We Did It!
As of 5:50 pm we completed BJ Angel match #8 and we have raised $27, 668 for the Native vote in Wisconsin! ($1,000 in a paper check)
I will leave the thermometer up until morning so everyone can see that we reached our goal! Blew past it, in fact.
As I type this, the thermometer says $24,835. Just $165 more is needed to get the thermometer to $25,000! The train is indeed speeding toward the station.
But Gravenstone, aka Balloon Juice Angel #8, has match money left, so if you still have money to chip in, we have some new rules for the home stretch!
Balloon Juice Angel #8 will match donations of any amount until the $583 $228 $203 $158 $133 $83 $68 of his remaining match money has been met. The only detail is that you need to tell us your donation amount in the comments.
FOUR DIRECTIONS – WI
Double-Match Fundraising
Like a train speeding toward it’s destination, Balloon Juice has proven in the past couple of years to be an unstoppable force in our fundraising efforts to turn back the tide in this country, as we fight for ourselves, for our country, for our loved ones, fight to give help give voice to people who many others want to have no voice at all.
Whether you had just one dollar to contribute, or a whole lot more dollars than that, whether you posted the thermometer link in your twitter feed, whether you encouraged this effort in your comments… we are not giving up, we are fighting for the world we want to have, and we are doing it in our own unique way.
Along those lines, here’s a great train song sung by 3 very different voices. I like to think that Steve Goodman, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger and others would be proud of our efforts.
Thank you to everyone who has joined in this effort to help give a voice to Native people. In Georgia. In Arizona. In Wisconsin.
Now let’s spend the last $583 of Gravenstone’s match, shall we?
Curtis
$25 chipped in.
Omnes Omnibus
I can’t really give any more to this right now, but let’s haul this sucker over the finish line.
Avalie
Added $25 more
joey5slice
@Omnes Omnibus: I just gave $25, and I’ll say here that it is in your honor after you drew my attention to this fundraiser in the last thread.
Another Scott
Woot! Well done everyone!!
In other news, I blame the babies… ScienceMag:
“Junior put a HEX on me!!”
There’s still so much that we don’t know about human biology…
Cheers,
Scott.
Mary G
Put in another $100 to help pull the train over the finish line. Onward and upward.
SuzieC
Another $25.00
Omnes Omnibus
@joey5slice: Not necessary to credit me. But as a WI resident, I do have to say thank you. I know that this money will make a difference in the coming year.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: I think it’s gong to make a HUGE difference.
Four Directions had not planned to be in Wisconsin this early.
Without our offer to try to raise $25k if they could find a match, and hopefully find a double-match, this early effort in Wisconsin would not be happening.
They took our offer, found us a double-match, and now Wisconsin will be an early state for them. Their planning starts in early December, and this $75,000+ will be a game-changer.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: As I think I said in one of the earlier threads…
This time around, we are not just helping them to get the money to fund their plans. With Wisconsin, we have changed the timeline and changed the plans.
WhatsMyNym
Another $25 from me. I used to love camping in WI when I lived in NE Illinois.
Omnes Omnibus
Excellent! It looks like we got there. If I have my sums and times right, this blog has been responsible for raising over $150,000 for Four Directions in two months. That is something that will do a lot of good and something we should be proud of.
Could we a big round of applause for WaterGirl? One for the double match people. One for the Balloon Juice angels? And, finally, one for everyone who donated and/or publicized this effort. Well fucking done!
stinger
@Omnes Omnibus: Agree! This is a true community.
Thanks to all the BJ donors! Thanks to the BJ angels! Thanks to the outside angels! Thanks and good luck to Four Directions!
Above all, WaterGirl is tireless and creative and amazing!
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: We did it!
We still have $358 in angel match money if anyone wants to help spend that. :-)
Once we spend that, angel #8 will add his $1,000 to the thermometer!
MazeDancer
Congratulations and thanks to all!
WaterGirl, Gravenstone, the other 7 Angels, and every BJ Supporter, including those who could give $$ and those contributing in spirit.
Feel lifted up by the generosity. Thanksgiving Week is the perfect time to be giving to Native groups.
On Wisconsin! BJ and 4D coming for you!
H.E.Wolf
@Omnes Omnibus: could we get a big round of applause
You bet! Standing on my chair to applaud. This is a day for glory.
Ramalama
Anyone American who’s living not in ‘Merica?
How do youse make payments to political orgs from outside? I should know this. But for the longest time just kept my cards and added to them. But I need to use only Canadian banks now. Every donation requires you certify you’re a US citizen or legal resident, blah blah. Then the forms all assume you’re in the US. How do other people make donations?
Fair Economist
Congratulation to everyone! Especially WaterGirl and our great angel donors!
Omnes Omnibus
@H.E.Wolf: Be careful and don’t fall. We don’t need that shit.
realbtl
@WaterGirl: I just sent you a link for a Montana Native org, we can use all the help we can get here.
Another Scott
@Ramalama: Looks like it is possible –
ActBlue
HTH a little.
Cheers,
Scott.
WaterGirl
@Ramalama: I just sent email to my contact at Four Directions asking what options there are for our international peeps.
I’ll add the answer (when I get it) in this thread, so please check back.
WaterGirl
@realbtl: I am not seeing an email message. Sometimes people forget the hyphen between balloon and juice. Also, sometimes autocorrect wants to separate water and girl. Maybe check your email address?
Joy in FL
I just donated $10 through the thermometer.
I love what you said Watergirl, about why we are doing this and how it makes better things possible.
Snarlymon
Chipped in $20
VFX Lurker
I just clicked on the thermometer and donated $100. Thank you for making it easy for us to help. ?
Ramalama
@Another Scott: All right! I’ve tried in the past to donate to ActBlue using my current card and found it to be impossible. This is very helpful.
