Would anyone like to join us on Google Talk tonight at 9PM Central time for a meeting? Download and install Google Talk, it's free, then send me a message so I can add you to the contact list and invite you to the chat. (Find out what time it will be in your time zone.)

For tonight's meeting, we are going to begin working on the by-laws. We have some sample by-laws to get guidance from, and we will go through a section at a time developing our own. I imagine we'll get through 2-3 sections per meeting.

I hope to hear from you!

ETA: We just finished our meeting, and we are going to go again tomorrow night at the same time. Please join in if you have the time. Everyone's input is very valuable to us.

 And has this been hard to keep under wraps! 
 

Okay, as we have been saying, we are working toward becoming a 501(c)(3) registered organization in the U.S.

So far, we have incorporated as a not-for-profit in the state of Illinois. The fees involved with that were $50.

Then we had to register with the county recorder of deeds. $25 fee.

Then we had to register with the States Attorney General. $15 fee. (Annual reports will also require a $15 fee.)

Or so we thought. It turns out that the information on the site about existing for less than one year applies only to the things we have to report, however, if we have solicited any money at all before registering with the Attorney General, we are considered late. $200 fee.

When/if we go to the IRS to register on the federal level, we know it is a $300 fee.

We also have to write by-laws and/or a constitution for our group.

So! What does this mean to you? What are your suggestions for covering these administrative fees?

We want your donations to go to the charities. We want your donations to be tax-deductible. In order to make both of those things happen we have to be able to cover these fees as well. So far, we have been splitting them between Brande, Rebecca, and I, but there are also the costs of going to events to promote FR, delivering the donations to the charities, printing materials, etc.

Basically, we are looking for ideas. Ideas, fresh brains, volunteers to sit in on chat sessions and email sessions when we have to toss around plans.

On the other hand, if you think all of this effort is not worth it, we can begin the process of dissolution of the corporation. Will the third campaign be successful? Will a fourth? Call me crazy, but personally (speaking for just myself here) I want to know everyone else is still as invested as I am.

(ETA: To be clearer, dissolving the NFP corporation in the state does not mean ending Fandom Rocks. It just means we are no longer moving toward becoming an official NFP.)

Another option is covering the fees (state/federal only) from donations and making it clear when and how much.

Please tell us what you think. We'll take all the comments and work out a plan. If you'd rather email us, we're cool with that as well.

Okay, it's posted. That makes it official. =)

Here's to a successful third campaign!

Here are some of my fun stats ...

Did you know if each member of this group donated $10, we would be 75% to our goal? If each member of the Facebook group donated $10, too, we'd be at our goal with a little bit extra.

That means skipping two visits to the coffee shop over the next five months.

Or, skipping the movies once.

Or, not buying half of a TV DVD set. ;)

We could really rock this campaign, guys, but we do need you.

Hello all!

I'm a bit late in posting this information but I hope you'll forgive me. This coming weekend, the Holiday Inn here in St. John's, Newfoundland is hosting the second annual SciFi on the Rock convention. There are going to be many guests, including Brian Downey (aka Stanley Tweedle for you Lexx fans), the Vader Party and none other but the original Boba Fett himself - Jeremy Bulloch. ** I'm a Star Wars geek too, what can I say? ** In addition to the guests, there are going to be many workshops (the lightsaber technique workshop drew the biggest crowd last year), talks, Q&As, as well as the games like GeekSurvivor, where the biggest Geek wins!
And yes, there will most likely be a showdown between the Trekkies and Jedis. :)

On top of all of this, yours truly will be there, manning the table all on her lonesome, promoting the fantasticness that is Fandom Rocks and our show Supernatural. So if you're in the area, come down and say hello or just ask everyone if they're Rebecca until someone says yes. Last clue: I'll either be in a P!WT or Zelda shirt.
Don't be shy for the love of God or else I'll end up spending two days from 9-5 studying for the MCAT and can I just say, "Sometimes procrastination is a welcome thing"? :D

For all the particulars and a bit more, check out the official website here.

If you don't need particular particulars, here are the dates, times and the place:
April 19-20;
9am - 6pm;
Holiday Inn, Portugal Cove Rd, St. John's, NL

(I am on the road to Philadelphia, so I will try to keep this short.) =)

( On Sunday, I drove from Champaign to Lawrence ... )

( Pictures. )

This is basically a recap of my personal post, as I tend to add some more personal details there.


Many thanks again to Angela for her time this weekend, and her dedication. Thanks also to all the Marines in the Wounded Warrior unit, as well as their brothers and sisters in arms worldwide for their service.

Okay, after attempts to post this via LJTxt, mobile posting, blah blah blah, I am making a pitstop for grub and found a Quizno's with free wireless. Yay!

