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[OPIRG-EVENTS] Planet-Friendly first anniversary & donation request
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PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY EVENTS & RESOURCES
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First anniversary thoughts and year-end donation request
(new: tax-deductible + VISA, MasterCard + online donations)
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CONTENTS
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(A) First anniversary note from the Editor
(B) Why support the Planet-Friendly?
(C) What's in it for you? (Grassroots discounts, tax deductible, more)
(D) Plans for the future
(E) How to Donate (VISA/MC/cheque; online/phone/mail, tax receipts)
(F) Other ways of Contributing
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(A) FIRST ANNIVERSARY THOUGHTS
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The People- & Planet-Friendly Events is about to celebrate
its first year of regular operations. We've published every
week since January (except for a short break in August).
It's been an exciting, busy year.
We now have over 3,500 readers. The Planet-Friendly is
read by students, teachers, non-profits, activists, journalists,
politicians, civil servants, business people, union reps, and
all walks of life. Thousands more hear of our news & events
through forwards, word of mouth, and coverage by print
and broadcast media.
One year; 53 editions; almost 2000 listings; hundreds of
hours of research, editing, networking, and outreach. I've
enjoyed meeting and exchanging ideas with many of you
by e-mail, and in person.
I hope you enjoy the Planet-Friendly, whether through
active use or casual interest. In the new year, our goal is to
continue to publish weekly, for free, to EVERYONE who
has an interest. A number of improvements, special editions
and new services are also in the works.
To make all this possible, we continue to rely on donations.
If you feel you are able to make a donation of any amount,
and want to support the Planet-Friendly -- please do. We
now offer charitable, TAX-DEDUCTIBLE receipts for
donations of $30 or more (and for online donations of any
amount). We now also accept VISA, MasterCard and
American Express (and of course cash or cheque).
In any case, I hope you continue to enjoy the Planet-
Friendly. Keep an eye on the Table of Contents and the
Announcements section -- as special features, new kinds of
content and services are introduced.
I would like to thank all of you for your interest, feedback,
and for your help spreading the word amongst your friends
and associates. Together, we can work towards a greener,
healthier, more ethical society.
- Peter Blanchard
editor/publisher
icontario@aol.com
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(B) WHY SUPPORT THE PLANET-FRIENDLY?
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Communication, education and participation are critical to
the success of the environmental & social justice
movements. The People- & Planet-Friendly Events is
playing a new but important role.
The People- & Planet-Friendly:
* connects you to important events, announcements & resources;
* builds awareness of important problems & positive alternatives;
* reaches over 4,000 organizations & individuals each week;
* increases participation & community for positive change.
In the short time we've been around, we've had substantial
success. Participation has increased; new connections have
been made; readership has grown. Thanks to you, our
listings -- and news stories based on them -- are beginning
to appear in a variety of e-mail lists, newsletters,
community newspapers, bulletin boards, public service
announcements, and websites. Many have said they feel
inspired by our mailings, and have come to rely on them for
the information & connectedness they provide.
Why do we need money? The Planet-Friendly takes a full-
time effort (mostly unpaid) on the part of our editor, Peter
Blanchard. We are looking into other sources of revenue,
such as "green" advertising and sponsorship, but we
continue to rely on donations. Your donation will help keep
the Planet-Friendly a free service, available to all.
Each week we sort through hundreds of e-mail messages
(that arrive in every format imaginable); surf the web to
find new events & notices; visit bulletin boards around
Toronto; extract information from newspapers &
newsletters; collect flyers & leaflets at events; and look up
radio & TV programs. Then we edit it all into a concise,
readable format, and e-mail it to thousands of readers. Yes,
there are more automated event calendars, but they are
nowhere near as complete -- nor as effective at spreading
the word. Time is also spent seeking out new readers,
working with the media, and developing e-mail & website
systems to enable further growth.
For more information about the Planet-Friendly, visit our
website (www.planetfriendly.net), or send your questions,
feedback, or suggestions to Peter Blanchard, at
icontario@aol.com.
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(C) WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?
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(1) FOR EVERYONE
--> weekly People- & Planet-Friendly bulletin of events,
courses, broadcasts, announcements, links and more
--> timely special editions
--> new services as they come available (see below)
--> GRASSROOTS Environmental Products 10% discount*
* All donors qualify for a 10% discount on all regularly
priced items at Grassroots Environmental Products in
December 2000: environmental gifts, organically-grown
cotton & hemp clothing, recycled paper products, non-toxic
household & garden products, books, magazines & more.
Grassroots has two stores in Toronto & delivery across
North America. 372 Danforth (Chester subway) 416-466-
2841, or 408 Bloor W. at Brunswick (Bathurst subway)
416-944-1993. To qualify, just say that you're a Planet-
Friendly donor, and provide your name & e-mail address.
(2) FOR DONATIONS OF $30 OR MORE & ALL ONLINE DONATIONS
*TAX-DEDUCTIBLE* charitable receipt (please request
with your donation; automatic for online donations)
(3) FOR DONATIONS OF $30 OR MORE
If you make a donation of at least $30, you can place a
listing and/or link on the People- & Planet-Friendly web
site. If interested, please include a note with your donation,
specifying what you would like to appear. You can provide
any of the following details: name, organization, e-mail,
web site, phone, fax, address, city or town. If you like, you
can also include a brief quote or description of your
interests or activities (not more than a few sentences;
might be edited for brevity).
