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Wars have created genealogy gold mines about our ancestors. Registration records. Service records. Pensions. Photos. And More. There is no end to what you might find about your ancestors.
Not only are there the usual family history facts such as who was related to who, when they were born and died, and where they lived, but you can also learn how their lives were impacted by the wars.
If you are an Ancestry.com subscriber, you can subscribe to Fold3 for half off. That will cost you $39.95 and you can download as many pension records as you like. If you order one pension record the cost can be $75.
This list just begins to scratch the surface:
- Revolutionary War Pension Records. You just never know what you might find. Whoever wrote this probably failed penmanship, but where else are you going to find more definitive information on who Thomas Martin's children were including the fact that he had two sons named John? (It was not uncommon that if a child died young to give the next child the same name.)
- War of 1812 Pension Records. Eleven percent are complete and uploaded. And more are coming all the time. Your ancestor's secrets may be uncovered there.
- Mexican War Records. While not yet complete, these records paint the picture of many soldiers who went on to serve critical rolls in the Civil War.
- Civil War Service Records. Not only do you find records of your ancestors in muster rolls, but you will find Unit Information that help you construct what different units did and what life was like.
- World War I Records. Many WWI records have been destroyed. Fold3 has gathered a much of what is left from Navy Cruise Books to Naturalization Index – WWI Soldiers. to Naturalizataion Index for WWI Soldiers.
- World War II Records. Even if your ancestor isn't in the Missing Air Crew Reports, WWII reading these files will help you create the story of a pilot's life at its most harrowing time.
- Interactive Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This exhibit has every name on the wall and allows you to leave your thoughts and memories for others to see. This rather poignant one for Milo S Homstad touched me.
- Save to Ancestry.com You can now add links to images directly to Ancestry.com. Learn more in this Five Minute Find: Save to Your Ancestry.com Tree from Fold3
- Fold3 Spotlights Check out Fold3 Spotlights which highlight some new fact or person written by the Fold3 staff. Members can also add spotlights to highlight family members or other documents of interest.
- Cousin Bait. You can annotate any page with a comment and when some distant cousin finds it, a connection can be made. I left a comment about my 3rd great grandfather's murder on this one. That's bound to get someone's attention!
Need help getting started? Check out How to Find Your Civil War Roots and Fold3 Center.
So remember, f you are an Ancestry.com subscriber, you can subscribe to Fold3 for 50% off
Who knows what you might be missing!
Happy Searching!
About Anne Gillespie Mitchell
Anne Gillespie Mitchell is a Senior Product Manager at Ancestry.com. She is an active blogger on Ancestry.com and writes the Ancestry Anne column. She has been chasing her ancestors through Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina for many years. Anne holds a certificate from Boston University's Online Genealogical Research Program. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and Finding Forgotten Stories.
16 Comments
Is the information on Fold3 different than what's on Ancestry?
I belong to your world subscription and think you should make a deal with Fold3 to include your good customers to access them. I'm retired and don't even know if our darn congress will continue with my SOC SEC!
I have the World Subscription and agree with Ron, this would be a good idea to include Fold 3 with our membership.
I agree. While I'm paying for Fold3, I don't use it all that much, but I hate to give it up – just in case.
Better yet, how about being able to access my trees? They keep coming and going this evening. Mostly going!
I found Fold3 to be pretty much useless. I can't see paying for something that offers so little info. Thumbs down for Fold3
I pay separately for Fold3 (just in case) but agree with the others that Fold3 & all Ancestry.com's affiliates should be included in the World subscription without rate increase. Before Fold3 came along, I spent $100 ($25 for the Widow's Pension records & $75 for the service records) to get my great grandfather's Civil War records from the National Archives. Through these records, I found that he was only my step-great grandfather. I gleaned a treasure trove of information about my great grandmother's situation at the time of his death. When I subscribed to Fold3 hoping to save the $100 & get the same sort of information on another Civil War relative, I found that only very limited information was available on my step-great grandfather & no information was available on my other relative that I am 100% sure served. The only help Fold3 has been – so far – is that it makes it a little easier to fill out the order form with the info needed to order from the National Archive.
When you save a record from Fold3 to your ancestry online tree, it does not attach it to any fact or event. It only saves it to that person's page. It won't even show up at all on your FTM until you go back and attach it to a fact or event.
I have downloaded several pf the Civil War widow's pension files. It has been well worth the $40.
I have found many documents on Fold3 but find it very labor intense to use the website and download them. There can be many related pages in one "file" but it is necessary to download one page at a time. I know documents can be linked but that doesn't help with downloading. Therefore to save related documents to one pdf they must be downloaded individually then combined using Adobe Acrobat. I've been downloading to google drive to work with the documents then attaching to FTM.
If anyone has suggestions please let me know.
The tutorials are limited and customer service is virtually nonexistent.
I probably won't renew until the website is more user friendly.
I used Fold3 one time for a CW veteran. Benjamin had been in the navy and got his pension ok. However when his widow Rosanna tried to get the widow's pension, she had all kinds of problems. Both she and her husband Benjamin (her second husband) were illiterate so that didn't help.
The government wanted her to prove Benjamin had never had a first wife and that she was legally Benjamin's only wife. They wanted her to prove she was legally divorced from her first husband. (He had run out on her to another state leaving her with 4 children, two of them very young.)
Rosanna enlisted the help of an attorney, her son-in-law, and a congressman. After 15 years of trying to get her pension and not being able to provide documents the government kept asking for, she finally died.
Even her first husband had written he had gotten a divorce but couldn't remember when or where, or so he said. He had remarried also and had a second family.
You would think they could have gotten the documents that we now can get so easily. The Fold3 file included copies of all the affidavits, correspondence, letters, and appeals, and was 239 pages. I printed every one. What a story! It seems the government still requires much red tape, or should I say it has always required much red tape.
Check with your local Family History Center. They may have Fold3 for free use. If so, you can copy files to a flash drive or CD. I agree the site is cumbersome and takes a long time to download anything. Paper copies are 10 cents a page so it's worth getting a flash drive.