I am on my way to Lawrence and should get there around 5PM their time. Plans for tonight include Target, Kinko's, and the community shelter. I am hoping to find some clearanced items at Target to donate to the shelter. Why Kinko's, you ask? We get to walk in the parade with the LHS tomorrow, and I have candy to throw. I want to tape a FR bookmark to the candy. I already have a design from Chicago, but I want to add information on the return of SPN episodes. Ideas?

=)

I will check email and send in the order tonight so I can pick it up ASAP in the morning.

Back to the road!

ETA: I'm here! We've had food, gone to Target, and I am getting the bookmark ready. How does this sound for on the back?

Did you know fans of the television series Supernatural
have donated over $2,500 to the Lawrence community?
Discover their show when it returns April 3rd on the CW.
Watch episodes online now at www.cwtv.com/shows/supernatural.
Learn about their fundraising efforts and charities at
www.fandom-rocks.com.

As I type, I believe Brande is well on her way to visit the IMSFF. She will be delivering the donation tomorrow. Hopefully there will be pictures.

Myself, I am heading to Lawrence again to visit the Humane Society on Monday. Travel day is Sunday, so if anyone wants to head that way, too, that'd be awesome! I may have enough time to check-in with our friends at the shelter, too. It would be great to see how they are doing.

Don't forget the poll on the web site closes tomorrow!

If you have questions, don't by shy, just ask!

Heads up! I am aiming to go to the Lawrence Humane Society on Monday, March 17. They will be participating in the local St. Patrick's Day parade, and I am hoping to get video (or at least pictures) of the parade and facilities while I am there.

In case you missed it, LHS is placing a plaque in their building for Fandom Rocks due to our donation. We have the opportunity to contribute to the text that will appear on the plaque. The standard is about 4 lines - 2 larger font, 2 smaller font. Let's have some ideas! I want to send our choice ASAP so the plaque can be on display when I deliver the donation. =D

( Ideas. )

ETA: There is an update on the web site, and I am sending it to the announcement list in just a few minutes ...

ETA #2: I sent the following to LHS because it seemed like the idea of the date, show mention, and work/energy/love was what people liked, and their director said it would fit no problem!

Fandom Rocks
March 1, 2008
From fans of the CW's Supernatural,
in support of the work, energy, and love you provide.

No, not for president, although that's coming up soon enough for the Americans in the crowd....

Vote for your chosen charities!

As of this moment, there are 3 charities currently in the lead (2nd place is a two way tie that we NEED broken!)... so please let us know where YOU want to see YOUR contributions go... Poll closes March 15th so don't forget to vote today!

And while you're there, make sure  you check out the links Dana has added to the various upcoming conventions (LA isn't all that far away.....)

In other news: 

1. We're currently wrapping up Campaign #2, which was a sucess once again! We'll post final figures once we've got them.
2. Brande is currently working with the folks at the Marine Corps Semper Fi Fund to arrange the official "hand-off" of donations. Stay tuned!
3. Dana is working with the Lawrence Humane Society to try to arrange her own hand off of funds, as well as hammer out the details regarding our  "donor recognition" permanently at the shelter itself. We'll keep you posted on that too!
4. We are looking at the possibility of meeting up with fans at some of the upcoming conventions. More word on that as plans are finalized. 

As always, Fandom Rocks strives to make sure that 100% of your contributions are forwarded to the charities the fans have selected.  So while the money will *always* be delivered to the charities at the end of the campaigns, our ability to appear to do so in person is strictly contingent on work and other limitations. :)   

In other words - just a reminder (or information for those just joining us): we don't use YOUR money to pay for OUR expenses to deliver funds or attend conventions!

Short version:


Less short version:
We are one week away from the end of Campaign #2! I can't believe it. Can you? Things that happened during the past six months:

- We interviewed both of our charities.
- We had a presence at the Chicago Creation convention.
- Fans organized an awesome fundraiser dinner/raffle for Fandom Rocks.
- We interviewed Sera Gamble. Dude.
- We chatted with Keith DeCandido and podcasted with him. Seriously.

- We reached our $2,000 goal.

Now comes the time of delivering our donations. One of our charities has an office in California. The other is in Lawrence, Kansas. I believe Brande is going to be able to personally deliver our donation in CA. I would love to trek to Lawrence again to deliver the donation to the Humane Society. These things will most likely happen the weekend of March 7. It is all very much in the stage of 'Dana's brain is thinking these things' and not planned yet.

Just like last time, we would love to have fans involved. We will post here when we have concrete plans and information.

Are you excited? I know I am. =)

Click here for the Pop Matters Blog piece all over LJ-fandom - Scroll about two thirds of the way down.


