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Hey, all! So, the main reason that the real Scholastic Book Fair came to your local school was as a fundraiser to help classrooms get the materials they needed. Since we're taking the same name to warm your heart with nostalgia and memories of safety scissors and Shel Silverstein books, why not try to help out with the same purpose? So, to that end, this thread is all about raising money for charities designed to foster literacy. Below, I have some suggestions on charities that are known and have high ratings from Charity Navigator, but I'm happy to get suggestions on other charities people have had success with on any end of the donating/supporting/running/receiving spectrum. Right now, our major reward - besides knowing that you're doing a great thing and helping children develop a passion for reading which may, someday, with hope, turn into an encyclopedic knowledge of the Extended Star Wars Canon - is a gangtag! For those who qualify, the sex ghost - or possibly other people he hasn't revealed to me - has put together  as a gangtag! But if there are other things that people would want as rewards and which an IK can deliver, say so and we can work it out!Okay, so, if you're interested, here's what you can do: Just Donate: Okay, so this is pretty straight-forward. Donate, and provide a screencap receipt in this thread (please remove all personally identifying info from the screencap first) for $15 (or equivalent foreign currency) or more and we'll throw a gangtag at you. Take a Challenge: So, in additional to the Scholastic Book Fair, when I was a kid we'd do Read-A-Thons to raise money for our school. You'd pledge to read a certain number of books, go around to your neighbors and ask for donations on a per-book-read basis, and after your parents had verified you had read all of the books you claimed, you'd go around like a little loan shark collecting those pledges. Obviously, that may not be a perfect model here- it's hard to trust a goon who claims he read 200 books in one week, and especially when an account claims to be his mother to verify he did read those books, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility, either, these forums are weird. So maybe come up with your own pledge! Say you'll read two dozen Piers Anthony books and give mini-reviews! Say you'll read Stephen King's It and also re-write the underage sex scene to something much much much less creepy! Come up with some weird book-related pledge that captures the minds of goons and gets pledges (see below) and you'll get a gang tag. Make a Pledge: Does a goon challenge seem fun and you want to encourage it? Pledge some money for it being done, or 10 cents for each word written, or $1 for each book read, or whatever. Once the challenge is fulfilled, pay your pledge, get a gang tag! If the pledge turns out to be insane - like you pledged per word and didn't realize the main character would recite the John Galt speech four times in a row, then once more ironically - drop it because this is about having fun, not about being weird rules lawyers and you can still Just Donate to get a gang tag! So the goal here is to have fun and entertain each other, and if we fail at that and Just Donate to a bunch of charities, that's still an awesome thing. Okay, so for suggested charities - all of which are 3 or 4 star rated with Charity Navigator and have a Platinum transparency rating from GuideStar: * Reading is Fundamental - probably the biggest literacy foundation in the United States, RIF partners with schools and communities to help set standards for literacy and achieve them through free books for children, free resources for teachers, guidance for teachers on best practices and approaches for teaching literacy, and cloud-based libraries for children to access thousands of books they would otherwise never see. * Ferst Readers - the Ferst Readers program focuses upon helping individual children develop reading skills and a regular reading habit by sending enrolled children a new book each month until their fifth birthday, at no cost to the children's families. At this point they have sent nearly 7 million books to over 300,000 children. They also send resources to parents to help parents develop their children's literacy skills. * Room to Read - a global organization focused on donating materials to local school libraries in the local language, and in training teachers and librarians on how to develop their students' literacy skills. They also advocate to governments on how to scale successful local literacy programs and bring them to other communities. * Books for Africa is... okay, I'm assuming here you're literate because you're posting in this forum and so you can probably guess what they do and where. "What it says on the tin" as the British put it. Anyways, they've delivered over 55 million books to children all over Africa and hundreds of computers and e-readers, and with your support, they can donate even more. I'm happy to take any suggestions for new charities to highlight, new things to offer if people want to draw avatars or other things an Idiot King can make happen - post it up and let's raise some money for a good cause!
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Apr 3, 2023 05:08
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And let me put my own money where my mouth is.
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Apr 3, 2023 05:16
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Thank you skeleton warrior you are a star! The excellent gangtag was made by disaster pastor so many thanks to them as well, and thanks to anyone who decides to take part because you're doing a good thing!
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Apr 3, 2023 05:44
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A suggestion for a charity that might be worth considering is The Internet Archive which a) helped keep me from going nuts during the days of covid lockdowns and b) is currently under legal fire in a case that, as I understand it, will impact all libraries quite negatively if they lose - basically the right of libraries (and the internet archive) to keep and lend out digital works without it being copyright infringement is being challenged.
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Apr 3, 2023 05:55
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 Donated plus 1% to cover transaction fees because nobody likes them. Would have done a fun challenge but actual reading time is currently taken up by studying so would have had to do a quid for every page of the driest textbooks you've seen in your life
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Apr 3, 2023 14:30
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Sure, I'll do a good thing
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Apr 3, 2023 22:46
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 If this isn't enough let me know and I can clip more of the paypal receipt, that's the only one I've gotten so far though. No way I could pass up a Book It! tag for a great cause.
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Apr 4, 2023 00:27
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Leraika posted:A suggestion for a charity that might be worth considering is The Internet Archive which a) helped keep me from going nuts during the days of covid lockdowns and b) is currently under legal fire in a case that, as I understand it, will impact all libraries quite negatively if they lose - basically the right of libraries (and the internet archive) to keep and lend out digital works without it being copyright infringement is being challenged. I am not going to nitpick charities! If someone wants to donate to the Internet Archive, rated gold by Charity Navigator, I will happily give them a gang tag for it. Cthulu Carl and Mind over Matter, I’ve submitted the paperwork, so gang tags should be on their way to you shortly! Thank you both so much for donating, you’re awesome!
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Apr 4, 2023 04:36
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Okay, so hear me out. I am books. I read 10-12 books a month. I've been working in libraries for over 25 years. I'm taking classes in book repair and restoration with the end goal of getting certified by the AAB. I run a book club. I sell books to afford my book (and postcard and Magic the Gathering card) habit. I've even written a book. Make me a challenge, goons. Some ideas: --An LP of as many of the Fabled Lands original books as I can find. --A Let's Read of some of the weird-rear end books in my personal collection. Maybe bonus points for an LR in every major subforum? --A Let's Read, but from a selection the science fiction/fantasy/horror/spec fic books I sell. --Actually doing some of the book challenges one or the other of my workplaces comes up with, like book bingo --Reviewing each of the book club books we've done since the club's inception in 2019. --Go on a deep dive for book fair materials of yore. Please help me think up dumb literary/library-related stuff to do for charity.
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Apr 4, 2023 20:39
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I brought my Drake posted:Okay, so hear me out. I'm curious; I'll pledge .75 for every book club book you review.
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Apr 4, 2023 20:46
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I brought my Drake posted:--An LP of as many of the Fabled Lands original books as I can find. This one sounds good to me, in particular! On the topic, let me know if you are aware of any good webstores to get these from, if you happen to know and don't mind me asking!  Theoretically I still have a slightly battered copy of the first one (War-Torn Kingdom) somewhere, but I've never found the newer books anywhere down here, throughout my life. So I wouldn't mind going through these myself, at some point.
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Apr 5, 2023 02:49
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I brought my Drake posted:--Go on a deep dive for book fair materials of yore. I'll pledge €20 for this
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Apr 5, 2023 11:32
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Why not. Book-It me please.
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Apr 6, 2023 00:53
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 i'm also getting a free mug for this donation so it feels like i'm double dipping a little
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Apr 6, 2023 03:11
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I'll gladly support a good cause! (I'm also submitting through my employer's charity matching program to double it up.)
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Apr 6, 2023 21:45
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So many generous souls in the book fair! Heartwarming stuff. Will put through the gangtags today at some point when I'm at my buttons if someone else doesn't get to them first
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Apr 7, 2023 08:17
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I donating to room to read I know that there is a lot of strife and tough times for kids in developing or poor nations. I had a troubled start in life and reading allowed me to escape from things that hurt so hopefully this helps. 
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Apr 7, 2023 15:39
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This is a great idea!
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Apr 8, 2023 20:42
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I’m in  and the literacy charities I’m familiar with are sufficiently local that I’m not going to post a receipt, however I did toss 50$ to my local public library network which is  and I know they’ll make great use of it (on top of the usual amazing library stuff they also have programs designed to help newcomers to Canada who need to brush up on English language skills and gain local work experience and connections, libraries rock).
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Apr 9, 2023 06:21
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Oh, hell yeah
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Apr 10, 2023 01:17
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I was going to recommend room to read but saw you already had them! A great cause
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Apr 11, 2023 20:40
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I brought my Drake posted:Okay, so hear me out. A let's read of one book from each country in [insert region of your choice here]
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Apr 11, 2023 20:41
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Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! We should be caught up on gang tags.
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Apr 13, 2023 04:41
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 edit: I'll donate my tag to kaom from upthread for donating to their local library Enfys fucked around with this message at 17:56 on Apr 14, 2023 |
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Apr 14, 2023 13:25
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no gang tag please. give it to someone else at random Leraika posted:I'm curious; I'll pledge .75 for every book club book you review. this is interesting. i would also like to float the idea of book bounties so that people with less disposable income can also take part in this. for example, get someone to do a 100word review of something they've been intending to read but never got round to it, and then donate on their behalf. or put up a reward for reading some terrible romance novel or something.
