This Month’s Laytonkorclimbing.com Winner is….Paypal!
- December 2009
- Climb
The fundraiser to help Layton Kor with his kidney replacement exceeded our expectations, thanks to our amazing community, in its first two months. But we hit a serious crux in November with the online donations system.
Paypal did not like this fundraiser being run by two random climbers (Stewart and me) instead of an Official, Certified Nonprofit Organization. So they froze Layton’s fundraising paypal account, and apparently returned everyone’s donations to them (I hope, because if they didn’t, that’s really bad). Geez, who knew it could be so hard to help someone?! But fear not, the crux has been solved.
Luckily our friends at Big City Mountaineers (who ARE an official, certified nonprofit organization) have stepped in to help save Layton’s fundraiser, and save Stewart and me from figuring out how to become an official nonprofit organization ourselves. So not only did BCM give me the original idea of raffling off climbing days as a fundraiser, but now they are partnering with us so Layton’s fundraiser can resume with online donations. Thank you Big City Mountaineers!! You are the best!
Since a lot of folks tried to donate to help Layton last month but did not get to, we are going to extend the December 1 giveaway to January 1. We hope you will try again when the platform is up and running (it should be ready on Layton’s site this week, I will update you). This should give us a chance to get the word out, and hopefully give folks a chance to donate again if their donation to Layton was sent back to them by Paypal.
Stewart just went to Arizona to visit Layton, and I got a chance to talk with him on the phone at Thanksgiving. Layton sounds great, and in fantastic spirits, though he got quite worn out when they went out to climb (he gets big points for going out to climb, I say!).
But he sounded really positive, and he thanks everyone for the help and appreciates it very much.
We hope you will try again to help out Layton by donating this month. The gear giveaway will take place on January 1, for everyone who donated in November and December. BCM is still organizing the final details, so I will post again as soon as the online system is running at laytonkorclimbing.com. We can really use your help to spread the word and help get the fundraiser back on track. This fundraiser is definitely created and sustained by our community, at every step of the way.
I’m a bit confused … I donated in September (4th), and I’m wondering now if that money made it’s way to Layton. Paypal didn’t return anything to me, so I am certainly hoping so.
How can I know for sure?
It did Larry, thank you!
Our online donation system with Paypal was working fine through all of October and the first days of November.
Then, as far as we know, several folks donated in the first week of November and had their donations returned to them from Paypal. This is why we partnered with Big City Moutaineers, and are now using their nonprofit donations system for our online donations.
Your donation from September made it through, thank you very much for supporting Layton! And we hope you will spread the word, and consider entering another of the monthly gear giveaways again.
🙂 Steph
Paypal is big online transaction site people use it to make their online transaction.