* Writing Contest Submission Window Is Now Open: Click here to enter and compete!
Dear Friends,
At long last, we have launched the Yakezie Pledge Page! Yakezie Webmaster Chris Johnson brilliantly constructed a system we devised to allow Members and registered readers alike to support our quarterly Yakezie Writing Contest (YWC). At the end of each YWC, those who have pledged will donate the money directly to the winning recipients.
For every YWC, we plan to donate a minimum of $1,000 to three winners ($600 for first place, $300 for second, $100 for third). We are confident with such a large Network, we will be able to raise more. The final amount raised will be divided into a 60/30/10 split. If we raise $2,000, for example, the winners will get $1,200, $600, and $200!
PLEDGE FOR A BETTER EDUCATION
We recognize that everybody’s financial situations are different. Giving is a very personal decision, therefore there is no right amount to contribute. Furthermore, if you are unable to pledge money, you can always help out by spreading the word about the contest through your own blog, highlight your favorite essays, and comment on those you like the most. There’s no shortage of ways to participate!
Our number one goal is to help deserving kids counteract the rising costs of education (tuition, books, after school tutoring, application fees, transportation costs) and help them succeed. Education is truly one of the most important assets to help us reach whatever goals we may have.
A great education shouldn’t be just for those who can afford it. Instead, a great education should be available to all who want it. Education is what helps us break out of the cycle of poverty. Education is what gives us the skills and the know-how to invent innovative things. Education is what sets us free!
HOW TO USE THE PLEDGE PAGE – THE MOST EFFICIENT SYSTEM POSSIBLE
Once you click over, you will see different tierings. Please pledge what you can afford to pledge. Hopefully, by running a quarterly YWC instead of a monthly competition, we are able to give even just a little.
If you would like to donate a different amount other than the set figures of $100, $50, $25, $10, you are free to click as many pledge boxes as possible to equal your desired amount. Let’s say you want to donate $35 for example, you can click one $25 pledge box and one $10 pledge box. The number of boxes are endless and it’s all up to the community.
Once you click a pledge, you agree to send your check to the winner within one week after the winners are announced. Everything is based on the honor code. If for some reason, we come up short of $1,000 due to unforeseen circumstances, Sam will make up the difference to reach $1,000. In other words, there will never be a YWC where we will give less $1,000 divided among the winners!
At the end of the contest, the Yakezie Writing Contest Committee will group together the various pledges in three different batches to equal 60/30/10 of the total amount raised. For example, let’s say we raise exactly $1,000, comprised of five $100 pledges, six $50 pledges, four $25 pledges, and ten $10 pledges. We would ask five $100 pledges and two $50 pledges to send funds to the first place winner, four $50 pledges and four $25 pledges to send funds to second place, and the ten $10 pledges to send funds to third place. We could also just ask one $100 pledge to send to third place, and figure out the rest.
The Yakezie Pledge Page provides the most transparent and efficient donation system possible. Instead of having contributors send money to the Yakezie Network, who then has to pay taxes on the proceeds before redistribution, the winners directly get the proceeds. Our system ensures that $1 pledged is 100% donated! There is no use of funds towards taxes or operational costs that leave just a fraction of what was originally donated to the deserving recipient. By sending money directly, we ensure that funds are being used entirely for what they are intended for!
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS
Once again, special thanks to our title sponsor, CarInsuranceCompanies.com where you can compare and find the cheapest car insurance deals on the web. We’d also like to thank Prosper.com, a leading peer-to-peer lending company which strives to make loans accessible to more people, in a cost efficient way, while aiming to provide higher returns for its lenders. We appreciate all our corporate sponsors who support education and give back to the community. If you would like to become a corporate sponsor, feel free to e-mail us (webmaster@yakezie.com) or visit the Yakezie Pledge Page!
The CarInsuranceCompanies.com Yakezie Writing Contest will open its vault on Monday, April 18th. Depending on how many essays we get, we will close submissions at midnight on April 22nd. Best of luck to all of you. Remember, if you never try, you will never succeed!
To pledge click here.
Regards,
The Yakezie Writing Contest Committee (YWCC)
Note: The YWC is the Yakezie Network’s micro-giving initiative. We are not a non-profit 501(c) organization. All money is raised by the Yakezie community and donated directly to willing recipients. Our goal is to simply help those who take initiative afford a better education.
For those who would like to stay anonymous, you can pledge and send the funds over to the Yakezie Network and we will send on your behalf.
