Author Archives: Pat

As I write this blog, we’ve blown past our million-dollar goal and are in fact well past 1.1 million dollars with more than 24 hours to go in the fundraiser.

That’s a lot of flocks of chickens. That’s a lot of cows and goats for milk. That’s a lot of bees and trees and seeds and baby ducks.

It’s a lot of families that get to take control of their own lives. It’s a lot of kids that get to go to bed with full bellies. It’s a lot of parents that can go to bed knowing with certainty that they’ll be able to feed their children tomorrow, but for always. For ever and ever.

(It’s a lot of happy people.)

I feel like we’ve done pretty well this year, so rather than attempt to exhort you into donating more, I’m going to share some stories with you. Because stories is kinda what I do….

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One of my favorite things is when people donate to our fundraiser for the first time. A lot of the time, it’s the first time they’ve donated to *any* charity. Seeing how happy it makes them makes me happy…

For the past five years, I’ve tried to donate but was not in a place to be able to do so. This year, I am, and it makes me ridiculously happy to know I’m buying some ducks for people who need them.
-Erika M

For the first time in my life I feel like I have a lot of money. Money that I earned myself. Finally I can donate to this wonderful cause! And bees, we need more bees!
-Sander T

I don’t usually have the ability to donate money to causes, but I love doing it when I can. I especially love donating to causes that have the right idea in mind. Improving lives is one thing I try to do every day with deeds and action. When I can’t do it in person, I gladly lend my money to help others do what I could not.
–Andrew F

Long time reader of the books and the blog, first time donating. This year is the first I feel economically stable enough to do so. I got married earlier this year, and we recently found out we are expecting a baby. I’m not a religious man, but when life smiles at you, one has to do as much as possible to pass that smile on.
-Pablo G

Over the years I’ve always wanted to donate and have typically [been] strapped for cash. This year despite getting engaged, going back to school, and saving to buy a house I managed to put some aside specifically for this.
-Timothy A

Some people were passing along surprise windfalls that they felt could go to better use with Heifer.

Got this rebate-in-the-form-of-a-debit-card from buying tires, of all things. Figured I should spend it on something worthwhile.
-Byron C

I started a new job as a barista for an Independent cafe in Philadelphia this year. I saved up all the change that people tipped to me. I was so surprised at how much i had when I counted it up! Thanks for all that you do!
-Adam O (total $245)

I’m getting married in two weeks. Our family and friends have been so incredibly generous, covering almost all expenses before I even had the chance to make a budget plan. Our first official wedding gift therefore, goes to Worldbuilders! Onward and Wayward!
-Ki S

Others did it in honor of a friend or family member, including some new babies in their lives:

Here is a donation from my new baby boy, Axel. His very first donation!
-Ashley F (and Axel!)

I have an infant daughter this year, and this whole parenting thing is plenty difficult even in my privileged bubble. Hopefully this will go at least a little way toward helping a parent or child in much less fortunate circumstances.
-Alex R

Donating enough for a clean water installation, because my parents have for years been raising money for the Pure Water, Pure Love campaign, which provides clean water in underdeveloped areas throughout the world. They’re my inspiration, and I couldn’t be who I am without their love and support.
-Carrlet S

My Grandfather was a farmer. He raised sheep and cattle in New Zealand for most of his life. It Was his life. When he passed away two years ago, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’m still not, this isn’t the sort of thing that gets easier over time. But, I remember seeing him smile, looking down at his herd. Maybe I can give someone else, somewhere else, a chance to do the same. Thank you, Pat, for giving me this chance to spread some good.
-Francis A

Recently my family decided that instead of traditional gifts for Christmas, we would fall back to donations to a charity if the gift recipient didn’t have anything they really needed. My family comes from an agricultural area, and my sister has, in the past, had goats. The first year we did this. She was elated to learn that I had gifted a goat in her honor to a needy family less fortunate than our own. Every year since, when I ask her what she wants for Christmas, the answer is always “A goat!”
-Michael K

Some people are using this as an opportunity to pay forward favors they received in the past.

Five years ago I was in a pretty bad place, when I met a homeless man who gave me $6 for gas money so I could make it back home. I think about that stranger often, and how he gave me literally everything he had to help me out. I’m in a much better place now, with more than enough money to spare. I wish I could find him again and return the favor… but until that happens, I’ll continue to donate to Worldbuilders and other charities in honor of that stranger. I hope my small gift of a goat will be similarly life-changing for someone else.
-Thorina S

I have received help when homeless with 5 kids, now my children are almost all grown, everyone should pay it forward.
-Theres K

In general, there’s just some damnfine people out there helping out with Worldbuilders.

