The Official "Help the PAFOA become a registered Non-Profit Organization" fundraiser

[danp]

Ok Folks, as I mentioned previously I received very generous offers from three of our members to help us raise funds to pay a lawyer to help guide us through the process of becoming a 501(c)4 non-profit organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

We, as gun owners are constantly fighting a barrage of attacks on our constitutionally guaranteed right to keep and bear arms and after the last election I think we all know it's only going to get worse. From the big issues like legislators in Philadelphia introducing legislation every chance they get to remove state pre-emption to towns already ignoring it, there is a lot of work to be done in Pennsylvania to preserve our existing gun rights and gain back some of the ones we've lost.

While there are many great groups like the NRA, the GOA, and the 2AF already fighting the good fight I am convinced that a group with a specific focus on the State of Pennsylvania can accomplish a lot, especially the issues the national groups don't have on their agenda. Similar groups in other states like the Virginia Citizens Defense League have made great strides and influenced positive legislation in their states and I think we can do the same.

With that said, to take this loose-knit group / forum to the level necessary to affect these types of changes we must be incorporated as a legal entity and in turn be registered as a non-profit organization with the IRS. To do this we need to hire a lawyer who specializes in this field to help us through the paperwork, write our bylaws, and generally explain all of our legal responsibilities. The lawyers we have talked to estimate that the cost of all this will be around $3,000.

While I wish I was in a financial position to do this myself the simple fact of the matter is I'm a relatively young guy with a lot of college loans and I just don't have that kind of cash laying around.

This is where our benefactors come in.

The following members have offered to match all donations made up to certain amounts at various times:

1. phillyd2 will match all donations pledged from the begining until Sunday December 3rd 2006 and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $500
2. doug will match all donations pledged from the beginning until Sunday December 3rd 2005 and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $500
3. exceltoexcel will match all donations pledged from the beginning and received by Thursday November 30th up to $100
4. Frenchy will match all donations pledged beginning November 28th at 1pm until Sunday December 3rd and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $100
5. 91xlt will match all donations pledged beginning November 28th at 1pm until Sunday December 3rd and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $100
6. keystone will match all donations pledged beginning November 29th at 6:30pm until Sunday December 3rd and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $100
7. JLStorm will match all donations pledged beginning November 29th at 6:30pm until Sunday December 3rd and received by December 10th, 2006 up to $100
8. doug will again match all donations received beginning December 1st at 10:30pm until December 10th, 2006 up to $500

Here's the rules/details for donation matching:

1. While we will accept all donations offered, for funds to be matched they must be pledged publicly with a reply to this thread for the sake of openness.
2. The fundraiser will run for one week (until 11:59 PM on Sunday December 3rd) during which time funds can be pledged to be matched.
3. Funds pledged must be received/postmarked by the specified end date for each "matcher" at which time all received donations will be tallied and matched by the respective "matcher".
   

To make the actual donation please see our Donate Page which provides a handy form for donating via paypal and our address for physical donations. Please note that you do NOT have to have a PayPal account to donate to us via PayPal, when you do so there will be an option to donate without creating an account. Please note that for the time being checks sent via mail should be made out to "Daniel Pehrson" since the PAFOA does not yet have it's own bank account (we need to be incorporated first.)

The beauty of this is that if you can afford to donate $10, it turns into $30 and if you can afford to donate $100 it turns into $300.

The forum currently shows 515 active members and if every one of those members donated $4 we would meet our goal, albeit cutting it close.

If however you can afford to donate more we can be sure of reaching our goal and make up for those that may be on limited budgets and not be able to donate even if they want to.

Additionally we've been made a new offer!
Steve (FRISteve) from Firearm Research & Instruction, which is based in Dover, Pennsylvania has made us this offer: Anyone who enrolls in a class with Firearm Research & Instruction by Sunday December 10th will have 10% of their tuition costs donated to the Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association!

If you've been thinking about taking any firearms training check out their courses and see if any of them interest you! Kill two birds with one stone, get some training and put some money into our warchest at the same time!

