Get On, Clip In, Fall Off

Geek Aid - the summary

I've written the summary below to provide a more user-friendly and less wordy summary of the original article from a few days ago. Please redistribute it freely and link to it liberally if you think this is a worthwhile idea.

What is it?
Geek Aid is an international, apolitical effort to raise funds for disaster relief and development projects with the development aspect focusing particularly on grassroots IT projects in the developing world. The primary target of fundraising efforts will be individuals and companies working in the computer industry.

Geek Aid is not directly associated with any existing charity, aid agency or other NGO. Our administrative costs are expected to be met through personal donations of time and facilities, with most coordination and organisational work being done over the Internet.

On one day yet to be chosen, Geek Aid will encourage people who work in the computing industry or who otherwise associate themselves with IT to donate one day's pay - that's just two minutes a day for a salaried worker - for disaster relief, development project work and grassroots IT projects in the developing world. People who are not able to donate a day's pay will, of course, be welcome to donate a half day's pay or even an hour's pay or just the change in their pockets. It is hoped that other ways of raising funds will also be invented to help make the day a success, and that parties and other events will be held to mark the day.

The focus is on the computing industry because to the best of my knowledge there has never, to date, been a major Internet-focused international fundraising event, and computing professionals are some of the most enthusiastic adopters of such new technology. Additionally, many consultants and contractors in the IT world are particularly well-paid and therefore to be particularly encouraged to donate a day's pay! There is a secondary reason for this focus, and that is to encourage a sense of community and teamwork among the world's computer geeks, so that as a community we can point to something in the future and say "We did that".

Why is it needed?
Because even in the twenty-first century, far too many people worldwide still live in poverty and misery with little opportunity to improve their situation. Famine and natural disasters, as well as man-made disasters such as wars, still leave missions of people homeless and hopeless on a regular basis. People still starve to death because when they need it most, help is not forthcoming.

Funds are constantly needed both for emergency disaster relief efforts and for ongoing development projects designed to reduce peoples' dependency on overseas aid. As a particular area of attention for the Geek Aid project, there are also numerous projects aimed at bringing the benefits of IT to the developing world which need more attention and funding than they have been given to date.

When will it happen?
A date has not yet been chosen for Geek Aid Day. Care will need to be taken to avoid clashing with any other major appeals around the world. It is envisaged that Geek Aid Day will happen some time in the first quarter of 2005.

What will happen to the money?
Many people today are getting jaded by the increasingly professional fundraising techniques which major charities are using in an attempt to grab as much as possible of the limited amount of money which members of the public are willing to donate, and many people are also sceptical about how much of the money they donate goes directly to where it's needed. Geek Aid intends to provide complete transparency, in order to demonstrate exactly what money is being spent on.

Monies collected by Geek Aid will be used to provide necessary supplies, materials and other logistical backup in the following areas and approximate proportions (provisional numbers):

1. Disaster relief and other emergency assistance: 45%
2. Ongoing projects aimed at developing long-term independence: 35%
3. Grass-roots IT projects in the Third World: 20%

Administrative costs charged to the fund itself are planned to be zero, with any necessary costs incurred being hopefully paid by sponsorship if this proves necessary. Funds that are not used immediately, as is particularly the intention for the disaster relief fund, will be kept available in interest-bearing accounts.

Every penny which is spent will be accountable to the people who donated it. To this end, full accounts and records of spending and income will always be available for perusal on the Internet. Everybody involved should be able to have a say in how the money is spent.

What do we need to do?
If you're at all intrigued by the above, then please take a moment to think of what YOU can personally do to help make this happen. Some people have already volunteered to assist, but a lot more organisation and effort will be needed if this is going to happen and be a success. Things which are needed in the early phases of the project are: people to do web design, publicity (are you a journalist or someone with PR connections? Get in touch, talk to editors and help give us momentum!), donations of web hosting and other facilities as may become necessary, pledges to participate on the day whether in the form of financial donation or organising parties and events or whatever, ideas for other fund-raising activities which could be used to supplement income from the main appeal, and - above all - links, links and more links to this article! Link it. It doesn't matter if it's just a link with no commentary on a weblog - link this article and help make something happen.

CONTACT: Mike Knell, mpk@uffish.net
WEB: http://uffish.net/ will carry Geek Aid updates until the campaign's own website is in place at http://www.geekaid.org/. The original article suggesting the idea of Geek Aid can be found on uffish.net.