Topic: Premium memberships And Paypal Donations

[M2.]

Many times we've been asked "Can I make a donation to APK" - Many people feel they get a lot out of the site and wont to contribute either time or money.

I've always been against contributions because APK is ultimately a "for profit" venture. APK currently has three paid employees who actually make their living (overstatement) from the site and related activities - and other people that contribute and benefit in terms of getting paid jobs partly due to the site.

In coming up with a sort of solution, we've created a "Premium membership" . 
We're not sure what that means yet - Maybe you'll get early access to one or two articles a month, and we can remove advertising from the forums for subscribers.

The Premium membership cost is $12 a year - a buck a month. This allows people who want to donate a way to do it, and allows us to collect some money directly off the site.


What I guess I'd like to hear from you guys is some creative ideas on things we could do to create a little extra value for the $1 a month. Please keep in mind that what that is really going towards is all the hard work that goes into the site already, so it can't (realistically) be something like "I get to train with the Tribe 3X a year" or "I get to see every article 6 weeks before the rest of the world" ..i it should be simple, fun things. - Also keep in mind that the money made form this site does help the Tribe travel to all the jams every year

For anyone wishing to sign up now, here's a link. Please remember that you will not get anything for this other than removing ads from the forum! It is a thinly veiled excuse to accept donations from those who wish to donate

Also, please only post suggestions in this thread as it will be stickied. If you'd like to post opinions on why this is a good or bad idea, please create a new thread.

Thanks!!
M2

[Kegan Cochran]

It's a pretty good idea, but I have adblock that, well, blocks the ads.

[Bret [Soundcrafter]]

IMO, if the only benefit is removal of the ads, you're not likely to get a whole lot of support for a fixed 'donation'. My advice is that you swallow your pride and open up to PayPal donations, they can do wonderful things.

[M2.]

Bret, help me out here, because obviously I see it differently, and I don't want to be "stuck in my ways" about this, so I need to learn the other point of view.

Would you rather donate $12 just to donate as opposed to donating it for some small benefit?

... and he was enlightened.

Link to the Paypal donations page.

All donations will go directly to web hosting. Any surplus will go towards BBQ's at future jams (which APK has been known to help with)

Thanks!!

[Cord Zwirner]

Would you rather donate $12 just to donate as opposed to donating it for some small benefit?

... and he was enlightened.

Lol that's pretty funny 

[ZacharyCohn]

You need to put a "donate" button somewhere for everyone else who doesn't see this thread to find. If you display it on the mainpage before the jump somewhere, people will see it. If they have to hunt for it, AND they don't know it exists... it'll never get used.

[M2.]

Added to the homepage under members info.

[Muse_of_Fire]

I think this is a great idea. APK has helped me, and Madpk, SO much, I have often wondered how to give back. The Madison Jam literally could not have happened without APK's help.

So, with the PayPal donations button, are you abandoning the idea of a Premium Membership? Or are both options still available?

Here are my suggestions for what a premium membership could include. Feel free to add/delete/modify/laugh:

0. no ads

1. subscription to the newsletter (at no charge; included in cost of membership)

2. entry into a yearly drawing for APK merchandise (you draw, say, 5 winners, or maybe a number of winners equal to some percentage of the total premium membership--winners get one of the following items: water bottle, t-shirt, hoodie, etc. Just one prize per winner)

3. a birthday card (sent via actual snail-mail), signed by the Tribe, on their birthday (kind of cheesy, but I'd dig it. Plus you could make blank parkour themed notecards for sale, and use those to send to people as well. Of course, it would require someone to manage the sending out of cards, but much of this can be automated and all it would take would be for someone to ensure that the cards got signed and mailed out)

4. Perhaps if, in the future, APK did "big ticket" type contests where someone could win something like a free weekend of training with a Tribe member, or at Primal; Premium Members could be automatically entered into the drawing without having to actually go and fill out an entry. If they decided to fill out an entry form, that entry would stack on top of their automatic one.

5. Access to certain aspects of the forum, although at this point I'm not sure what those would be.

I dunno. These are just my thoughts.  I hope they're helpful!

[Bret [Soundcrafter]]

Wait. So was my suggestion a good one?

[Phil S.]

i really really like the idea of a birthday card signed by the tribe. maybe the premium members could also have the option to change the color scheme of the forum or make it all golden or something.