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(D) PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
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The Planet-Friendly is just a year old and we have
big plans for the future! Our vision includes:
* searchable, interactive website calendar/directory
* new content (separate mailings, for those interested):
- green, ethical products & services
- more news of positive alternatives & success stories
- courses, educational programs, volunteer positions
* regional editions around Ontario/Canada
* interactive discussion groups
* increased readership & media relationships
* other ideas to be announced!
We also hope to offer some of the following services,
either ourselves, or in partnership with others:
* print & fax editions
* event design & promotion services
* research, surveys & polling
* e-mail list & public service announcement services
* writing, editing, communications consulting
How can we improve? What information & services would
you like to see? Your ideas & suggestions are welcome.
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(E) HOW TO DONATE
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Donations can be made by cash, cheque, money order,
VISA, MasterCard (online only), or American Express
(online only). Donations can be sent by mail, phone (VISA
only), or online: http://www.planetfriendly.net/donate.html
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CHEQUE
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Please make your cheque or money order payable to:
People- and Planet-Friendly Events. Write your *e-mail
address* on your cheque, and mail it to: People- and
Planet-Friendly Events, Box 183, Station P, 704 Spadina
Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2Z2. For donations of $30
or more, please indicate if you require a tax receipt
(include your mailing address) and/or a mention on the
Supporters' Page.
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VISA, MasterCard, American Express -- donate online
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We now accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express
donations online, in co-operation with Phoenix Community
Works Foundation and Charity.Ca. ALL online donations,
of any amount, will receive a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE receipt.
NOTE: The Charity.Ca website uses a secure server.
E-mail, however, is not secure: please do NOT send credit
card information by e-mail.
Go to http://www.planetfriendly.net and click on the
"Donation Appeal" link. You will need your cardholder
name, card number, and expiry date. Be sure to specify that
"People- & Planet-Friendly Events" is the "designation"
for your donation.
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VISA -- by phone or mail
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Call 416-410-8630 (anytime). If your call goes through to
voicemail, please leave your name and number, and we'll
call you back.
You can also mail us your VISA donation -- please see the
address above. Please include your e-mail address and/or
phone number, your VISA #, cardholder's name, expiry
date, and the amount of the donation. For donations of $30
or more, please indicate if you require a tax receipt (include
your mailing address) and/or a mention on the Supporters'
Page.
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SUGGESTED DONATION AMOUNTS
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These are just suggestions -- your donation of
ANY AMOUNT is needed & welcome.
Student/senior/unwaged: $10-$20
Individual (waged): $20-$30
Individual (supporting): $50-$100
Non-profit Organization: $30-$50
For-profit Organization: $30-$100
Supporting Organization: $100-...
If you can't donate right now, but would like to in the
future, please send us an e-mail indicating when you
think you will be able to donate. We will send you a
reminder request when that time comes.
QUESTIONS? icontario@aol.com 416-410-8630
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(F) OTHER WAYS OF CONTRIBUTING
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Our resources are limited! We welcome your ideas, leads,
expertise, and volunteer assistance. We also would be very
grateful for donations of new or used items (see "wish list",
below).
HELP OR ADVICE is needed with graphic design (flyer,
poster, logo); website design; web database design; e-mail
automation; media relations; fundraising; advertising;
bookkeeping; various other tasks. Please send us a note if
you might be able to help out, or act as a resource person.
WISH LIST (donations, discounts, barters): laser printer
paper; business cards; scanner; cellular phone; "zip"
backup (parallel); zip disks; website design software;
desktop publishing software; Microsoft Publisher 2000;
Microsoft FrontPage 2000; Microsoft Office Professional
2000; recent-model desktop computer; laptop/notebook
computer.
Thank you for your consideration!
- Peter Blanchard icontario@aol.com 416-410-8630
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(G) ABOUT THE PEOPLE- & PLANET-FRIENDLY
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The "Planet-Friendly" is a free service, offered on
a not-for-profit basis. Our unique e-mail newsletter is
sent to thousands of organizations & individuals in
Ontario each week. More information at: http://www.planetfriendly.net
WEBSITE: http://www.planetfriendly.net
(backup site: http://members.aol.com/icontario )
TO SUBSCRIBE (free):
http://www.planetfriendly.net (if you can't use the website,
e-mail to subscribe@planetfriendly.net )
TO UN-SUBSCRIBE: unsubscribe@planetfriendly.net
TO SUBMIT A LISTING: If possible, please use the
submission form at: http://www.web.ca/~ppf/submit.html
(alternate: http://members.aol.com/icontario/submit.htm )
Otherwise, send an e-mail to icontario@aol.com (incl contact info)
Free / suggested freewill donation of $20 / pay-what-you-can
We reach over 5000 individuals & organizations every week!
The People- & Planet-Friendly Events, Box 183, Station P,
704 Spadina Ave, Toronto M5S 2Z2.
A project of Phoenix Community Works Foundation
http://www.pcwf.on.ca charitable # 13096-2277-RR0001
QUESTIONS? Call 416-410-8630 or email icontario@aol.com
- Peter Blanchard
People- & Planet-Friendly Events & Resources
http://www.planetfriendly.net
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