I need your help. There's no other way to say it.
In order to keep eMOM up and running in 2010 I'm personally asking for your help. Many of you have come to know me from this blog, Twitter, Facebook or other social networking sites if you've been following along with me on a personal level you may know that I'm now a single parent of two small children. What you may not know is that eMail Our Military was my full time job even though I didn't take a paycheck. As the founder, I didn't think that was appropriate.
Since eMOM's inception in 2001 I'd always covered all costs out-of-pocket. In 2003, we had to start charging a $2.00 registration fee to cover the costs of paper, ink, envelopes, etc. just to survive. Now, 9 years later, as a single parent struggling to survive with two small kids I find myself in a position where I can't support my family and this charitable organization and it breaks my heart. You know how much I've given to our troops and this organization.
Background
It's been a long road with a series of disappointments. I hired a web design company to redesign the site and set up a database so users could register online. They gave us the current version of eMOM and a database that had little functionality and an embarrassing user interface that we couldn't even use it - hence the reason you can't even register online for our online service!
Then a popular branding/design company that found us on twitter stepped up and said they'd help us redesign the site, find someone to help us get a functional database and better web hosting. Yeah, that didn't happen. Soon they stopped returning phone calls and emails and now, two years later the site remains the same. Then again, they volunteered their services so you know how that goes - you get what you pay for.
The static site is outdated, there's no functional user interface, and everything internally has to be done manually. It's archaic and poor example by today's web 2.0 standards. Which is why our blog isn't a part of our site. I'd laugh if it weren't so painful.
What we need to Save eMail Our Military
A few things have to happen in order to save eMOM. The second design company has promised to give us the design we were working on and I have a few designers I work with who I'm sure might be able to help me get eMOM back on track and 2010 ready. But we need a functional database so service members and civilians can register online, among other things.
We need a sponsor or sponsors for web hosting and we need the same for our domain names which expire in June.
I'm even willing to be taken over or merge with another troop support organization. I would rather see that happen than disappoint all the service members AND civilians that have come to rely on us for the last 9 years.
If you're from an organization that would like to take over what we've started or merge with eMOM, please email me at info at eMailOurMilitary dot com.
Web Hosting Sponsorship
You can find the option to help on our sidebar to the right of this post.
Domain Name Sponsorship
Thank you in advance!
You can find the option to help on our sidebar to the right of this post.
Thank You!
Charitable Troop Support Organizations
If you're from an organization that would like to take over what we've started or merge with eMOM, please email me at info at eMailOurMilitary dot com.
Thanks so much.
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2 comments:
Hey, sorry I couldn't help more, but hopefully this will help keep the lights on. Keep Smiling, we do appreciate all that you do!
A fundraising committee could help to raise some needed funds. Register with Good Search Toolbar may help raise monies also. Just some thoughts. :)
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