If you decide to take them up on this offer post what class you're taking so we can say thanks.

When I started this site it was my goal to simply provide a place where local gun owners could get together, share information, and educate themselves on everything related to gun ownership in the state. With the amazing growth of the forum it has become obvious that we have the power to change things for all of us but we can't do it alone. We really need your help.

So if you have found this website and this forum useful please consider helping us so that we can help you. A donation to us is an investment in your own right to keep and bear arms so the only question you have to ask yourself is "How much is my RKBA worth?"

Lastly I wanted to mention two things:

1. Everyone who donates will be added to our donor database and will appear on our Donor Page. Donations of $100+ will also have the option of having a website of their choice (within reason) linked from that page, so if you are on this forum and run a company, especially a firearms-related company this would be a great chance to get your website noticed and drive business your way by members who will know that you support the organization that supports their rights. If and when you donate simply include what combination of first name/last name/company name/company website/forum username you would like publicly shown.
2. When the PAFOA does true NRA-style 'Memberships' in the future (as we are planning to do) all donations received will be credited towards the cost of such memberships.

Paypal Address: donate@pafoa.org

Mailing Address:
Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
P.O. Box 40864
Philadelphia, PA 19107

My Email Address: dpehrson@pafoa.org please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

If you would like to also match donations up to a certain amount please contact me!

I would like to personally thank everyone in advance for any donations they make, you guys have really helped us create something great here and I truly think we can keep it going!

Boring stuff: Unfortunately donations to us are NOT tax deductible as we are not yet a NPO (which is why we're doing this), also even when we are we will be structured as a 501(c)4 NPO to which donations are not tax-deductible anyways.

[danp]

Pledged: _________________ $1,244.20
Matched by phillyd2: _____ $__500.00 (Up to $500.00) - Received 12/04/06
Matched by doug: _________ $__500.00 (Up to $500.00) - Received 12/01/06
Matched by exceltoexcel: _ $__100.00 (Up to $100.00) - Received 11/30/06
Matched by Frenchy: ______ $__100.00 (Up to $100.00) - Received 12/03/06
Matched by 91xlt: ________ $__100.00 (Up to $100.00) - Received 12/03/06
Matched by keystone: _____ $__100.00 (Up to $100.00) - Received 11/29/06
Matched by JLStorm: ______ $__150.00 (Up to $150.00) - Received 12/06/06
Matched by doug (round 2): $__310.00 (Up to $500.00) - Received 12/16/06
------------------------------------
Total Pledged: ___________ $1,244.20
Total Pledges Received: __ $1,119.20
Total Matched: ___________ $1,860.00 ($2,050.00 potential)
Total Matches Received: __ $1,860.00
Total Anon Received: _____ $__365.00
Total Recieved: __________ $3,344.20 ($3,659.20 potential)

Pledge List:
SGTUSArmy: $11.20 - Received 11/30/06
keystone: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
RUDY850: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
schwantz: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
TheHighChild: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
billamj: $50.00 - Received 12/04/06
The Drew: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
Willtallica: $50.00
dirksterg30: $18.00 - Received 11/27/06
CCinPA: $100.00 - Received 12/04/06
dmg1969: $10.00 - Received 11/29/06
avizpls: $10.00 - Received 11/27/06
Mark: $20.00 - Received 11/28/06
27hand: $25.00 - Received 11/27/06
Johnc: $10.00 - Received 11/27/06
LorDiego01: $25.00
One_in_the-Chamber: $10.00 - Received 12/02/06
91xlt: $100.00 - Received 11/28/06
lars171: $25.00
NI4NI: $10.00 - Received 11/28/06
Broomhandle: $50.00 - Received 12/04/06
highrider: $25.00 - Received 11/28/06
wewo: $20.00 - Received 11/29/06
ChamberedRound: $50.00 - Received 11/29/06
Jamie Young: $25.00 - Received 11/29/06
GRIZZLYBEAR: $20.00 - Received 12/04/06
prothero: $20.00 - Received 11/30/06
TheHighChild (again!): $25.00 - Received 11/30/06
mjd932: $25.00 - Received 11/30/06
GUNRUNNERS OF PA: $50.00 - Received 12/01/06
rey: $25.00 - Received 12/06/06
Todd710: $10.00 - Received 12/03/06
Mike45: $50.00 - Received 12/06/06
seto: $25.00 - Received 12/03/06
LittleRedToyota: $25.00 - Received 12/05/06
klpolk3: $25.00
The F.I.R.E. Institute (via TonyF): $100.00 - Received 12/08/06
27hand (again!): $25.00 - Received 12/05/06
knight0334: $25.00 - Received 12/09/06
SigForLife: $25.00 - Received 12/10/06

