#GivingTuesday – December 2nd!

Greetings, Friends of E-Democracy!

How does one help a neighbor whose home is burglarized?

#GivingTuesday

Minneapolis resident Martha Bird asked her Neighborhood Forum for ideas when an immigrant family in her neighborhood had ALL their money stolen just days before Christmas and their little girl’s birthday. She wanted to help, but felt stymied by the family’s great need, and the short time.

Three days later, Martha posted in response to the overwhelming generosity of her fellow forum members: “I was able to deliver 4 bags of gifts for mom, dad and daughter that people donated; as well as some for [the daughter’s] birthday. … Because I’ve known them over time we were able to talk in depth about the decision of where to “keep” money. We had cash donations of $130 and dad and I drove to the bank and deposited the money so the money would not be in the house. They were incredibly appreciative and thankful. … I love this neighborhood and you all as my neighbors.”

For two decades, E-Democracy has helped everyday people make a difference in their local communities.

Help us continue this work in the decades to come: Make a donation now.

We now host over 50 online community forums with nearly 28,000 members from all walks of life. We have demonstrated that all neighborhoods, regardless of income and racial/ethnic diversity, can be part of a neighborhood-level, online, integrated community — and benefit from that participation.

In addition, E-Democracy trains, coaches, and supports other organizations worldwide that seek to promote online civic engagement for the benefit of their communities. We are moving the field globally while pushing the envelope locally.

Today, E-Democracy is at a crossroads: We want to expand our reach AND make our ongoing work sustainable. We believe passionately that our service should remain non-profit and ad free. For 20 years we have funded this work through grants and ad hoc donations. But we need to build a more sustainable model to maintain and grow our services.

We need your financial support. We need every member to contribute something based on the value they receive.

Your contribution will help us:

  • Maintain and upgrade the computer technology our users rely upon.
  • Teach people how to access our services and use them effectively.
  • Recruit and support volunteers.
  • Remain open, inclusive and an alternative to completely advertising based models that impinge on your privacy.

Please support E-Democracy with a one-time or recurring donation at http://e-democracy.org/donate.

All donations are tax deductible — and greatly appreciated! Thank you so much for your support.

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Sincerely,

E-Democracy Board of Directors

Melody Ng, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, Chair
Anne Carroll, St. Paul, Minnesota USA, Secretary
Mick Souder, Durango, Colorado, USA, Treasurer
Edward Andersson, Stockholm, Sweden
Joanne Caddy, Maisons Laffitte, Ile de France, FR
Mike Huggins, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA
Matt Leighninger, Hamilton, Ontario, CA
Mary Reid, Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, England, UK
Alan Rosenblatt, Arlington, Virginia, USA
Laura Waterman Wittstock, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA