Announcing the Holidailies Charity Project

It's Holidailies time, and as I mentioned in a previous blog posting we're reorienting a bit this year. One goal is to recapture the idea that Holidailies is a gift ("the gift of our prose") from the Holidailies participants to the people who visit and support our personal web sites.

In years past we solicited people to be Holidailies sponsors and buy banner advertisements. Our goal was to raise enough money to cover server costs for the Holidailies period. Each year the community would come through and we'd meet that goal.

We aren't doing that this year. Jette and I are fortunate to have jobs that are stable, pay us well, and won't give us black lung disease. It hasn't been that way every year, but it is this year, and we're grateful. We're in the enviable position of being able to support it all ourselves.

So we thought, how about taking all that generosity that the Holidailies community has shown in years past, and direct it in some positive fashion? Thus, the idea for the Holidailies Charity Project was born.

Here is the gist: As a community, let's choose one deserving organization. Then on an appointed day, let those who can do so offer a modest donation (say $10) to that organization, and encourage their readers to do so too.

Currently, 311 people are registered for Holidailies in some fashion. If a quarter of those people donates $10 and gets just two of their web site readers to do so too, that's $2310. That'll sure buy some holiday cheer for a deserving group.

Here is how it works.

On Thursday, Dec. 6, the Holidailies writing prompt will be to write about the Holidailies Charity Project. We'd like to hear your thoughts, especially on which charity should be selected for the project. Jette and I are thinking that an organization dealing with literacy or reading would be a good choice, but we're open to all ideas.

If you're a portal participant and you write about this, please be sure that you include the word charity or the tag HCP in your portal entry. That way we can be sure we'll spot and read your post. If you are an At Home participant and you write about this, please email webmaster [at] holidailies [dot] org so we can be sure to read your entry.

Jette and I will read all your comments and ideas. Then, we'll make a final proposal for how and when this all will happen.

Dec 6 update: Also, be sure to read Jette's take on this project.