My adoptive parents taught me to love reading at an early age, and in the years since no other experience has brought me as much joy as cracking into a new book and exploring the pages within. It is my hope that by making this contribution, another child will be given the opportunity to stop worrying about where their next meal or glass of clean water will come from and instead be able to concern themselves with the next book they get to read, the next game of make believe they want to play, or pursuing a higher level of education than they previously thought they could achieve.
-Jason L

I’m donating because my parents raised me well. Last December my mother was diagnosed with a particularly rude form of cancer, and in the past year she has taught me new lessons about strength, perseverance, and the impact of a positive attitude on a person’s life.
I had two separate groups of chickens when I was growing up. While these friendly little birds did teach me lessons of responsibility and the rewards of caring for beings outside of one’s self, I know that impact is but a fraction of what a flock could do for a family truly in need. I’m just sorry I can’t afford more.
-Paul W

Aaand now I’m all weepy.

Y’all are such lovely people. You’ve done so much, and you’ve made the world better through your kindness and generosity.

In the end, we’re all here to make the world a better place. And this message really hit home for me.

If you listen to the news the world seems to be full of craziness and hate but not at WorldBuilders. Here is an easy way to make the world better, have a real impact on people’s lives, and offset the negative. My donation is my down payment on the kind of world I want to live in.
-Humberto A

What a good way to look at it, Humberto. It’s really easy to be angry about the state of the world. I’m guilty of that a lot. It’s better to do something in the attempt of making the world a better place.

Thanks so much to everyone who has donated so far. Thanks for spreading the word.

Most of these stories have come from the comments that people have left when they make their donations. Like this one, obviously left by a mother on behalf of her little boy:

There are hundreds of these little stories in there. Far too many for me to share. But if you’re looking for a pick-me-up in your day,  you can go look.

Or, if you have a story of your own you’d like to share, you can leave it in the comments below.

And now, for the last time of 2017, here’s the donation link.

Let’s make our down payments on the world we want to live in.

Every year, something happens that makes us extend the end date of the fundraiser.

In the early days, it was often me gumming up the works. I’d screw up in my planning, (back before we had better people to handle the planning) or I’d get a great idea that would have fit just fine into our schedule…. if I’d thought of it two weeks earlier.

In recent years, the extensions have mostly come about for good reasons. A last-minute sponsor comes in with a cool donation and I need extra time to write a blog about it. Or we end up hosting an event or posting last-minute auctions.

I thought this year’s big last-minute excitement was going to be the table Wyrmwood donated to our prize lottery. (More on that below.)

But we were ready this year. We actually scheduled a couple extra days for last-minute additions. So our team jumped up and down with delight, we slotted the new blog into our buffer time, and patted ourselves on the back for being clever. This was it. This was going to be the year we finally wrapped up our fundraiser on schedule.

Then we got more news. THE news. The news I’m writing about today.

You see, someone out there saw what we were doing here at Worldbuilders. They thought we were cool and wanted to help.

Specifically, they want to help us raise a million dollars this year.

Here’s what they’re proposing:

If we raise $715,000, they’re going to kick in $285,000. And that will carry us to a cool million dollars.

Now here’s the truth: I was excited about us hitting $500,000 today. Half a million is a lot of dollars. It’s a huge accomplishment, and that money is going to change lives. It’s going to make a huge impact on the world. Even if we didn’t raise another dollar after today, our fundraiser would still be a huge success.

But I’m not going to lie to you. I *really* want to hit a solid million this year.

And I think we can do it with your help.

Here’s how.

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• First and foremost, we’ve extended our deadline.

The fundraiser will now be ending on Tuesday, December 12th. That gives us exactly one week to hit our goal of $715K.

This will be it though. Final deadline. If we haven’t hit it by then, we’ve missed our chance.

• Second: Asking Nicely.
  

I’m guessing those of you who read the blog or follow Worldbuilders on social media already know what we do here. I’m assuming you’ve been with us for the past three weeks, and you’ve probably made a donation or two. Maybe bid on some of the auctions. Maybe checked out a few of the team pages….

If you haven’t donated yet, I get it. There’s a lot of crazy stuff going on in the world right now. Hurricanes and fires. The holidays coming up fast…

But I’m asking, if you haven’t joined us yet, would you consider it? The simple truth is that the great majority of our fundraiser doesn’t come from huge donors. It comes from the thousands of people who kick in $20 each. (Enough for a flock of chickens) Or families that pool their resources and kick in enough for a goat ($120).

You see, together we are mighty. And there are no small donations. $20 bucks can change someone’s life.

Seriously.

If you need proof: here’s Ndiolle Faye. Two years ago, Heifer International gave Ndiolle a flock of chickens along with the tools and education needed to make good use of them.

Now she owns over 150 chickens. Her farm is thriving. She makes money from selling chickens and eggs. Her children get to eat three meals a day, every day. And for the first time in her life she has enough money to send them ALL to school, something she’s always dreamed of.

What’s more, she is sharing her prosperity with her community. Following Heifer’s tradition of Passing on the Gift, Ndiolle has given 11 other local families their own flock of starter chickens. Now they are on a similar road to self-reliance and prosperity.

I guess what I’m asking is this: Do you want to change the world? Because you can, and the price is low. Two years ago someone donated 20 dollars, and now 12 different families aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving.

A million dollars would buy a LOT of chickens. And you can help us make that happen if you donate here.

• Third: Remind Y’all about the Fabulous Prizes we’re giving away.
  