[SGTUSArmy]

I pledge $10 on or after 1 December 2006, via paypal.

edited for accuracy:

I pledge 11.20 (extra 1.20 for covering the stickers).

[keystone]

I'm in for $25.00...Keep up the good work

Being a recent member I like what I see


I want to pay my $25.00 pledge right now. Paid...not Owed...Out Of Mind!!!!
Do I go to the 'donation section' or answer that email Paypal Address: donate@pafoa.org that pops up.

Please inform!!!!

[exceltoexcel]

I offer to match up to the first $100 or whatever is COLLECTED by Thursday the 30th of November (whichever is less NOT INCLUDING THE GENOUROUS MATCHES by phillyd2 and Doug or anyone else that offers the same!).

While not as generous as the others, it is what I feel that i can reasonably do at this time to help the cause.

This should give you all the sense of urgency needed to make and pay for a pledge TODAY! I mean RIGHT NOW!

Damp if I see you the 30th I'll have a crisp $100 bill waiting and I'll need change if you don't get that much in COLLECTED pledges!

If you're not going to the town meeting you'll have to give me an honest collected amount as of the 30th of November 23:59:59 (not including matches) and I'll donate that amount up to $100.

I have the $100 bill in my wallet as I type!

So right now I see you'll be getting $25 from me.

Also If for some reason you don't move forward and actually try to get the status you'll have to agree that I'll get to kick you square in the....


Also I DO NOT EXPECT MY MATCH TO BE MATCHED BY DOUG AND PHILLY. They can do so if they want to but I'm not expecting it.

[danp]

Originally Posted by exceltoexcel

Also If for some reason you don't move forward and actually try to get the status you'll have to agree that I'll get to kick you square in the....

If for some crazy and unforseen reason this does not all work out all donations will be refunded but I really can't see that happening, this is my dream (second) job!

[danp]

Originally Posted by keystone

I'm in for $25.00...Keep up the good work

Being a recent member I like what I see


I want to pay my $25.00 pledge right now. Paid...not Owed...Out Of Mind!!!!
Do I go to the 'donation section' or answer that email Paypal Address: donate@pafoa.org that pops up.

Please inform!!!!

If you go to the donate page you can type in how much you want to donate and hit the 'Donate' button. From there you will be forwarded to the paypal page. If you already have an account you can use that and if not you can still donate without creating an account by following the instructions. We will not see any of your information the whole process will be handled by PayPal.

[SGTUSArmy]

Ok, let me change it. I will break out the dusty credit card, and clear it on Thursday (the military gets paid on the 1st and 15th, I feel jipped here), and get it done. That way, at least $10 becomes $40.




If for some reason it does not work out, I want my donation to go Site maintenance fees, sticker costs, or something to do with PAFOA. (I don't want to hear any griping from the OTIC)

[exceltoexcel]

Originally Posted by SGTUSArmy

Ok, let me change it. I will break out the dusty credit card, and clear it on Thursday (the military gets paid on the 1st and 15th, I feel jipped here), and get it done. That way, at least $10 becomes $40.

Thumbs up my good man! Now I owe $35, that's the progress I want to see!

[exceltoexcel]

Originally Posted by danp

If for some crazy and unforseen reason this does not all work out all donations will be refunded but I really can't see that happening, this is my dream (second) job!

That's too easy, you'll make sure it happens if you know you'll get kicked in the package I'm sure it'll work out!