The Smarmy Carny

What is Blogathon?

Blogathon is a blogger-based campaign to raise money for various charities. This year, participating bloggers will blog for 24 hours straight, starting July 28 09:00 EST until July 29 09:00 EST.

What charity are you blogging for?

The Smarmy Carny is blogging for One Economy Corporation, a charity that attempts to maximize the potential of technology to help low-income people improve their lives and enter the economic mainstream. One Economy has several programs that help low-income families and individuals bridge the technology gap. Their flagship program is The Beehive, a multilingual web portal that provides web-based tools and information about financial services, education, jobs, health care, and family. One Economy's Bring IT Home campaign has brought broadband Internet access into the homes of 200,000 low-income individuals. Their Digital Connectors program develops technology skills in people ages 14 - 21 to turn them into "technology ambassadors" who motivate others to connect to the internet. Digital Connectors program have delivered over 25,000 hours of service to approximately 7,000 families across 12 cities. One Economy has a few other programs, including some in the development stages now. To find out more, read my Blogathon 2007 entries about One Economy Corporation.

In 2006, The Smarmy Carny blogged to help raise $141 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of America.

What does it mean to be a sponsor? How can I sponsor?

A sponsorship is simply a promise to donate X amount of dollars to a charity. In the case of The Smarmy Carny, that would be One Economy. To sponsor this blog, follow these steps:

1. Click the "Sponsor This Blog" button and head over to The Smarmy Carny's sponsorship page on the Blogathon website.
2. Register at Blogathon.org — Don't worry: Blogathon has a strict privacy policy, and they ask for only a few pieces of basic information (Name, screen name, e-mail, and password) that will be kept private. Of course, if you already have an account, just enter your login information.
3. Enter the sponsorship amount of your choice — No minimum! Also select the currency you are sponsoring with and select whether your sponsorship is a lump sum or an hourly amount. What's the difference between Lump Sum and Hourly?
   Lump sum: Just as it sounds. Pledge $10, and that's what you'll be donating.
   Hourly: You can sponsor a blog on an hourly basis, for as long as I am able to stay awake and keep posting every 30 minutes, up to the full 24 hours. So if you sponsor me for $0.50 as an hourly amount and I remain in the Blogathon for all 24 hours, you will have pledged to donate $12 to the charity I have selected. If I keel over from exhaustion after 6 hours, you will have pledged to donate just $3. In effect, more hourly amount donations equals an increased motivation to not fall asleep at 4 am! This type of sponsorship is much like the classic sponsorships of "I pledge a dime for every bowling pin you knock down."
4. Read my Blogathon posts, enjoy, and participate by commenting or contacting me!
5. After the Blogathon, you will receive an e-mail reminder of your sponsorship.
6. Donate the money you pledged directly to the charity. You do not give any money to this blog or to the Blogathon website!

Of course, if you have any questions or problems, feel free to contact me via the form on this website.

Are pledges accepted only during Blogathon?

Pledges are accepted until about 48 hours after the Blogathon ends. The sooner you sponsor, the better, though!

How can I be sure that my donation will make it to One Economy Corporation? How much of my donation makes it to the charity?

You can be sure that the entirety of your donation makes it to One Economy. How? Because you will be donating directly to the charity. At the Blogathon website, you only pledge that you will donate to One Economy. A while after the end of Blogathon, you will be e-mailed a reminder to go to the One Economy donation page and donate — directly to the charity, on their own donation page.

Where can I see your Blogathon posts?

Keep tuned to the front page of The Smarmy Carny during the event as new posts appear at least every 30 minutes. You can also keep an eye on the Blogathon 2007 category. For last year's posts, just check out the Blogathon 2006 category.

Why did you pick One Economy Corporation?

This year, I was looking for a charity focused on technology that was able to handle their goals, projects, and donations with success. One Economy Corporation is a charity that brings broadband internet access to the homes of low-income people and provides a multilingual web portal called The Beehive. One Economy's mission is to maximize the potential of technology to help low-income people improve their lives and enter the economic mainstream. One Economy's four-star rating (out of four) with Charity Navigator shows their strength in using their money wisely.

Are you affiliated with the charities?

No. Not at all. Not even a little. I'm just an individual participating in Blogathon, trying to get people to donate to charities. Nothing I write, post, sing, or dance on this blog during or outside of the Blogathon event is done in conjunction with Make-A-Wish®. [Insert additional legalese here, but you really do get the point, don't you? If not, contact me and I will clarify for you.] This year, I recently sent an e-mail to someone at One Economy to make them aware of my intentions. I am currently awaiting a response. In 2006, I sent Make-A-Wish® an e-mail, but I did not hear back from them.