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Apr 14, 2023 14:12
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Am I allowed to have three sweet rear end gang tags (in total) if I donate?
haljordan fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Apr 15, 2023 |
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Apr 15, 2023 16:58
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haljordan posted:Am I allowed to have three sweet rear end gang tags (in total) if I donate? I believe so? Other people in this thread with this tag have three, and no one has told me I can't give someone a third. Enfys posted:
Done! Thank you for donating! Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:this is interesting. i would also like to float the idea of book bounties so that people with less disposable income can also take part in this. Absolutely! That's part of the idea of taking a challenge - to let people raise money and earn a tag without having to donate! So, y'know what? I brought my Drake posted:Make me a challenge, goons. I'm in as well. $.50 each book you review. Inexplicable Humblebrag posted:no gang tag please. give it to someone else at random Huh. Okay, there are 42 main forums. Easiest way to deal with that is to give each one 2% each and re-roll 85 - 100.  Forum 01. Okay, first forum is this one, so that's a bit straightforward. 40 threads on the first page, and randomizing 40 is easy.  Okay, so right now that's this thread:  Roll a die for page number gets us  And then 40 posts on each page, so once again  And that post is:  Someone who already has it. WTF. Edit: Yeah, okay, I'm gonna reach out to Carl and see what he wants to do with it, hopefully he'll choose a new random way to do it skeleton warrior fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Apr 17, 2023 |
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Apr 17, 2023 05:10
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I'll try to come up with a resolution method sometime today. We'll see how busy work is, how tired I am, and how much I'd rather post like an idiot instead of think.
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Apr 17, 2023 12:54
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the sex ghost posted:Thank you skeleton warrior you are a star! The excellent gangtag was made by disaster pastor so many thanks to them as well, and thanks to anyone who decides to take part because you're doing a good thing! I've gotten swamped with work and life stuff and have not been able to be as involved in the book fair as I'd hoped, so I can't do a fun challenge-related thing, but I can't let this go without getting the gangtag I actually made, wtf. $25 to Reading is Fundamental and then an extra $10 to the Internet Archive because why not.  It's getting a little cramped under my username, please replace Only Trust Your Fists.
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Apr 17, 2023 18:54
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skeleton warrior posted:Someone who already has it. WTF. I really appreciate you going through all the trouble to roll those dice and ending up with this result.
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Apr 18, 2023 03:29
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skeleton warrior posted:Someone who already has it. WTF. OK, I couldn't think of a better way, so I'm just doing what you did, with the modification of not rolling for forum so it's a Book Fair post that is selected and not some rando in AI who's been minding their own posting about crankshafts. So out come the click-clack math rocks. What thread are we using?  Which currently looks to be...  OK! Only 16 posts, so let's hope I don't roll 17 or higher...  OK! Here we go. Please don't have the tag, please don't have the tag, please don't have the tag...  Oh thank god. Looks like the new winner is forums user BrownPepper!
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Apr 18, 2023 03:31
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Outstanding, thank you! I can only give them the tag if they post in here, so unless the sex ghost sweeps in to tell me otherwise, I'll reach out to them to let them know their prize. Edit: disaster pastor posted:I've gotten swamped with work and life stuff and have not been able to be as involved in the book fair as I'd hoped, so I can't do a fun challenge-related thing, but I can't let this go without getting the gangtag I actually made, wtf. $25 to Reading is Fundamental and then an extra $10 to the Internet Archive because why not. Whoops! Missed this one, and of course! It should be on its way. skeleton warrior fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Apr 18, 2023 |
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Apr 18, 2023 04:33
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I have swooped to give brown pepper the good news
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Apr 18, 2023 07:15
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Hey thank you for the tag! It's about time one of my posts paid off... I hadn't seen this thread, but I loved the Scholastic Book fair and the Bookit program as a kid. I went ahead and made a donation because libraries are great and could use the support. Good job everyone who helped put this together. https://imgur.com/a/AjyszEO
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Apr 18, 2023 16:05
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Thank you so much for your donation!
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Apr 18, 2023 17:11
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skeleton warrior posted:I believe so? Other people in this thread with this tag have three, and no one has told me I can't give someone a third. Noice!!! 
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Apr 21, 2023 00:34
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What's noice is that donation, thank you! also if this breaks the forums it'll make a great content for the PYF SA Legends forum so let's try
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Apr 21, 2023 03:58
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Yeauhhh. Now I kinda want some pizza.
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Apr 21, 2023 14:54
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hello: donated and donated to cover fees. reading is FUNdamental.
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Apr 22, 2023 09:22
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Shutting up and putting up - because all it took was the promise of a little animated GIF to get me to donate to the most important website on the internet.
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Apr 23, 2023 20:36
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