficient funds to respond to research requests. I've reported in general terms (such as we've funded a little over $27,000 in projects so far), and that we didn't have enough to fund two other requests late fall. Others have inquired, but did not apply when I told them we couldn't respond positively at the time.

We have had a small amount of growth over the first two months of 2009, and we have one small project in the works that we will be able to fund. That will essentially bring our balance again down to near $0.

Now, however, there is a new burst of donations coming in, thanks to Facebook, the call to the grottos, and other requests. This is extremely timely, as hibernation season will soon end and researchers will be looking to fund projects in maternity colonies, analyzing the field samples collected this past fall and winter, and designing fall swarming and hibernation studies for next year. Lead time is key, as equipment and personnel need to be lined up, obtained, and committed ahead of time.

Our ability as the NSS to commit to projects all depends on our having sufficient resources on hand. As Eliah said, every little and big bit helps. Thank you.
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Re: For those of you on Facebook...

Postby Peri Frantz » Mar 22, 2009 11:30 pm

HI, Peri Frantz, NSS Secretary-Treasurer here,

First, I'd like to thank all of you for the supporting the White Nose Syndrome Rapid Response Fund. Whether you do this through Facebook, or directly on the NSS site, your donations are supporting critical research, and getting investigators into the field faster than any classic funding method.

Although the 4.75% fee that Facebook takes may seem steep, the NSS pays between 2.5% and 3.0% in credit card fees on all on-line donations, so the additional amount is not extreme. As Peter has already pointed out, Facebook's social network provides us with the opportunity to reach many people who are not otherwise connected to the NSS. The additional contacts are well worth the adsitional percent or two.

Right now, we have two vital tasks to accomplish. One is putting as many investigators as possible into the field. This we do by raising money. The other is to get solid, reliable information about White Nose Syndrome out to as wide an audience as possible. This we do, in part, through social networks such as Cavechat and Facebook. Both approaches have my full support and appreciation.

Peri
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