I watched your tutorial on linking Fold3 Records to a person's profile page in your Ancestry family tree. I have a question. Let's say I pay for Fold 3 and link something to John Doe in my tree. Two years from now, when I am no longer paying for Fold3, am I going to be able to click on the link on John Doe's profile page and see the document, or will the link only work if I am a paying customer of Fold3? I would imagine that the link would not work, as if you stop paying for ancestry, a source that was saved to your tree, is no longer viewable unless you pay for ancestry again. Hope to be pleasantly surprised by your answer. Thank you.
This article needs to be proofread.
Dear Anne,
Very excited to know that you are a Gillespie as well. My birth name was Gillespie and then my step-father adopted me. It is a long story. My family is from Southwest VA and I would love to see if you have any connection to us. I have had limited success in getting much on the Gillespie side of my heritage. Please keep in touch.
Linda My Ancestry login is MotherGooseMd.
My husband & I are both retired & on a very tight fixed income. I have been a member of Ancestry.com for a long time. I really am disappointed that Ancestry seems to be finding more & more ways to jack up the membership fees. Looks like you are going to start charging for every little thing on here & that the Ancestry.com membership is only going to give very limited access. If this continues, I will probably stop my membership.
Up until about a month ago there was an option for an annual World Explorer Membership Plus for about $375.00.
I can only find a semi-annual option for Plus now, for $199.00.
I want to re-enroll annually. Do I have to sign up for Fold3 and Newspaper Archive separately?
Finally, will there be no further special sale days or seasons for the annual subs? Thanks for any info.
I have been loyal to Ancestry.com for FIFTEEN (15) years. I have cursed under my breath and even aloud at times at the changes made by Ancestry.com that was not an improvement, only a change to justify someone's employment. Minutes ago, I attempted to view a record, was redirected to another window, only to find out it is something called Fold3, another website by Ancestry.com. I admit I am "behind the times," as I had no idea what "Fold3" was until I searched online for information just minutes ago.
I have paid for a USA subscription, meaning any document related to the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. For a few years, I had considered the WORLD membership, however, I, too, am on Social Security, as are countless others. I simply cannot afford more costs and fees.
Needless to say, now Ancestry.com wants more subscription fees for "more historical documents" relating to the USA. If I cannot have access to all United States historical documents, I do not intend to renew my subscription.
Enough is simply enough.
My comments were as respectful as I could muster. While you ask me to be respectful in my comments, I would ask that Ancestry.com respect its clientele and not find more ways to increase fees and costs. My yearly subscription for 15 years was to include everything related to within the confines of the United States. Now you feel that historical documents relating to the USA is covered under a separate subscription? REALLY?


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Family Information
Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere (COLAGE)
Our Mission: To engage, connect, and empower people to make the world a better place for children of lesbian, gay, bisexual and / or transgender parents and families.
Families Like Mine - Book and Website
Website for Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is by Abigail Garner.
Family Pride Coalition
The Family Pride Coalition (FPC) has for 25 years been the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) parents and their families. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., FPC supports nearly 200 membership-based LGBT parenting groups nationwide with a base of 35,000 supporters.
Fertility Futures
The source for extraordinary egg donors and surrogates.
Fertility Portal
Our mission and purpose is to help you create the baby of your dreams. We strive to give you the best means and options for successful conception at home by providing you with the most relevant and up-to-date information, proven products and a broad range of communication resources.
Gay Parent Magazine
Gay Parent magazine (GPM) is a 16 page bound newsprint magazine featuring personal stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) parents from across the country and around the world. Parents speak candidly about their experiences with international and domestic adoption, foster care, donor insemination, using a surrogate and what it is like to raise their children in their part of the world.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network strives to assure that each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression.
Growing Generations
Founded in 1996, Growing Generations is the oldest and largest surrogacy and egg donation firm dedicated to serving the gay and lesbian community.
From the author of Heather Has Two Mommies
Love Makes a Family – Exhibit and Book
Love Makes a Family is a museum-quality traveling exhibit including photographs and interviews with families that have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) members. Through first-person accounts and positive images, this exhibit seeks to challenge and change damaging myths and stereotypes about LGBT people and their families.
Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians& Gays (PFLAG) is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. This vast grassroots network is cultivated, resourced and serviced by the PFLAG national office, located in Washington, D.C., the national Board of Directors and 14 Regional Directors.
Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine
Launched in April 2006, Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine is your inside source for all the current events, planning resources, trends, home and family ideas and other vital issues for GLBTQ couples, our families, advocates and allies. Exclusive interviews, community connections, political dialogue, fashion and fun. Rainbow Wedding Network Magazine is committed to bringing you the information you need for a stress-free union, happy family life and bright future!
Straight Spouse Network
(SSN), formerly Straight Spouse Support Network. The Straight Spouse Network is a worldwide organization of current/ former heterosexual spouses/partners of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender mates and mixed-orientation couples. Members provide personal, confidential support and resource information to spouses, couples, and families. SSN is the only support network of its kind in the world.
TransFamily is a support group for transgendered and transsexual people, their parents, partners, children, other family members, friends, and supportive others. We provide referrals, literature, and over-the-phone information on all transgender issues. Although our meetings are held in Cleveland, Ohio, the Internet has enabled us to extend helping hands to transgender individuals and their families across the globe.
TransParentcy's mission is to support the Transgender Parent, and their advocates (lawyers, mental health professionals, friends, family) by providing information and resources to diffuse and/or dispel the myths about any adverse impact being transgendered/transsexual might have on one's children.

subset: commoncrawl


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U.S. Valuates Interest in New York Offshore Wind Projects
U.S. Valuates Interest in New York Offshore Wind Projects
The U.S. is gauging interest in wind power development off the coast of New York, after a state agency proposed an offshore project 11 nautical miles south of Long Beach. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a request for any competing interests in the proposed lease area, which covers about 127 square miles and if no other parties shows interest, the New York Power Authority can get a lease on a non- competitive basis. The administration aims to conduct the first competitive lease auctions this year for projects off the coasts of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Virginia. The Long Island – New York City Offshore Wind Project is being supported by the New York Power Authority, Long Island Power Authority and Consolidated Edison Co.
Philippines to Advance Geothermal Development, Strong Outlook for 2013
Geothermal development in the Philippines looks to continue strong in 2013, and if its government has its way, the Philippines will be the largest producer of geothermal energy within the next decade. The country plans to become the largest producer of geothermal energy by 2030, to do that, they will need an increase of 1405 MW additional capacity. Currently only the United States generates more geothermal energy. A possible channel of added geothermal support could be an expansion of the feed-in tariff (FIT) system, which was approved in 2012 for hydro, biomass, wind, and solar, and ocean thermal, but not for geothermal energy.
