Please Donate, So You Can Keep Reading For Free!
It’s that time of year where, wear, were, we ask for a little donation to keep the doors open. Thanks to our loyal sponsors who carry a huge part of the lifting, But we also need any sort of support you can pony up. We want to avoid any sort of subscription so new folks looking to get involved can find this wonderful community without being asked for money. That comes later once you’re hooked! Like now.. This second, no dilly dallying. Just click on the donate button and you can go on with your day knowing you helped.
Oh, didn’t donate but still are reading. We will try several ways to entice you pony up.
Here is the positive ask. This year traffic on the site is at an all time high and the good word on Antique & Classic Boating is spreading across the globe. Thanks to all that donated last year, and those that have been donating on a regular basis.
Here is the guilt ask. What? You sit there every day and spend more money on a dinner out and then its gone with one flush, and here we are for free every day for over 8 years 365/24/7. It’s OK, we will just keep doing it for free for you.
Here is the pity us beg! PLEEEEASE help us, we are so in need of your kindness and generosity to keep delivering the daily news on classic boating for you. We normally don’t ask but once a year, but we really really need it now!
Here is the pushy sell. What do we need today to get you to pony up some money to keep the site going? This is a chance of a lifetime to be a part of a fantastic community. Right now. Offer ends soon! Don’t let this chance to donate get away from you.
Here is the competitive sell. Were are you going to get a better deal on your daily need for varnish? Every other publication costs you a yearly subscription, and you only get 4 issues a year, we deliver daily! We report on your shows and boats, we are for the daily boater as well as the fancy pants boater. Yes we serve Grey Pupoun and Frenches.
The Old School way to donate. Still using a rotary phone? Like to lick stamps? You can always mail us a check, made out to Woody Boater, our address is .
Woody Boater
106 West Jefferson St
Falls Church VA 22046
See, no matter what floats your motivated boat, a small donation goes a long way in helping get the daily, sometimes hourly news out! So please donate what you can, and comment today to let others know they should donate! That’s the peer pressure sell!
I think this method works well. I think I end up donating more in a year than I would pay for a subscription.
Keep up the great work!
Troy
Thanks Troy in ME, we always want to provide value to our fellow citizens of Woody Boaterville.
The donation is a “no brainer”, but why no option for sending in a check via snail mail. You have to accommodate some of us old varnish heads! Keep up the great work.
Thanks Greg, sorry I missed that.
We are happy to take checks.
Please make your check out to
Woody Boater
Address is
Woody Boater
106 West Jefferson St
Falls Church VA 22046
I just added it in the story as well. Thanks again.
I subscribe to “The Brass Bell”, “The Rudder”, “Wooden Boat” & “Classic Boat (UK)”. Woody Boater is easily worth twice what I pay for all four of those!! Ok, one of those is free online but you know what I mean! Hey! Don’t bother to check – my donation isn’t twice what all those would be! Hey I’ve still got to buy me some Interlux! Really, all kidding aside this is a great and wonderful site!! Really helps to bring me out of those Winter doldrums!! Which is a lot since winter here starts about Oct. 25 and ends May 25 – yes, that’s right – it coincides with the Non-Boating Season!!
You forgot the NY sell. “Yo, ya wanna see your boat still floatin’ in the morning? I think you should donate then.”
I thought that was the New Jersey sell.
Yea, there’s a lot of talent in NJ too.
Happy to donate, but where can we see at least a rough summary of your income/expenses/budget?
The majority of the expenses are for chicken-on-a-stick at shows.
HA, thanks Gene for asking. For the past three years as reported to the IRS, Woody Boater has made an average of $40K. Roughly $5K of that is individual donations like today, $3K in Tshirt sales, The bulk of it all is supported by advertising. Our expenses, are about on average $45K a year. So actually we spend out of pocket to do this. And I am not counting time. That’s way out of the park. WAY WAY, OUT OF THE PARK. Each story can take over an hr to do, and for example Texx is traveling to Minn this weekend.. a two day drive… and later for the big event. I will be flying. You know whats involved as a former ACBS president. The cost of travel and time is a killer. As another example, just to host the site is $400 a month. Just to host it. We are a massive website now. MASSIVE! And we are about to need to upgrade the hosting to $600 a month because of the demand. Another example no one thinks about, if the CBS thing happens, and get a huge spoke in traffic, that alone could cause a huge expense. Facebook marketing to promote stories. Nothing is free anymore online. Not to mention other reacquiring expenses. Web updates and design. We have over 30,000 miles on the truck in ONE year. So you ask, is it a business? Not a very good one if that’s the measure. I suppose its more like an association that promotes a movement or effort. We want Woody Boater to be about value to all its readers and fellow citizens. To promote the lifestyle, A universal marketing tool for all of us to benefit from. So the way I sleep at night and consider it all a success is by thinking of it not as a business, but an effort and a way to be part of an amazing community. I hope this helps, and thanks for everyone this morning so far for your insane generous support.