Very good idea and I love the fact: “Our system ensures that $1 pledged is 100% donated!”
Yakezie is more charitable than recognized charities! (I love the pledge page – very creative!)
Thanks. We definitely want to have maximum efficiency and use of our funds, and this is the best way possible. The less intermediaries, the better! Thx for your support.
Great idea! I’m guessing I will see the pledge details on the pledge page but can we send through Paypal as well?
Hi LaTisha, best to use the Pledge Page if you would like to contribute. It makes things easier for all.
Paypal is good, however, I think one needs to be over 18 to have a Paypal account… or at least we’ve found that most all of the contestants do not have a PP account, hence can’t receive money that way. Chris and I have sent checks to the past 6 winners as a result.
Thanks!
Love it love it love it!! The pledge page looks great Sam & Chris, really nice job! I’m glad to help contribute to the cause and am really looking forward to the essays. – Sydney
Thanks Sydney for your pledge! Good to have the Untemplater community connected with Yakezie.
Love the new system but a question here. There will essentially be three winners (1st, 2nd, 3rd). How will we know which one to send money to? We don’t want the 1st place winner getting all of the money and nothing to second or third place runner-ups. Just checking.
Yep, it’s straightforward. It’s always a 60/30/10 split between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd. We will add up the pledges to equate to each split and send the contact info to each batch of contributors to send to each winner.
I am a bit confused. If I pledge $50 am I going to have to send out 3 personal checks?
No. You would send one check of $50 to one of the winners. We will add up the pledges in three different batches to equal 60%/30%/10% of the total raised i.e. the third place winner might just get one $100 check if $1,000 is raised, second place might get 6, $50 checks, and the first place 6, $100 checks.
[…] The Yakezie Pledge Page Is Live! – The Yakezie is group of bloggers that stive to excel, but also to promote acts of charity with […]
Great job guys! This is awesome!
Nice work getting the pledge page going! That is something we’ve needed!
Thanks and looking forward to seeing your name up on the Pledge Page! Do you have a Gravatar? If not, it’s easy to get one at Gravatar.com. Thanks.
Yep! I’ve got Gravatar, but it wasn’t enabled for my email address linked to Yakezie.com. Now, it is taken care of though! Should see the change in the system updated soon! Thanks for the reminder!
Nice! Your Gravatar will also appear on the Pledge Page too. Thx
Great strategy! Very wise to change the contest to quarterly, makes much more sense!!
It takes A LOT of time and effort to put the contest together. Perhaps eventually it will turn into an every two month thing, but for now, quarterly is great. Thx for your support!
I agree, the quarterly just makes more sense right now. Sam, I’m really impressed with the Yakezie. You’ve done an amazing job bringing it together. I’m proud to be apart of such an awesome group of people. The knowledge and assistance everyone offers each other is staggering at the least. What is even cooler is that the Writing Contest extends the Yakezie generosity outside of our group.
Thanks,
Timothy
Excellent idea! The quarterly contest is much more manageable than every other month.
Thanks Jennifer. Much more manageable indeed as it allows the word to get out. Hopefully now that we have the system in place, we can have a every two month lifecycle, and the Writing Contest vertical grows an automatic life of its own!
Yakezie strikes again! This is why I’m proud to be part of this community! Just pledged, excited about the contest!
Awesome Jon! I see your $25 pledge. The contestants and the YWCC appreciate your support!
[…] 18th to April 22nd at midnight. Follow the link to see this quarter’s topic and rules. The Yakezie pledge page also just went live so you can support this great writing […]
I like quarterly payments since the autodeductions from PayPal didn’t work out. Thanks for figuring out the system!
Looks and works amazing :). I have pledged my pledge with pleasure.
Three “P”s, you’re a poet! Thanks for the support!
Ha ha, and I didn’t even know it…. Seriously I didn’t realise :).
You could have made a terrible pun by saying “I have pledged my pledge with pledger.” I’m not sure how many people would have gotten it, but it would have been terrible and hilarious at the same time! :)
Thanks,
Timothy
An excellent system, Sam, and it’s definitely easier to keep track of how much is pledged (and by whom). Here’s hoping the next group of entries are just as good as the last batch.
Hi Sam!
Question for you: Do we still send 10% of ad campaigns to the Yakezie through Paypal to help support the website? Or are we now sending that money straight to the writing contest?
Thanks, and great work!
Thanks for building this system, Sam & Chris! Your hard work is much appreciated and an inspiration to me.