Global Clean-Tech Venture Investments Plunged 33% in 2012
According to San Francisco-based research firm, Cleantech Group, Global clean-technology venture investment dropped to $6.46 billion in 2012, down 33 percent from the $9.61 billion invested a year ago. The number of deals 2012 was 704, 15 percent lower than the 829 deals tracked in 2011. Several reasons for weak investments include the low price of natural gas- which made it harder for renewable energy to compete on costs. Another reason is that several privately supported cleantech companies were forced to shelve their IPO plans and raise additional finding from existing investors. Only SolarCity had a strong showing with its successful IPO launch which raised $92 million.
Arista Power Commences Solar Purchasing Initiative in New York
In a program modeled after the Solarize Madison initiative, implemented in Madison County, New York, Arista Power has announced that it will begin offering a new solar purchasing initiative to Genesee County, New York. The new initiative called Solarize Genesee, presents bulk purchase pricing which should lead to reduced costs for solar, installation and tax incentive form assistance, education workshops, and workforce training. The program is available for all home and business owners, farmers, institutions, and municipalities of Genesee County on a first-come-first-serve basis.


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Black Caps vice-captain Kyle Mills is predicting big things from rising talent Kane Williamson in their limited overs tri-series in Sri Lanka.
Williamson's staked his claim for a place in the starting 11 with several impressive performances in the warm-up fixtures.
Mills says Williamson has all the tools to succeed at international level. He says Williamson's got the skill-set to do very well on the subcontinent in particular.
The Black Caps play their first match against India in Dambulla tomorrow night.


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by Meredith O'Brien
Okay, so it wasn't as bad as ALL THAT. It wasn't Glitter for God's sake. Geez film reviewers, hate much?
As I stepped into the theater to plunk my hard-earned cash onto the counter to pay for admission to see Sex and the City 2 [1], I carried in my head the brutal reviews I'd read in newspapers and online journals lampooning the latest frolic featuring the four pampered ladies of Manhattan as they embarked on a well-heeled platinum jaunt to Abu Dhabi.
One review in my local newspaper [2] set the tone for me before I even set foot in the movie house. The writer observed, ". . . [T]he once-fab foursome of Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte have gone from confident and independent 30-something women to neurotic, self-indulgent middle-aged shrews." Just for fun, I looked up the definition of the word "shrew" in my dictionary; it read, "a nagging, evil-tempered woman."
A writer for Salon [3] took out his knife and hacked away: "This bloated, incoherent movie mimics a SATC episode in structure -- vague social relevance at the beginning and the end, conspicuous consumption in the middle -- with virtually none of the wit or panache, and seems devoted to destroying our affection for these characters . . . Big is something else, a shambling, half-dead ghoul enslaved to a demonic harridan." My dictionary defined "harridan" as: "a nasty, bad-tempered old woman." FYI, Carrie Bradshaw is in her 40s.
Okay, so I, personally, was not a fan of the trip to Abu Dhabi thing or the karaoke number the foursome did while at a posh Middle Eastern resort where they sang the 70s feminist anthem "I Am Woman." (Cringe-inducing given the paucity of women's rights in that region, but this is escapist fantasy, right?) I also wasn't especially fond of the too-long wedding sequence at the beginning. However I didn't expect SATC to be all dark and twisty and plumb the depths of my soul for the meaning of marriage, commitment and long-term romance. I expected sheer fluff and ridiculously out of touch clothing that I not only cannot afford but most of which I wouldn't wear if all the clothing I owned had been set on fire.
But for some reason, when middle-aged male actors star in an unrealistic guys-go-on-a-caper thing, reviewers don't seem as cuttingly vicious – and as deeply personal -- as they've been about the women in this film (about which one writer [4] quipped "threatens to border on the shtick of "Menopause: The Musical"). Truth be told, Sex and the City 2 was fairly bad, but fun-bad, not walk-out-of-the-theater-and-demand-your-money-back bad. The group of women who attended the same matinee as me seemed to have a good time while watching it together.
Which brings me to the mom part of this movie review: Miranda (who has a second grader and was having difficulties striking a reasonable work/life balance with a hard-driving boss demanding that she work an insane schedule and miss all her son's school events) and Charlotte (who has a 2-year-old and a 4- or 5-year-old daughter and was overwhelmed by her toddler's all-day-every-day crying) seemed more flesh and blood than Carrie and Samantha, without having to flash their flesh.
"Being a mother kicks your ass," Miranda complained to Charlotte over drinks when Carrie and Samantha were elsewhere. Trying to coax Charlotte into some maternal truth-telling, Miranda confessed that "as much as I love Brady . . . being a mother is not enough." Miranda said she needed work to make her feel whole.
This prompted at-home mom Charlotte -- who adopted her first daughter Lily after a long, emotionally bruising bout with infertility treatments, and who considered her pregnancy with her daughter Rose a minor miracle – felt guilty about complaining and about the fact that she was reveling in her time away from the girls, on a much-needed break from motherhood and Rose's crying. "They're driving me crazy," Charlotte said. "I feel like I'm failing all the time."
The biggest laugh in the theater where I saw SATC 2 came when Miranda and Charlotte marveled at how mothers without childcare/household help can make it through the rigors of parenthood and still remain sane. (I'm guessing the women who laughed aloud, including yours truly, are the poor saps who lack said help.)
Twice during the film, columnist/author Carrie was asked whether she and Big, an affluent Wall Street businessman, would ever have kids. "We've talked about it a lot," she said. "We both love kids, but it's not for us." Once, the fact that they didn't want children made them the object of pity and blank stares. This could've been a very interesting jumping off point, examining the societal pressure placed upon people to procreate, but, alas, this wasn't that kind of a movie.
Bottom line: If you go see this over-the-top, junk-food-binge of a film, bring a friend, or two, and expect to laugh, not be treated to reviewer-friendly performances. Expect it to be good-bad, like a reality show. You'll be happier that way.


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When MasterBrand Cabinets Inc. launched its wellness incentives program, some employees feared it would resemble life insurance—using pre-existing conditions as a reason to deny coverage.