EDIT: Nope. I did not get the intl form to fill out, and I’m nervous about submitting my intl card details without it. Hmm.
WaterGirl
@Joy in FL: @Snarlymon: @VFX Lurker:
Thanks a lot! Hoping to use up all of Gravenstone’s match offer, even if we have already met our goal. :-)
WhatsMyNym
@Ramalama: Did you setup an account first at ActBlue?
WaterGirl
BJ Angel #8, aka Gravenstone, just added his $1,000 match amount through the thermometer.
We are now at $26,190 in the thermometer. $228 of his $1k hasn’t been matched yet, but that’s okay.
We did it!
waysel
Just put in $25.
WaterGirl
@waysel: Thank you! Down to $203 unmatched.
H.E.Wolf
@Omnes Omnibus:
The cautionary note was well-timed! Ascended & descended without incident. :)
Unlike my attendance at the St. Patrick’s Day concert by the Boomtown Rats, I didn’t dance while I was up there. Figured I owed it to you not to do an embarrassing pratfall.
Leslie
$25 more.
Omnes Omnibus
@H.E.Wolf:
I never saw the Rats in concert. I am envious.
Juju
I just donated $20.
WaterGirl
@Juju: Thank you! That leaves $158 of angel match #8 money left.
SiubhanDuinne
Okay, putting in a final $25. That’s really it for me for November, but I love seeing these numbers shoot up!
H.E.Wolf
@Omnes Omnibus: @H.E.Wolf:
I never saw the Rats in concert. I am envious.
Great concert. (So long ago that we practically hitched up the horse and buggy to get there.)
Geldof had Jagger-esque moves and stage presence. We danced on the seats for the whole evening and I am sure that the venue management still cusses a blue streak at the memory of it.
SiubhanDuinne
Anybody else following this situation at ATL (Hartsfield-Jackson) airport? Gun went off (accidentally, say reports) at a TSA checkpoint, passenger grabbed the gun and ran out into the public (non-secure) part of the terminal and so far hasn’t been located. All outgoing flights halted. I guess it was, unsurprisingly, pretty chaotic for a while.
Omnes Omnibus
@SiubhanDuinne: Does anyone know where Steve in the WTF is at this moment?
Captain C
I have a monthly $5 donation to Four Directions (which probably got started off an earlier BJ thermometer) which registers today. Will this help with the matching?
realbtl
@WaterGirl: Being basically slothful here’s the link for anyone else interested.https://www.indigenousvote.org/
Ramalama
@WhatsMyNym: Yes – I have an old one for $USD. But I tried using a new email and the fields to fill out are not recognizing my internationalityism.
realbtl
And another $50 in the pot.
phdesmond
@Omnes Omnibus:
hear hear! and huzzah!
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Thank you, SD!
Unless something totally unexpected happens, there won’t be any more high-dollar fundraising until February or so.
People dug really deep for Four Directions twice this month, and I think it will pay off big time.
The holidays are almost upon us, so most of us need to start watching our pennies at home.
WaterGirl
@SiubhanDuinne: Holy shit!
@Omnes Omnibus: I wish we knew where he is.
SiubhanDuinne
@Omnes Omnibus:
It’s worrisome.
WaterGirl
@Captain C: Your monthly donations go into the thermometer where you set up the recurring donation. So no, they won’t help with this effort.
But they will either help with GA or with AZ. Unless you set them up months ago, in which case it will go into their general fund.
WaterGirl
@realbtl: I see that they are looking for an executive director. Maybe get in touch with me about this group in February when things will hopefully be more settled down there?
WaterGirl
@realbtl: Wow, that leaves just $83 of angel match funds available now.
SiubhanDuinne
@SiubhanDuinne:
Update. Authorities have issued an all-clear but haven’t yet found the guy with the gun. (I expect he’s long gone from airport property by now.) Getting all those delayed flights rescheduled and airborne is going to be fun, especially on the travel weekend before Thanksgiving.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: In just one month!
Our AZ fundraising was Nov 1-9. $25k double-matched = $75k.
Our WI fundraising was Nov 10-20. $25k double-matched = $75k.
So yep, $150k is right. And that doesn’t even include GA in August!
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl:
Even more impressive. I stand corrected.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Gosh, I didn’t mean for it to come off as a correction! More like “it’s even more impressive than that”.
edit: It just feels like 2 months because of all the posts. :-)
realbtl
@WaterGirl: Will do. Thanks
Kayla Rudbek
Another $15 in
WaterGirl
@Kayla Rudbek: Thank you. Just $68 in match money left.
marcopolo
I will put $50 in after I post this comment. Need to go find my wallet.
Everyone have a nice Saturday night
Donation completed…lol, I didn’t need my wallet ActBlue already has all my CC info.
Omnes Omnibus
I will do the last $18.
Done.
WaterGirl
@marcopolo: @Omnes Omnibus:
I am in tears seeing this. Literally.
Thank you all so much!
Redshift
$25 from me!
WaterGirl
BJ peeps have now matched the $1,000 from BJ angel #8!
This is amazing.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: I just want Gravenstone to get his money’s worth.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: Absolutely!
edit: I guess that means you didn’t do it to make me cry.
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: It may have been a bonus.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: hahaha
WaterGirl
@Redshift: Thank you, Redshift!
WaterGirl
@Leslie: So sorry I missed a thank you on this. Every donation helps, and this one turned into $150.
rosalind
WaterGirl: for some reason i have been unable to post a comment the last couple days. to follow up previous thread, please put me down for $100. thanks!
WaterGirl
@rosalind: First, thank you for your donation!
Hmm, this comment showed up just fine. If you see this reply, can you try commenting in the book thread I just put up? If so I can see if your comment shows up or whether there is still a problem.