Weirding Word®

SOPA and PIPA = Big Brother Infringement on Our Rights

SOPA and PIPA would effectively make YOU responsible for the content of websites that you link to on your own website or blog. It would also give individuals and private businesses the power the shut down YOUR website.

Copyright and intellectual property protection are important, but these bills go too far and inhibit the free exchange of information that is a cornerstone of our democracy. Contact your congress(wo)man and senators to oppose SOPA and PIPA. Look them up on Sopa Track at http://sopatrack.com/. Then call them and tell them what you think.

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a publishing house that promotes engaging books and novels, and provides editorial, design and marketing services.

Copyright 2007-2012 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Successful Nonprofits Use Multiple Channels to Raise Funds

The New York Times reports that a recent study conducted by Target Analytics shows that online donors usually give only once via the Internet, later giving through traditional challenges.

Researchers analyzed donor activity in 24 nonprofit organizations and online giving data in half of those, finding continued giving via the Internet was rare. Although online donors give at a higher rate and in larger amounts, they don't sustain online activity. Roughly 12% of online donors repeated their giving via the Internet. At the same time, online giving is on the rise.

Fundraisers speculated that the one-time giving practice could be due to a number of factors, including the:

• tendency of donors to give via traditional mail;
• fact that national and natural disasters spark waves of giving in response to urgent need; and
• relatively new world of online fundraising, which nonprofits haven't yet mastered.

What it all comes down to is diversifying fundraising - combining online, direct mail, phone appeals, corporate and foundation relations, major gifts and other strategies - is essential to long-term sustainability. And, nonprofits must learn how to harness and leverage the increase in online donations.

Read the full story at NYT and download the report at Target Analytics.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com


Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2007-2009 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Tuskegee Airmen Witness the Inauguration of Barack H. Obama

After so many years of being overlooked and left out of our nation's accounting of WWII history, the Tuskegee Airmen finally received the recognition of our government when awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2006.  For the Inauguration of America's 44th President, Barack H. Obama, the Tuskegee Airmen were invited to attend the swearing in ceremony as special guests.  These war and civil rights heros rode through the streets of DC with a police escort to witness the historic event, which was made possible, due in large part, to their sacrifices and service all those years ago.

Here are a few pictures from my photo album -- from police escort to the ceremony.  My grandfather, Woodrow W. Crockett, Sr. (Lt. Col. USAF Ret.) is sporting the ultra cool shades and green jacket.  You might also notice Don King's signature white shock of hair. He stopped by and got the crowd cheering for the Airmen.  And, even though we had great seats, we were lucky enough to be right near a jumbo tron.  Even these much younger eyes had trouble seeing our new president.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com 

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2007-2009 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.

Elegy for Copyeditors

In today's online issue of The New York Times, Lawrence Downes waxes poetic about the often forgotten, seldom appreciated copyeditor. Read about his journey to the Newseum in DC and the lack of representation of this noble profession in the new museum's exhibits.

Gaea Honeycutt
blog@weirdingword.com

Weirding Word®, a division of G.L. Honeycutt Consulting, LLC, is a virtual publication department that provides editing, freelance writing, and publication and web design services.

Copyright 2008 Gaea L. Honeycutt. All rights reserved.