By establishing health benchmarks to mete out rewards, the program was viewed as "a way to bar people that did have health risks from getting insurance," says Robert Jacobs, executive vice president of human resources at the cabinet manufacturer based in Jasper, Indiana. "We don't want to bar anyone from health insurance."
Rather than curtailing health care, the company's goal was to improve health with the program it launched three years ago. "We were on the way of creating a culture of wellness in the organization," Jacobs says.
The company had been struggling with double-digit inflation in health care costs when it began working with Bravo Wellness in Cleveland to establish the program.
MasterBrand introduced the concept to its 8,500 employees at 14 North American plants more than a half-year in advance, holding plant-floor meetings and brown-bag lunches. Those in good health generally supported the plan, while those with health risks thought the program could be intrusive, Jacobs says.
Some minds were changed when MasterBrand encouraged employees to get physicals and footed the bill. About a half-dozen employees learned they had serious health issues, such as heart problems and undiagnosed diabetes, Jacobs says.
Employees are screened for blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol; body mass index, or BMI; and smoking. They receive up to six points for meeting certain standards—two points each for BMI and not smoking, and one each for normal blood pressure and LDL cholesterol numbers.
Rewards and penalties are based on the number of points an employee receives. Someone who meets all six criteria receives a $2-a-week incentive in the form of an insurance premium discount. On the other extreme, someone with less than four points pays a $10-per-week penalty.
"About $50 a month is enough to catch someone's attention," Jacobs says.
An appeals process allows someone with health issues to opt out or aim for an alternative target. So if an employee is making progress toward reducing BMI, or is on cholesterol medication, that worker can be viewed as meeting that criterion.
With the incentive program, MasterBrand has saved an average of $124 per employee, per year, in health care costs.
Affinia Group Inc., which designs, manufactures and distributes industrial products, also had been overwhelmed as health care costs skyrocketed 25 percent per year before it introduced wellness incentives nearly a decade ago, says Bob Soroosh, director of benefit administration. Both he and Jacobs were involved in drafting the consensus statement on wellness programs.
The Ann Arbor, Michigan-based company initially offered incentives just for completing health assessments. The company gradually ramped up its program, and working with StayWell Health Management, now provides rewards for health outcomes.
With the 2011 health screening, for instance, an employee and his or her spouse could have received a contribution of up to $400 into their health reimbursement account, or HRA, in January 2012 if they didn't smoke and hit BMI and blood-pressure targets. The HRA contribution offset an increase in the health plan's deductible, Soroosh says.
Someone with health issues can fulfill an alternative, such as receiving weight-loss coaching from StayWell, and still receive the reward.
Rewards also are available for doing things like taking part in Weight Watchers and getting a colonoscopy.
Since implementing the program in 2003, the compounded annual growth rate in health insurance claims has been just 2.1 percent per year, Soroosh says, rising from $7,576 in 2003 to $8,936 this year.
For companies considering such programs, it's even more important to create a wellness culture, Jacobs says. "If you're doing it just to attack claims, don't do it. It won't succeed."
Susan Ladika is a writer based in Tampa, Florida. Comment below or email email@example.com.


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Dec. 1, 2009
CARBONDALE, Ill. - There are still open spots available for the 2010 softball winter camps and clinics. The pitching camp will take place Jan. 15-16 and the hitting camp will be conducted Jan. 22-23.
The two-day pitching camp is open to individuals second grade through 12th grade. There are 70 available spots and will include drill work for various skill levels with focus on increasing control and speed while correcting common problems.
The hitting camp has 60 available spots and is open to fifth through 12th graders. The SIU coaching staff and players will help participants with various drills and instruction of stance and swing.
The cost of each camp is $80 per person and will consist of four hour sessions. Each participant will receive a camp t-shirt, SIU softball poster and autograph session with the Saluki softball team.
For more information see the attached registration form or contact Assistant Coach Jen Sewell at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Black Ex-BP CFO Claims Dismissal Due to Braided Hair & Dashikis
A former top official of a British Petroleum Oil Co. division headquartered in California says she was fired after being warned to reserve dashikis and braided hairstyles for special observances in the workplace.
Melphine Evans, recently dismissed from her position as chief financial officer for BP said in a lawsuit filed in California's Orange County Superior Court that she was told, "If you are going to wear ethnic clothing, you should alert people in advance that you will be wearing something ethnic.'"
Evans said she was told, "You intimidate and make your colleagues uncomfortable by wearing ethnic clothing and ethnic hairstyles ('Dashikis,' 'twists,' 'braids/cornrows') ", she said in her lawsuit filed in early December.
Her complaint alleged that she was told "If you insist on wearing ethnic clothing/hairstyles, you should only do so during 'culture day,' black history month or special diversity events/days."
Evans seeks unspecified damages for race and gender discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination. She is suing BP Products North America, the BP West Coast Products Office in La Palma, Calif. and nine individuals.
"Generally, BP does not publicly discuss personnel issues," BP spokesman Scott Dean told Courthouse News Service. "However, BP treats all employees fairly. BP disagrees with the claims and will vigorously defend the suit."
She said she was fired and replaced by a younger White male after being warned about dashikis and braided hair she wore to work.
Evans joined BP in 2001 and in February 2008 Evans was appointed CFO, West Coast USA. She was responsible for all finance activities for BP's Refining, Supply and Marketing, and Pipelines/Logistics businesses in the U.S. and Latin America convenience retail businesses.
606 total views, 1 views today


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Georgina Neville
Hi, I am Georgina Neville. My two children, Christopher and Gillian, have used Roger's House since it opened in May 2006. They go for respite care, transition-to-home, and occasional emergency respite. I was asked to join the FAC when it started in September 2007. I was honoured they asked me and jumped at the chance to give back to Roger's House. They have done so much for my family.
Christopher and Gillian love going to Roger's House! It is their form of summer camp. We make a big deal out of it, because it is. We are a military family and, therefore, we don't have any family here to help us. Without Roger's House I don't know what I would do. Roger's House has been there for us - especially in the summer of 2007, when I had my own health issues and was worried about who was going to take care of the children. They took care of them and me as well. Without Roger's House and the Roger's House team, we wouldn't have made it through such a time in our lives. For that I am forever grateful and this is my way to give back.


