There is a new feature on the blog this morning. You will see that there is a donations box in the right-hand column. After almost fourteen years of blogging, and more than 17,000 posts I have finally been persuaded that I should ask for donations towards the costs of running this blog, which includes my time for writing it.
I have long been resistant to this, and in any case usually found the income to meet the needs of my family, save for retirement and support others without ever having to seek support in this way. However, things change. And things have changed.
First, I have been asked by commentators here to add this box.
Second, when I asked about this earlier this year people said they would donate.
Third, my own circumstances are changing: I end my last paid university employment in a couple of months time, and that is now only one day a week. As a result I am now, as I was from 2005 to 2015, back to relying on grant income.
Fourth, funders have changed. Or rather, funding has. In 2015 the idea of asking for donations was in its infancy. Now it is not. Crowdfunding is now normal and funders are suggesting that I need to make an appeal of this sort. They point out that many blogs with 10,000 or so reads a day and more than 50,000 Twitter followers can be self-funding on this basis, and that therefore I have a duty to try this route before turning to them for assistance.
So, my long held resistance to this option has been overcome.
I am, of course, aware that there might never have been a worse moment than this to launch such an appeal. That, I know.
And I stress that I am completely committed to keeping this blog free to access. Nor I am going down the route of offering ‘rewards' for donations. I do not have the time to mail out mugs, or whatever other incentives people seem to offer. And right now there is no free book forthcoming. Nor a name in a roll of honour. These things just seem to exist to complicate the funding issue. I am simply saying that if this blog is to continue then the time has come when I need to ask for donations. It may not be able to so so otherwise.
I have no unreasonable expectation of the appeal: it may raise very little at all. Alternatively, it may wholly fund my hopes to continue working in this way. Realistically, if it could provide core funding for at least two days a week to let me be free to campaign on the issues that seem important to me, and which seem to attract people to this blog, that would be great. I do not actually want to give up working on other projects entirely, including academic ones. Their interaction with what I do here is important.
That said, the key point is that as many who take part in funding know, core funding for the purpose of thinking, which is what this blog is really all about, is very hard to secure. I once thanked the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust for giving me core funding for five years to literally let me think. From 2009 to 2014 that was utterly invaluable: many of the ideas here developed during that period. Securing grants of that sort now is nigh on impossible. But this blog cannot exist without thinking time.
If you'd like to support I would be grateful. And if you don't want to, or as importantly, you can't, that's also quite OK. You're just as welcome to keep reading. But thanks, either way.
THIS IS NOW LIVE
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Hi Richard, I’ve made a few attempts to make a donation, without success. Seems that your site won’t accept my email address. I’ll try again later.
I read your posts every day and admire greatly the work you do. Power to your pen/keyboard. You are one of the best “internet bampots” that the Scottish MSM love to malign.
Apologies: it seems we’re having a few teething issues in embedding the software, the core of which is an off the shelf package used many thousands of times but which has a great many options in it, all of which have to be ticked in the right order
And it’s very hard to keep the sight running and also run a dummy version as well…
We’ll get there
And many thanks
Very happy to donate when it’s up and running properly, Richard.
I have learned so much from it.
Is this working yet?
I am afraid not
These things have to be right…and there’s a bit of code we’re getting from the developer because for some reason it is not embedding properly
They promise it soon (I hope very soon)
But to take it all out in the meantime would cost much more and the whole point of this is that funds are limited…..
Richard if donations don’t come up to muster there is always the Big Issue. A number of us may be joining you. Keep safe. Keep well.
🙂
I got part way through it but it only appears to want card details which, me being paranoid, I won’t give. Will there be a Paypal option? If not can details be given for Direct Bank Transfers?
I am seeing if PayPal…
Totally understand your need for support.
Would it be possible to have PayPal as an option please?
Thanks
Working on it now…..
This system is now live and takes payment via card, Paypal and by direct bank payment
Setting up a monthly donation is on my to do list for tomorrow then. The work you’ve done in tackling tax abuse alone means you should be supported Richard. Of course, as a taxman I do have some skin in the game on this….
Thanks!
Appreciated
Some quite unpleasant reactions have come in to this…..
[…] wrote about the new donations box on this blog yesterday, but had to say that at that time it was not live. Getting it embedded properly took a little […]
Done Richard. Thank you.
Thank you!
I admit to being astonished by the response to this
My thanks to all who have contributed
I will mail thanks when I have worked out how to do it…
Had Birthday presents to get (for twin grandchildren, so double the cost 😉 ) in the past few days, so a bit skint at the mo! But will donate when finances have recovered a little.
I don’t understand a lot of the financial and tax stuff you post about, but figure if I keep on reading I’ll at least get some sort of clue. I do value your posts, and I’m glad you’ll get some help by having a donate button. Best of luck with it all! And best wishes from Liverpool.
Thanks Maggie
And seriously – there remains no price for reading here – everyone is welcome