Matt if the CBS thing ever airs I hope you get that HUGE SPOKE in traffic.
(photo credit VWVortexdotcom)
Keep up the great work, Matt, Texx and Crew!!!!
Done,
This is a no brainer. Thanks for all the great work you do!
As a professional fundraiser I am pleased by your skills in having every “ask” type covered. Just remember it usually takes three times to get the pocket book to open so clearly we all scrolled past the button to see the picture then when back up to Donate! Even when it is the easiest decision every to ensure a daily dose of WoodyBoater.
I’m in, always look forward to WB every morning.
Done, peer pressure #7
Bill
Yes you guys are the best but after going thru 2 days of hell with replacing all the Comcast set-top boxes and discovering that we pay over $200 a month to watch TV and for me to use the broadband to look at Woodyboater I am ready to take my varnish and head to the North woods (if there are any left after all the fires).
HA! I agree. Its insane. I spend between the office and other stuff, over $1500 a month on web crap! Don’t even ask me about cell phones. Its crazy that communication is now a major expense. Facebook is even costly to use correctly. Its a major marketing channel. Heck even Google can cost. We should invent our own currency in Woody Boaterville.
Hmmm! How about a variety of mahogany plugs each with a predetermined value to use as currency. For instance, you might buy that nifty barrel stern for 30,000 B plugs. No? Just a thought…………………I’m send a check….not plugs
Got ya covered, and a BIG thank you to Texx and you and anyone behind the scenes that help me wake up each day reading WoodyBoater, while I eat my breakfast and have a cup of coffee.
What I cherish most, is our friendship we have developed over the years, being in the same business sort of, as well as the same hobby.
Let me know if there is anything I can do to help out…
Feel fortunate to have you guys cover our shannanigans. If I ever win the lottery, I’d….well I just hope what we can scrape up will ease y’alls pain a little bit. I can’t imagine your cell bill (or when you guys sleep for that matter) .
HA, that’s a funny topic. SLEEP! We don’t actually. Here is how it works, Texx is on the west coast, and goes to bed around 4AM East coast time, I wake up around 4AM east coast. Many a 3 AM morning report being put together. With reporters all over the planet and mobile technology the way it is we are able to publish a breaking story live! We will be trying some new stuff this year, like more streaming if possible.
My pleasure
You guys do a fantastic job of keeping us all connected in a way
No magazine could ever do.
Keep up the great work
Thanks
Thanks, we feel the same!
I was going to donate bacon this year, but it all seems to have been consumed already. I guess I’ll try the paypal button.
Donate Turkey bacon. With 2,000,000 pounds being recalled should be easy to find out back. (Where it belongs)
Done! I feel like I am watching PBS during donations week, HA. Keep up the good work, I have to keep the juices flowing while work continues on my project boat.
Denis D
Ha, it is like PBS,, with a little Jerry Lewis mixed in. We can revive Tammy as well if you like.
This is a no brainer! Thank you for all you do, Matt and Texx.
Matt, Can you put a straight PayPal button. Your present logos are asking for cc information other than PayPal info.
Hi Doug, thats all I got, for book keeping. Not sure why its asking for a CC # unless you are not a pay pal person it may be trying to make sure your who you are, in fact, wait one darn minute, does your family the “P” clan know you are who you are?
Went to the “donate” at the bottom of your home page
Doug, when I click on the donate button it brings up a Paypal login page. If you have an account you should be able to login and not use a credit card.
Best investment in the boating world, either,wood,aluminium,steel or plastic,tupperware, or even fiberglass Thanks for all you guys do for the hobby,, Bill
I would have donated at the higher level, but I didn’t see any of the free hats being offered (out of ’em already?)
Worth every cent even with our worthless New Zealand dollar. Not only do I get to read about this wonderful hobby every day I also get to own the boat of my dreams through Woody Boater.
Thanks you guys for all you do!
Always something to look forward to!
I appreciate all that you guys do. It’s my pleasure to donate to help out Woody Boater.