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- Write a Review
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About Rousseau Mouthpieces
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Our product catalog varies by country due to manufacturer restrictions. If you change the Ship-To country, some or all of the items in your cart may not ship to the new destination.


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Training programs are often labeled as nice-to-have cost centers that are the first to be cut when times are lean.
But in reality, training is one of the most important investments a company can make in its own long-term success. When training opportunities are aligned with business objectives, they improve employee engagement, increase productivity and ensure an organization gets the greatest return from its most valuable asset: its people.
Fast Lane:
Integrated systems streamline workforce analytics. In the most mature training organizations, the workforce management systems related to onboarding, workforce planning, talent management and performance management are all integrated, giving these companies an edge on talent development, said Elissa Tucker, human capital management program manager for the APQC. "It makes it easier for them to anticipate skill needs, and fill gaps."
And the need for effective training is only increasing as the economy rebounds. Almost 40 percent of U.S. employers today face talent shortages, according to ManpowerGroup's Talent Shortage 2013 survey. And half of employers admit that such shortages hamper their ability to serve their clients and customers.
When companies can't fill key roles with new hires, they have to work harder at preparing the employees they do have, said Jonas Prising, ManpowerGroup president, in a news release. "As talent shortages in key areas persist, we need to focus on training programs that create opportunity for employers to fill their talent gaps."
However, building an effective training program isn't easy. It's not enough to roll out a catalog of off-the-shelf courses to anyone who wants to take them. High-impact learning organizations create custom solutions designed to meet strategic learning objectives in an easy-to-access format with metrics to prove their effectiveness.
U.S. Hardest Jobs to Fill
in 2012
U.S. Hardest Jobs to Fill
in 2013
|1. Skilled Trades
|1. Skilled Trades
|2. Engineers
|2. Sales Representatives
|3. IT Staff
|3. Drivers
|4. Sales Representatives
|4. IT Staff
|5. Accounting & Finance Staff
|5. Accounting & Finance Staff
Building such a program takes time, commitment and most importantly, money. High-impact learning organizations spend 34 percent more per employee than low-performing organizations, according to "The Corporate Learning Factbook 2013" from Bersin by Deloitte. Bersin defines high-impact organizations as those with "mature, effective L&D functions" that focus on improving performance through training and other talent initiatives.
The benefit of the investment in training is substantial. High-impact learning organizations experienced three-times greater profit growth than their competitors over the past four years, according to Bersin data. They also have higher levels of engagement and retention, which is critical for companies fighting to attract top talent, said Karen Leonard, lead analyst of benchmarking for Bersin, and author of the Factbook.
A strong training program demonstrates to new and existing talent that the company values them and is willing to invest in their professional development, said Elissa Tucker, human capital management program manager for the American Productivity & Quality Center a business benchmarking firm. "It shows commitment, not just from HR, but from the highest levels of the organization."
Fast Lane:
Leading organizations prefer custom content. Bersin data show high-impact organizations spend more on custom instructor-led content, while their low-impact peers stick with off-the-shelf courses. "Many organizations start with standardized content, then recognize the need for a customized learning approach as they mature," Bersin by Deloitte analyst Karen Leonard said.
This Roadmap offers HR leaders a framework for building a high-performing training program that aligns strategic business goals with talent needs.
First Stop: Workforce Planning
The only way a company can meet its strategic business goals is to identify the talent, experience and job skills the workforce needs to achieve them. This process is called workforce planning, and in the best organizations it is the foundation of all training and development decision-making.
"The information you glean from this process is how you identify the training needs of the organization," Tucker said. But not every company invites HR to these sessions. In those cases, HR leaders have to review strategic planning reports, and when possible interview executives about their long-term goals to tease out the training requirements needed to support the business. When you understand the company's business goals and the skills needed to support them, you can link them to specific talent needs and gaps in the workforce.
Choose Your Vehicle
Once you've identified critical skill gaps and the trainee population where they exist, you are ready to design your training offerings. Things to consider:
Off-the-shelf or custom made: The topic, audience, schedule, budget and location of trainees all affect what format training should take. If 500 dispersed employees need Microsoft Office training immediately, an off-the-shelf course may be just the ticket. But if 15 executives need leadership training, you probably want a custom workshop.
Fast Lane:
Social learning takes off. In 2012, U.S. companies spent an average of $13,675, on social learning tools and services — an impressive 39 percent jump over 2011 levels, according to the Bersin by Deloitte "Factbook."
Knowledge-sharing on-the-job: Many employees prefer to learn on the job, which can be a cheap and effective method, Tucker said. "It puts less onus on the training department to develop courses and more emphasis on employees and managers sharing knowledge."
Learning doesn't end in the classroom: The most effective courses are not stand-alone events. Many include virtual pre-training modules, and post-training tools, including online communities of practice, lessons-learned databases or moderated Q&As. "Social learning, combined with formal programs, experiential learning and ongoing support and reinforcement, is facilitating a shift from blended training programs to continuous learning environments," Leonard said.
Prepare for impact: Every course should include metrics that will be used later to assess the success of training event. "Measurement is extremely important," Leonard said. "It's what differentiates high-impact training organizations from their peers."
Training can be difficult to measure because so many factors affect business performance, but it is a critical part of any training process, said Laurie Bassi, CEO of McBassi & Co. "The purpose of measurement is to demonstrate that the learning and development program is delivering its intention, and is aligned with driving business results."
At the simplest level you can measure a course by number of attendees, satisfaction surveys and completion rates. More advanced metrics link training to changes in behavior and improved business results. The more quantifiable these metrics are, the easier they will be to capture, Leonard said.
A good training program doesn't shoehorn everyone into mandatory training programs. It targets those who need new skills with courses chosen or crafted to meet those needs.
Get everyone on board: No matter how good a course is, it won't be successful unless managers agree to let employees take it, and employees see the value in it, Leonard said. Before you move forward, be certain that you have stakeholder support.
Looking Back
Are we there yet? Following every course, the training department should track the measures of success, and ideally link them to past performance. For example, a company might link new hire training to reduced turnover in the first year, customer service training to improved customer satisfaction surveys, or sales training to increased annual revenue.
Leonard suggests reviewing these metrics on a quarterly basis. "At the end of the day, you want to see changes in behavior that impact performance," she said.
