WikiFur:Use of donations

This page is a longer explanation of how we use your donations.

Hosting costs
WikiFur was originally hosted by Wikia in return for ads. In mid-2008, we began looking for a new host, and Timduru stepped up to host the site. This has several advantages, but one drawback is that he has to pay for it.

The server used to host WikiFur costs about $2500 a year. We are not its sole user; its primary function is streaming FursuitTV and the Funday PawPet Show and hosting various fursuit-related sites. (More details)

Timduru offered to host WikiFur for free. However, WikiFur's needs are not simple, and as Timduru has provided both upfront and ongoing configuration support we would like to help him out. We have committed to pay at least the proportion of his maximum monthly bandwidth that WikiFur uses. If donations do not reach this minimum in a year, they will be covered from the miscellaneous pool below.

As WikiFur could not survive without hosting, we recommend you donate to Timduru if you have no preference as to where your money goes. Your donation will count as if it was made directly to us, as long as you tell us about it.

Miscellaneous costs
There are other discretionary costs which help further the site's strategic goals, mostly by ensuring people hear about WikiFur. These costs have historically been borne by the site's colleagues; chiefly by the site's founder. Ideally the site should be self-funding, so you now have the option to donate towards these.

Discretionary costs include, but are not limited to:


 * Costs related to WikiFur's promotional activities, including the manufacture and delivery of promotional material (flyers, buttons, etc.)
 * Advertising costs, both online and offline
 * Catering and miscellaneous costs incurred in WikiFur-related social activities; for example, WikiFur Meetups held at conventions
 * Bulk purchase of printed copies of WikiFur for sale to others
 * Bounty payments for illustrations or other additions to the site's content or presentation (e.g. RainRat's WikiFur art drive)
 * WikiFur.com domain name registration

The above is not necessarily a complete list. The use of the funds you donate may change without notice, although we will try to document it so you can see where your money is going. It will not be spent immediately if there is nothing to spend it on

To make it crystal clear: Donations to WikiFur's miscellaneous costs go straight into the personal control of the site's founder, not any kind of charitable foundation. He promises to treat it as carefully as he does his own; however, if you do not trust GreenReaper (as advised by the other colleagues) to use your money wisely, you should not donate it.

Funds not needed for immediate expenses are stored in a money-market fund managed by The Vanguard Group which invests in high-quality securities. This preserves the value of your donations against inflation while minimizing any risk of it being lost.