In addition to making the world a better place, I want to remind you that every $10 you donate gets you the chance to win one of the more than 5,000 fabulous prizes we’re giving away this year.

Prizes like the beautiful Wyrmwood gaming table.

(Ooooo…. Ahhhh….)

I gushed about this table in my last blog. So here I’ll just mention that it’s hands-down the most beautiful piece of furniture I’ve ever seen, and I covet it with the powerful passionate lust of a thousand suns.

It’s handmade here in the US out of Black Walnut, and were you to buy one, it would cost you more than $10,000. But you don’t need to buy it, because it can be yours if you donate $10 or more and select “GAMES” as one of the types of prizes you’d like to win.

I can’t can’t stress how beautiful this game table is. The recessed playing area can be raised and lowered. It’s amazingly well designed so you can play a game, then pause it partway through, put the cover on the table. Then eat dinner. Or do some work. Or (here’s a wild thought) play an entirely different game.

A DIFFERENT anonymous donor (We have some good people here) has agreed to cover any additional shipping costs from Wyrmwood, so the winner will be able to accept this gift without any additional expense.

If you’re more into experiences, you can also win a balcony cabin for two on JoCo Cruise.

I’ve talked about JoCo Cruise on the blog before. But in brief, I’ll just say it’s one of my favorite parts of the year. I’ve made some of my best friends on the ship. I snorkeled for the first time. I’ve learned about new music, met cool comics writers, and got to hang out and perform onstage with the folks who make Nightvale….

Also? Tequila. Or drinking Rum out of a Pineapple on a Beach. Or playing games with your fellow nerds then spending time in the hot-tub.

And you can join us. You can be on this cruise. If you donate $60 (enough for tree seedlings that will prevent soil erosion, provide nutritional diversity, and bring in extra money to a family) you get 6 chances to win this cabin (as well as all the other prizes.)

There are literally thousands of books and games you can win. In fact, our prize wall is full enough to be difficult to photograph.

And this doesn’t include ANY of the games. They just don’t fit on the shelves, so there’s BOXES and BOXES of them in our warehouse, just waiting to be shipped out at the end of the fundraiser.

The money you donate, in addition to getting us closer to our $715,000 goal, puts your name into the mix for these prizes. And if you love math, we have a wonderful little widget that shows you what your odds are of winning at least one prize… (Though people who donate over 100 bucks frequently win more than just one.)

We’ve never had so much stuff to give away. Your odds of winning are ridiculously good AND you’ll help us reach our goal of $715,000, which is to say, that you’ll help us raise a million dollars.

• Lastly and most important: Spreading the Word.

“But Pat!” I hear you say. “I’ve already donated. I wish I could help you hit a million, but I’m utterly tapped…”

Believe me, as someone who never made more than $14,000 a year before he got published, I get what it’s like when times are tight.

It turns out there’s a big way you can help us that has nothing to do with money.

You see, I’m proud of Worldbuilders. Heifer is an amazing charity. We have wonderful sponsors. This year we’re giving away more than $160,000 in prizes….

But people don’t know about us. It’s hard for us to get the word out to new people.

So… can you help us spread the word?

Do you have a blog? A podcast? A Webcomic? If you could talk about us to your people, it would help a lot….

Do you make videos on The Youtube? Are you a Twitch streamer? Can you let your audience know who we are? That we’re giving away amazing prizes in an attempt to raise a million bucks for charity?

Do you contribute to your the local paper? Your campus paper? Do you just have a regular piece of paper? You can write a note on it about Worldbuilders, then put it in a bottle, and then… I dunno. Maybe just hand it to someone? I bet that would get their attention.

You can even help us by updating your cover photo on Facebook and including a link to our donation page in the description. (http://worldbuilders.org/donate will point people right there, Or you can pick a link to your favorite team page.)

We’ve made a whole bunch of them with different messages in them. And they’re available in two layouts: as general sharing images, as well as formatted to work as a cover photo on Facebook or Twitter. You can download the ones you like best here and use them all over the place.

You can cash in your change jar. Make your own fundraising team page where you work together with your family or friends to raise enough to give a community cows or clean water.

A lot of folks I know give charitable donations for Christmas this year instead of presents. Last year, my sister gave me a picture of a goat she drew to let me know she donated. I put it on my fridge and it made me happy all year….

Tell your friends. Post about it on social media. Tweet it out to some of your favorite charitable celebrities. Donate to support teams in tonight’s StarCraft Tournament…

Barring that. The simplest, most honest way you could help us spread the word is this: Think of the person in your life who would be most interested in what we’re doing here. Think of someone who loves games. Or books. Or goats. Someone who loves sustainable farming. Someone who wishes the world were better than it is.

Then tell them about Worldbuilders. Show them this blog. Invite them to come be awesome with us.

As I type this, our donation total is $532,000. We’ve raised $40,000 dollars today, most of that after we started sharing this news on social media around 5:00.

It’s a strong start to our final week. I think we can do it.

Here’s the donation link one more time, just in case you need it for anything….

pat