If changes aren't apparent, use these reviews to either tweak or cancel programs that aren't performing. It can be difficult to cut courses that you've invested time and money into, Leonard said, but if they aren't delivering value, those resources can be put to better use elsewhere.
Where to next? Training managers should meet at least annually with executives to review current training results, discuss how programs are helping the company meet strategic goals, and consider what else is needed, Leonard said. This is also a good time to start planning for the next 12 to 36 months, she said. "Blend qualitative and quantitative input from trainees and their managers to create a full picture of the impact of your program."
Comment below or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow Workforce on Twitter at @workforcenews.
CASE STUDY: Peer 1 Links Training to Long-Term Goals
In 2012, Sheila Bouman was hired to build a training program for Peer 1, a Canadian IT hosting provider. Company leaders wanted Peer 1 to be known as experts in customer service, so Bouman started by talking to managers and employees about what prevented them from meeting that goal.
The response was consistent, said Bouman, an independent consultant. The company was rolling out products so quickly that there was no time for service reps to learn how to support them. "They were thrown into a 'tell and sell' environment, and there was a real appetite for more formal training."
Once she understood the problem, Bouman brought in an instructional designer to survey all customer-facing employees about their confidence regarding every process, product and tool they supported, and used those results to build a training road map. Then she selected a couple of high-profile products, and created task-based online training that service reps could complete on their own, along with searchable step-by-step support aids they could access on the job.
The initial feedback on the courses was so positive that Bouman gained executive support to hire six more instructional designers. She was also able to build out the training program to include all of the company's products as well as a series of leadership workshops.
Today Bouman validates her training by assessing its effect on the business. She looks at employee engagement, productivity, retention and promotion of high-performing staff, business results, customer churn and how quickly the company is able to roll out new products.
And while she won't attribute every improvement to training alone, early numbers demonstrate impressive results — the company ranks among the highest revenue per employee in the industry, and employee engagement is up 13 percent since the training program was launched. "These numbers say a lot about our productivity," she said. "It is because we are helping employees explore their full potential."


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October 14, 2010
By: Chris Kahlich
Hot-wire GTAW and inspection advances are meeting the oil and gas industry's ever-increasing need for cladding.
Still Building America—Jump into your trade with both feet - by Josh Welton
Interested in a career in welding and fabrication? Take advantage of opportunities to learn more, and you might find yourself on a fulfilling career path, just like Jonathan Lewis.
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BeingGirl Points - Major Bragging Rights
Back to My Relationships Questions
Dear BeingGirl Experts,
Why does my best friend get all the attention, and I'm shy?
Dear Nadia,
Just because your friend gets attention doesn't mean you go unnoticed. Many times one friend is more outgoing and friendly in social situations. This means most of the conversation goes her way. But being shy or unsure of yourself in social situations should not make you a wallflower.
Actually, being shy can be a trait some people like. Those who are shy are usually good listeners! If you want to participate more in the conversations around you, then learn about the things people are interested in.
Practice at home what you would like to say and what questions you want to ask. Knowing what you want to say will make conversation easier when with a group. It is easier to learn to talk with people if you get involved in an activity you find interesting. Working together on common goals and interests means you'll have real things to talk about.
And...keep smiling. A smile will invite conversation!
Your BeingGirl Experts
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Benjamin Moore Natura Paint
Choose a sub category
The new Benjamin Moore Natura Paint. Benjamin Moore's next generation paint technology now offers a zero VOC paint that performs like none other. Available in any color from MyPerfectColor.com.
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As the argument in favour of a tax on the rich gains currency, the finance ministry is reportedly looking at the possibility of a higher tax on the super rich, with the possibility of a surcharge on those with an annual income of over Rs 1 crore among the options on the table.
An official source said that the proposal is likely to form a part of the Budget 2013-14 and the ministry is analysing the feasibility of the option. Currently, the taxpayers earning above Rs 10 lakh per annum have to pay tax at the rate of 30 per cent, the highest rate in the three-tier tax slab. The taxpayers have to pay an education cess of 3 per cent on the tax paid. Currently, income is taxed at three rates 10 per cent, 20 per cent and 30 per cent fixed in 1997. If the proposal is introduced, those earning above Rs 1 crore will have to pay tax along with education cess and the surcharge levied. A surcharge is essentially a tax on a tax.
On Thursday, in an interview to a TV channel, finance minister P Chidambaram, who spoke about a stable tax regime during his meetings with foreign investors, maintained that the argument for taxing the very rich a little more should be considered. I believe in stable tax rates.
However, I must concede that there is an argument, underline the word argument, that when the economy requires, when the government requires more resources the very rich should willingly pay a little more. That is not to say that tax rate should not be stable. I think we should have stability in tax rates but we should consider the argument whether the very rich should be asked to pay a little more on some occasions, he was quoted in the interview.
Currently, as per the finance ministry data, of the 3.24 crore taxpayers, over four lakh earn above Rs 20 lakh and contribute more than 60 per cent to the total tax collection. On the other hand, those earning below Rs 5 lakh comprise 89 per cent of the taxpayers and contribute only 10 per cent to total tax collection. On Wednesday, Wipro chairman Azim Premji had said the suggestion for taxing the super-rich was a politically correct thing to do, although he had expressed doubts if the government would actually implement it.
Sanjay Sanghvi, tax partner at Khaitan and Co, said that the idea of taxing the super rich stems from the fact that the government is faced with a huge fiscal deficit and is looking at new sources of revenue. Government is thinking of addressing fiscal deficit and the thought process is that it may not matter to those who are in high income bracket, if they pay a little more tax. He added that the move is not likely to have any negative ramifications in form of enhanced tax evasion.
The fiscal position of the economy has been deteriorating with the government revising the fiscal deficit target for the current year to 5.3 per cent of GDP as against 5.1 per cent of GDP targeted in the Budget 2012-13.


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Mariners If creative ways back, hug Platoons
23, September 2013, Seattle, WA, Seattle Mariners pinch hitter Franklin Gutierrez (21) rounds 3rd base after arresting a solo home hostile to the Kansas City Crowned heads in the 8th Run inning at Safeco Field. Mandatory Confidence: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports.