[Alec Furtado]

SMF doesn't have the option to only allow certain member groups to change the forum theme.


I actually really like the card idea too... it just seems really cool. They better be actual signatures to... not those lame stamped or printed ones

[Spencer B]

I think this is a great idea. APK has helped me, and Madpk, SO much, I have often wondered how to give back. The Madison Jam literally could not have happened without APK's help.

So, with the PayPal donations button, are you abandoning the idea of a Premium Membership? Or are both options still available?

Here are my suggestions for what a premium membership could include. Feel free to add/delete/modify/laugh:

0. no ads

1. subscription to the newsletter (at no charge; included in cost of membership)

2. entry into a yearly drawing for APK merchandise (you draw, say, 5 winners, or maybe a number of winners equal to some percentage of the total premium membership--winners get one of the following items: water bottle, t-shirt, hoodie, etc. Just one prize per winner)

3. a birthday card (sent via actual snail-mail), signed by the Tribe, on their birthday (kind of cheesy, but I'd dig it. Plus you could make blank parkour themed notecards for sale, and use those to send to people as well. Of course, it would require someone to manage the sending out of cards, but much of this can be automated and all it would take would be for someone to ensure that the cards got signed and mailed out)

4. Perhaps if, in the future, APK did "big ticket" type contests where someone could win something like a free weekend of training with a Tribe member, or at Primal; Premium Members could be automatically entered into the drawing without having to actually go and fill out an entry. If they decided to fill out an entry form, that entry would stack on top of their automatic one.

5. Access to certain aspects of the forum, although at this point I'm not sure what those would be.

I dunno. These are just my thoughts.  I hope they're helpful!

APK does help tremendously, doesn't it?

The birthday card is an amazing idea, but what if like twenty thousand people signed up for the Premium Membership? That's a lot of writing.

The 'Big Ticket' almost made scream like a little girl and cry as to the fact I have no money at the same time.

In short I vote for numbers 1, 2, 3, and 4. I don't know about #5...

[Alec Furtado]

Well I think writing those cards would be worth it for the $240,000 that it would entail... average of 54 a day which would be quite a bit I guess. That's definitely worst/best case scenario though.

[Laurie Jennifer]

it could be various perks for various donation amounts.  you know, like how during those PBS tele-thons they say, "for a donation of X amount of dollars, you can recieve Y. or, make a donation of A amount of dollars, and recieve B."

the birthday casd thing, for example, may only be included for a certain donation level.

[Spencer B]

it could be various perks for various donation amounts.  you know, like how during those PBS tele-thons they say, "for a donation of X amount of dollars, you can recieve Y. or, make a donation of A amount of dollars, and recieve B."

the birthday casd thing, for example, may only be included for a certain donation level.

Yes, but that birthday card idea is so awesome, that people will probably chip in the extra little bit of money to get that.

You could make it like...

No Ads = 5$
Newsletter = 5$
Yearly Drawing = 10$
Card = 30$
'Big Ticket' = 55$

This way one could pick which items/features/perks they want, and pay accordingly. I do think the 'Big Ticket thing might be a little high, but I am accounting for yearly drawings, and transportation, and etc

[Dan Elric]

I'd totally donate $55 if that actually happened.

I'm all for any donations at all.  Anything to help out the parkour community

And I want a B-Day card signed by Tribe   That would be awesome.

[Spencer B]

I'd totally donate $55 if that actually happened.

I'm all for any donations at all.  Anything to help out the parkour community

And I want a B-Day card signed by Tribe   That would be awesome.

Exactly my point.

[Alec Furtado]

And part of purchasing these things would be to support the community, not just to get something back. The APK Store is for just getting something back. So prices could be high but not too high obviously.

[RM]

On another forum, members could become VIPs and get access to a special forum that nobody else got.  I thought that was pretty sweet.

[Spark710]

No ads is nice.

The newsletter would depend on what was in it.  A good idea though.

A birthday card is nice.  No tangible benefit, but a cool perk.

Training is always good.

My favorite is the merchandise one.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has to search through my dresser to find some clothes without holes, grass stains, bloodspots, etc.

I don't like the exclusive forum access though.  I think everyone should have access to all of the forum, regardless of skill, experience, or (especially) payment.  It would be paying special attention to the donators.

In order: 2, 3, 0, 4, 1, 5.