David Tuller's new crowdfunding campaign (April 1, 2018)

[Starlight]

Brilliant to see everyone donating, just on my own behalf as a patient, thanks all of you. This feels so important for all of us.

Looks like there are 500 donations less than last year even though he is doing well. I would feel a lot of those people just know the campaign is happening. Maybe we need to give it an extra plug on social media and everywhere we use? You can put it in your signature so every post you make here advertises it. I don't know if it helps but it might.

 

[Esther12]

Looks like there are 500 donations less than last year even though he is doing well.

I wonder if there's any way of sending an email to those who donated last time, notifying them of the new effort? Possibly not. @dave30th ?

 

[April]

Yes donations have slowed and it might be hard to raise the full amount. How long did the campaign last in 2017?

 

[Trish]

I wouldn't suggest e-mailing former donors. It can look like hassling people. And I'm not sure data protection laws allow it unless people have given permission to be contacted.

Those interested will already know about it by now.

It is half way through the month, let's hope there are lots of people who are saving up to give a donation later in the month.

 

[Esther12]

I wouldn't suggest e-mailing former donors. It can look like hassling people. And I'm not sure data protection laws allow it unless people have given permission to be contacted.

Yeah, I assumed there must be some regulations on when people's email addresses can be used. I don't think one email would necessarily seem like hassling though (depending on whether they'd given permission for their emails to be used), or that we can assume people who donated last time are even aware of this years effort.

 

[Andy]

Something else to bear in mind is that contact via email addresses given previously may not be legal unless specific consent was given originally.

 

[BurnA]

I say the following without any specialist knowledge of this area.

I would doubt there is any law against emailing someone.
I would be even more doubtful, if that person already gave you their email address.

The main issue i think, is data protection and ensuring you don't give personal data to 3rd parties without prior consent.

But, having said that, if you're Mark Zuckerberg you get plenty of chances to say sorry, so it's nothing to worry about

 

[Trish]

I've had e-mails recently from organisations I've subscribed to newsletters from asking me to confirm whether I still want to get them as part of their data protection process. I don't know whether this is people being over cautious, or whether the law actually requires this. I kind of hope they do, because it would clear a lot from my inbox.

 

[April]

This is the new GDPR regulations which comes into force on May 25th in the UK. You have to affirm that you want contact from businesses/charities. So yes, it is the ideal opportunity to get rid of all those annoying emails.

 

[Allele]

A slow is normal in fundraisers. He's two weeks in and over 60%. This is wholly positive!
When there's a natural slow period, it's a good time for social media people to re-post it so it stays visible.

 

[Invisible Woman]

There'll be another wave, I reckon. I'm planning a second go but need to wait until closer to the end of the month.

 

[Sean]

There'll be another wave, I reckon. I'm planning a second go but need to wait until closer to the end of the month.

My donation is in two installments.

One done, one to go.

 

[Melanie]

I wonder if not having PayPal slowed things this year. (I am pretty sure he did it through a crowd rise platform last year and they did have PayPal.) Many don't dare use a credit card and have deductions from their bank account or a debit card and some will only use PayPal for security reasons.

 

[oldtimer]

Supplying a bank account number for electronic transfer is another solution....

 

[dave30th]

Thanks for all the support! Last year was on a platform called Crowdrise, and I got asked about PayPal. I'm pretty sure that wasn't available. I agree that Berkeley's platform should include that possibility. In terms of e-mailing, I've e-mailed some people from last year's campaign. I don't see any way that could be construed as harassment. People supplied their e-mails and were funding my project. At least in the U.S., there isn't a law against sending a personal e-mail to someone who has already supplied it. Many people have donated again, but obviously many have so far not. I do plan to reach out to some more people in the next few days...I'm just about at $50,000--two-thirds. The remaining amount should be doable, I think. Each time I post on Facebook or elsewhere, I assume some people see it that hadn't already seen it or had meant to donate but hadn't yet gotten around to it.

 

[Trish]

I don't see any way that could be construed as harassment.

Thanks, @dave30th, since I was the one who raised the harassment issue, please let me explain.

I don't have any problem personally with you contacting me or anyone else on the e-mail list of those who donated last time. I don't consider that harassment.

You may no be aware that in the UK there was a big fuss in the media in the last couple of years about charities repeatedly sending letters, e-mails etc to vulnerable people asking for donations which amounted to harassment. I am not in any way suggesting you are doing this. The law in the UK is in the process of changing so charities will have to ask specific permission to be able to contact people on their lists. That was the context in which I raised the issue. I was unsure whether you contacting people would come under that law.

I am very pleased to see the money coming in, and expect to donate shortly. Thank you for all your brilliant work.

 

[Matt (@DondochakkaB)]

@dave30th There's probably a few donors like me, who are holding out just to see if any matching campaigns get announced near the end like last year. I think I managed to either double or triple my donation last time

Rest assured it'll be coming in before the end of the campaign.

 

[Barry]

Just shared this to facebook again.

 

[Sunshine3]

@Dave 30th a while to go yet, I think it will come good. My husband is called David and a complete saint. But next to him, you have got to be the best David I know. We are all so grateful to you, that Aussie video showed what a super man you are, we knew it already but you really got me on that! I so hope I live to see the truth exposed and M.E getting the research money it deserves and patients getting the respect and care they deserve.

 

[Allele]

@dave30th Another suggestion I have found helpful is to post an update to the crowdfunding platform, as well as to the other ways you are sharing it, and add the request that if you can't donate now, or have already, please share again widely, which is a great contribution in itself.

In my experience those appeals always generate new activity, as people are so happy to share, they just forget and are glad to have a little reminder. Anyone else on FB etc can also add the request to please share even if donating isn't on the menu.