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Join fellow Chicago Booth alumnae for holiday tea at The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco on Saturday, Dec 10th at 4pm located at 600 Stockton Street at California Street, San Francisco, CA. Cost $53.50, including tax and gratuity. Please contact Sherry Young '06 with questions. Note that seating is limited and advance RSVP required.Enjoy a relaxing afternoon tea with sumptuous treats overlooking the dazzling San Francisco skyline and celebrate the festive season with Booth alumnae at the Ritz Carlton. Please note that seating is limited and advance registration is required.
The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco600 Stockton Street at California StreetSan Francisco, California
$53.50, including tax and gratuity
Register Online
Deadline: 12/3/2011
Sherry Young, '06
Chicago Women in Business Alumnae Network (CWIBAN) is the worldwide organization of recent women graduates of Chicago Booth. Led by a team of alumnae volunteers and founded in 2002, CWIBAN connects over 4,100 members living in six continents and is recognized as one of the most active Booth alumni groups.
Get the latest Booth research on topics such as entrepreneurship, marketing, decision research, corporate governance and labor economics. Sign-up to have Capital Ideas delivered to you.
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Worked With:
Katherine Helmond
Birth Name: Katherine Helmond
Born: 07/05/1929
Birth Place: Galveston, Texas, USA
Born: 07/05/1929
Birth Place: Galveston, Texas, USA
Biographies of Helmond never mention her father's influence on her early years. Born Katherine Marie Helmond in Galveston, TX on July 5, 1928, she was raised by her mother, Thelma Malone, and grandmother. Withdrawn as a youth, she was assigned a role in a school play by the sisters at her Catholic school and discovered that acting provided a new way to express her emotions. The stage soon became her main passion, and she worked behind the scenes at her local theater before heading to South Carolina to attend the fundamentalist private college, Bob Jones University. While there, Helmond made her film debut in "Wine of Morning" (1955), a film version of the novel of the same name by the univer... Continue Bio >>
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By: A.K. Anderson
Number of Reviews: 1179
Average Score: 66
Bad Girl Butts
We no longer link to this site.
We no longer link to this site.
My fellow reviewer Will likes pointing out the fact that I have often mentioned how much of an ass man I am. I don't remember doing it that much, but it is very possible, since I truly do love the female posterior. So, my disappointment with Bad Girl Butts comes from someone who so wanted to love it since they focus on the asses of hot babes.
One of the problems with BadGirlButts is that themost of the videos are just filmed photo shoots. There is music playing, people talking and a camera clicking away. That's the movie. For the most part, the video doesn't even get close up to the girl's ass. The camera remains a few feet away just documenting the shoot. I mean, if you aren't going to give me any hardcore or full nudity, then at least give me some solid ass worshiping, so I can fully appreciate it.
Members are provided with 41 videos and 98 sets of pictures. There haven't been any updates in over eight months, so this looks like it might be it. Photo quality is good, and there are some high-res images to look at.
A few of the movies are solo scenes where the chick dances around and shakes her booty for the camera (at least these are better than the photo shoot flicks). The videos are downloadable in great-quality Windows Media format. Some also have an MPEG and a Flash streaming option. The material is exclusive to the network, but you will find many of the vids on the solo sites of the other babes in the scene.
The only thing saving Bad Girl Butts is the fact that your membership gets you access to 121 bonus sites that cover both soft and hardcore action like Sum Dum Cunt, Mouth Drillers and Missy Monroe 18. If that peaks your interest, then you should join for the network.
* Please include a pro and a con about the site. Balance is essential in making a comment worthwhile. Scores without comments will be deleted.
* Watch out for ratings of zero and 100. In our opinion, there is no such thing as a site that is absolutely perfect or completely worthless.


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The planet Jupiter is shining brightly in the eastern predawn sky now, and the moon appeared near it on the morning of August 31, 2013. The photo above is from Ilija Desic. Thank you! And we received many more photos from friends around the world at EarthSky Facebook. Check 'em out!
The moon will be moving downward in the predawn sky in the coming mornings. It'll pass the planet Mars on September 1 and 2, but Mars is much harder to see than Jupiter, and you might still only glimpse Jupiter and the moon.
Sky charts for Sunday, September 1.
Sky charts for Monday, September 2.


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Guest Post: Is There Wisdom In The Crowd?
Submitted by Doug Hornig of Casey Research,
Back in the 1960s, a clever but financially disadvantaged fellow placed a small ad in a national magazine that read something like: Money needed. Please send $1 to the address below. Do it today! No specific need was given, and nothing was promised in return, so that fraud could not later be charged.
Yet within a few months, thousands of dollars arrived in his mailbox, a considerable sum in those days. Or so the urban legend goes.
P2P Money
A half-century later, many things have changed, but one thing remains unchanged: People still need money, and they have not ceased to innovate ways in which to get it.
We have written extensively in this space about many of the P2P Internet connections that are transforming the planet... in commerce, in education, in the job market, and with business and social networking. The list of possibilities is truly endless. For yet another example, the world of money has been given a Red-Bull jolt by a fast-growing phenomenon known as "crowdfunding."
Previously, if you had a grand scheme for a new product or service and you needed seed money to get your project off the ground, you had to save it yourself, borrow from friends and relatives, or go with begging bowl to your local bank, which was unlikely to see you as the next Steve Jobs. If it was a big enough idea, you might even attract the attention of a venture capital (VC) company, but there you had to be prepared to offer many pounds of flesh in return. And still, those ideas that didn't meet with bank criteria (there's no collateral for a software startup) yet weren't large enough for the VC crowd often fell into a no man's land, scraping out some funding from unorganized, so-called "angel" investors, or never getting funded at all.
More recently, we've seen the rise of for-profit Internet alternatives to traditional lending, such as Prosper, Zopa, and the market leader, LendingClub. These P2P companies specialize in small loans – LendingClub's limit is $35,000. They don't originate loans – they facilitate them, cutting out the banks and creating a situation that allows individuals with spare cash directly to invest in other people's dreams, while the dreamers can borrow based on the public responses to their particular (hopefully compelling) stories. For each loan, there is a multitude of lenders, not just one.
It's a win-win proposition. Borrowers receive below-market rates with less hassle than is usually encountered at a traditional financial institution. Investors get an excellent rate of return, and can attenuate risk by building a portfolio spread across multiple loans. And LendingClub prospers by taking a cut. The site claims a very low default rate of less than 3% since its inception in 2007, and it has been a monster success. To date, LendingClub has negotiated nearly a billion dollars in loans, a meteoric ascent from about $175 million just two years ago.
