Tip Jars and Sustaining Members

In my line of work and type of advocacy, I get a lot of requests for pro bono work.  I support my life’s mission and a family on the money I earn from painting and speaking.  Though I am always trying to add to the public good, I can only agree to a few pro bono gigs per year.  Some of the venues that ask me to present are small hospitals, non-profits or universities that can only afford to pay travel, lodging and my babysitter’s fees.  I work with these folks because I so deeply want to help their mission as it aligns with my own.  We want to help patients have better lives and end of lives.  We want medical professionals to have joy in their work as they help others.

Some venues don’t have any money for patient speakers.  They cannot afford to pay for travel or lodging or anything else.  They may be very small and operating on a shoestring budget.  Or they could be very large but their advocacy is far reaching and the funds are pressed thin.

For the past two years @HIMSS has asked me to speak.  For the past two years HIMSS has paid my travel and lodging.  This year they cannot.  They would like me to speak, paint and spread the patient story far and wide but there are no funds for travel.

I did the math.  If I sleep on a friend’s couch or even bring a sleeping bag, I could go to Orlando #HIMSS2014 but I need to spend $850.00 out of pocket on travel and sitter’s fees.  I told my friend @ePatientDave I would probably bring a tip jar to set next to my easel in an effort to defray the cost.  Hey, it works for musicians on the subway.   Why not work for an activist artist at an informatics conference? 

Then a friend on twitter asked me if there was a way to donate towards my work.  Did I have a @gittip account?  I did not.  But her question intrigued me.  What was Gittip?

Well, I went to their homepage and my world was rocked!  It is a sustainable crowdfund! I wanted to fistbump the entire Internet! I have done crowdfunding before with great sites like @Medstartr and @Healthtechhatch, but that is a campaign specific and the funds I raise usually go to help others.  Here is the explanation from their page:

"WHAT IS GITTIP?

Gittip is a way to give small weekly cash gifts to people you love and are inspired by.

Gifts are weekly. The intention is for people to depend on money received through Gittip in order to pay their bills, and bills are recurring.

Gifts come with no strings attached. You don't know exactly where your gifts come from, and the maximum gift from one person to another is $100 per week.

Gifts are public. The total amount you give and the total amount you receive is public. Participants on both sides of the equation are rewarded publicly for their participation. (You can opt out of publicly displaying your total giving.)

Give by answering Who inspires you? on our homepage, and following the steps."

Wow!!! This could make a difference in the lives of so many patient advocates and speakers.

So here is my virtual tip jar: https://www.gittip.com/ReginaHolliday/

If you like what I do and want to support it in an ongoing way, this site is for you! 

Thank you everyone at Gittip for your valid work.  So many individuals in crowdfunding feel the shame of holding the beggars bowl; you have rebranded that bowl into a jar we can all be proud of.

**************************UPDATE*********************** 12:31 Feb 2, 2014

Just two hours later and folks are already donating!

@Sphere3 has already offered me a hotel room for HIMSS14!

God is good! I am so thankful and blessed to have such wonderful friends! What a great way to spend a Sunday.