Relevant portion - minus a great pic of Dana - below:

In the vendor’s room, where fans can buy T-shirts, photos, and collectible plates, there’s a table set up by Fandom Rocks [www.fandom-rocks.com], a fan-run organization that encourages donations to fan-approved charities. Some of the selected charities refer to series arcana, such as the Lawrence Animal Shelter (in Lawrence, Kansas, home town to Supernatural’s fictitious Winchester family), and explains the otherwise slightly opaque choice of the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (Papa Winchester was in the Marine Corps).

The initiative is based on a similar venture in the Buffy fandom. Bowing to Supernatural’s international audience, Fandom Rocks also gives to charities such as SOS Children’s Villages. Charitable donation campaigns are not exclusive to female-dominant fandom: Star Trek devotees can give to disaster relief funds, for example. But it’s less likely that you’d find Trekkers giving systematically to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) via an online auction of fan-created products, as the Supernatural fandom did last year as part of an action called Sweet Charity, ultimately raising more than $14,000. Even in philanthropy, the fangrrls seem to prefer doing it as part of a complex social interaction, rather than just an individual financial donation. 

In case you are not on our announcement list or missed it on the web site, here is the press release we just sent out. =)

---

( Under here. )

ETA: Don't worry if the site seems to be down for you tonight/today. Our web host is doing maintenance. (ARGH.)

ETA2: Site is back up! Finally. Sheesh, they said 8 hours downtime, and it turned into 12. *choke*

---

You see, it's been a crazy few months. There were the holidays, there was this massive work project, there was the blizzard, then the rain, now the semi-lake-yard thing I have going on, and all the time I kept thinking ... I haven't been on LJ forever. I haven't had time for Fandom Rocks forever. When will the strike end?! When will we have our episodes back?!

Not to mention ... it's February?!! Our campaign ends in a few weeks, wow we need to get in gear!

Then you guys step up and make us so proud of fandom. In less than, what, four hours? You pushed us to the goal for Campaign #2.

Fandom Rocks Campaign #2 has reached $2000!
Thanks to you!

All donations and store purchases from now until February 29th just mean you are even more awesome!

** Don't forget, I am covering Paypal fees as part of my personal donation, and even though we reached $2000, your donation will still be very welcomed by our two charities! **

Supernatural fandom rocks!

Okay, Fandom Rockers! How's everyone feeling about the latest episodes? I know, it's been a long, hard haul with the hiatus and the writer's strike, but we thank you for hanging in with us and our show.

What's going on for Fandom Rocks? Well, we have three weeks' left in our second campaign, and it's really coming down to the wire. We're JUST $450 shy of meeting our $2,000 goal - to be divided between the Semper Fi Fund and the Lawrence Humane Society. Donations have kind of lagged recently (Yeah, we're feeling that post-Christmas, no new episodes, wintery blahs too!)

But guess what! If we can get that $450 and meet our goal, the Lawrence Humane Society has agreed to put the Fandom Rocks NAME on the shelter - permanently. How's that for a promotion for the show and the fandom? (and it's in Lawrence!) 

I don't know about you, but that's something I'd love to be able to write "Our Boys" and be able to say we've accomplished (not to mention, a great ego boost for all the returning cast and crew if this strike ends soon like we all hope!) .... So let's get this moving!

Just like last campaign, we're in the final mile. Are you willing to join us for a third campaign? If so, let us know... we'll be setting up the voting on the website in the next few days. Drop by and cast your vote for the charities of choice for Fandom Rocks, Campaign Three. 

In other news, there's a ton of conventions coming up and Dana, Rebecca and I are doing what we can to try to arrange to be at least ONE of them. Of course, there will be more information on that once we know more. If you're also attending a convention, we hope to see you there! Bring your Fandom Rocks gear and we'll probably find YOU in the crowd!

Podcasts are still in the works for 3.08, 3.09 and 3.10 - have something you want to share about those? Let us know! We'd love to have YOU join US for the episodes too.

If you are like us, you found yourself running out of time these past few weeks. Sleep became a luxury. Days when work was supposed to be light and airy became heavy and slow. The weather decided it would be funny to dump snow, rain, or ice on you. (Well, maybe not those of you south of the equator.)

Of course, this doesn’t mean things have stopped at Fandom Rocks. We are still here! The Frontline is still working in the background on non-for-profit tasks and future events. We hope you haven’t forgotten about us. We certainly haven’t forgotten about you or those our charities help.

Charity is a huge part of the holiday season. Some friends have opted to make donations instead of sending cards. Some choose to ask for donations on their wishlist rather than gifts. If you choose to donate this season, we hope you will consider our charities. Remember, you can donate directly to them, and if you let them know it is a part of Fandom Rocks we will add it to the tally and donor’s list on the donate page.

Be safe, happy, and healthy. We will see you in 2008!