Other, more philanthropically oriented organizations either are or function a little more like nonprofits. They solicit donations in order to make very small micro-loans to budding entrepreneurs, primarily in the developing world. Donors either simply get their money back, or the principal plus a small amount of interest. Those that work this way include Kiva, Zidisha, Fundable, PayPal's MicroPlace, GlobalGiving, FirstGiving, CreateaFund, Calvert Foundation's Community Impact Investing, and the Grameen Foundation, which received tremendous worldwide publicity when its partner organization Grameen Bank shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Muhammad Yunus in 2006.
At the other extreme – if you're an upscale investor looking outside of the traditional markets for greater risk/reward potential – there are alternatives for you as well, in the form of secondary markets. Sites such as SharesPost and SecondMarket provide access to participation in private placements and the purchase of already existing, pre-IPO shares in privately held companies. These opportunities are generally only open to accredited investors, i.e., those who can verify that they are high-net-worth individuals and attest that they're comfortable with assuming a high degree of risk.
Not quite so well-heeled? You can still play the game. MicroVentures was the first Internet broker/dealer to help startups in the US raise capital in exchange for equity. Companies can apply for up to $500,000, and individuals can buy in with an investment as low as $1,000. There's also MediaShares, which offers companies the opportunity to crowdfund IPOs, and investors the chance to buy as little as a single share of stock. The stock can be sold online, with or without an underwriter. A new US law (H.R.1070) has been passed by Congress that will allow for advertising the sale of stock to the general public and selling to non-accredited investors; this is expected to greatly expand these types of online offerings. Crowdcube, Grow VC, and Symbid also finance business startups. SeedUps specializes in tech.
Clearly there are a lot of new and imaginative ways of moving money around that vie for our attention. Many of them would be considered crowdfunding (derived from the general term "crowdsourcing," which has traditionally referred to works like Wikipedia driven by large numbers of amateur contributors), since the definition of this term still tends to be on the loose side. It can be applied very widely, as Wikipedia does, calling it any "collective effort of individuals who network and pool their resources, usually via the Internet, to support efforts initiated by other people or organizations."
Crowdfunding, if thought of merely as the pooling of resources for a common cause, is as old as human groupings. Neighbors pitching in to help someone who's had a house fire, supporting the local rescue squad, sending truckloads of canned goods to disaster areas – all of these cooperative efforts represent crowdfunding of a sort.
But that isn't the way it's thought of nowadays. In fact, the very term "crowdfunding" is just six years old, with Word Spy attributing its first official appearance in print to blogger Michael Sullivan on his fundavlog of August 12, 2006. And the first book on the subject – Kevin Lawton and Dan Marom's The Crowdfunding Revolution – wasn't published until October, 2010.
In contemporary usage, "crowdfunding" is generally defined as an ongoing money-raising effort organized through the Internet. As such, it is intimately related to and initiated by online communities and social networks. However, while a given crowd might pre-exist as a community, it can also arise completely spontaneously, from disparate groups around the world which happen to share an interest in funding a person, project, or whatever. And it can be brought together by a website whose purpose is just that. These are the characteristics that distinguish crowdfunding from traditional co-ops.
Funding the Arts
Early crowdfunding efforts often involved musical groups that needed cash to advance their careers. A British rock group, Marillion, wanted to tour the US in 1997, but the band lamented on a newsgroup that they couldn't hack it financially themselves, and their record company wasn't prepared to pony up the support money.
Marillion's fans then took it upon themselves to raise the necessary bucks. Word went out via the Net, and the money poured in. With just a live CD promised in return, the band raised $60,000 from all over the world. Later, Marillion went on to tap its Internet fan base to fund the production and distribution of subsequent albums, cutting out the record company entirely.
ArtistShare, founded in 2000, formalized the concept, becoming the first fully crowdfunded website for music. In 2005, American composer Maria Schneider's Concert in the Garden became the first album in history to win a Grammy Award without being available in retail stores. The album, funded through ArtistShare, received four nominations that year and copped the Grammy for "best large jazz ensemble album." Since then, ArtistShare projects have received several other nominations and taken home four additional Grammies.
Other music-centric crowdfunding sites followed ArtistShare's lead, including SellaBand (2006) and PledgeMusic (2009).
Music and the arts have always been logical targets for crowdfunding and, with barriers to entry in the movie business historically so high, film was a natural. Movie crowdfunding was initiated by French entrepreneurs and producers Benjamin Pommeraud and Guillaume Colboc in August 2004, when they launched a public Internet donation campaign to fund their film, Demain la Veille (Waiting for Yesterday). Within three weeks, they managed to raise $50,000, allowing them to make the picture.
Spanner Films has been a centrally organized pioneer in this area, and has even published a guide titled How to Crowdfund Your Film, just in case you have any great cinematic ideas. Spanner crowdfunded a film called The Age of Stupid, set in 2055 and starring Oscar nominee Pete Postlethwaite. Further taking advantage of the Internet, the company in September 2009 pulled off a gala global premiere, satellite-linking to more than 700 cinemas and other venues in 63 countries, with a total audience of more than a million people.
Many, many other sites – including RocketHub, Sponsume, My Show Must Go On, AKA Starter, inkubato, and A Swarm of Angels – have set up shop to service the creative arts.
One of them, Indiegogo, originally focused on fundraising for independent film, and was launched at Sundance in 2008. But the site soon branched out into all sorts of creative projects, whose breadth is confirmed by a quick look at the projects currently listed: game development; a graphic novel; a documentary film; a gender-transition calendar; a Canadian comic-book anthology; an asthma education app; traveling dramatic performances; and some kind of knitting endeavor (which you can back if you read German), among others.
As an example of how these things work, here's Indiegogo's model: Entrepreneurs create a page for their funding campaign, set up an account with PayPal, make a list of "perks" for different levels of donation, set a fundraising goal in dollars (or euros, pounds, etc.), then create a social-media-based publicity effort. They publicize the projects themselves, through Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Postings are free, and users have 100% ownership of their campaigns.
In the end, Indiegogo collects 4% if you reach your goal, but allows you to keep money raised even if you don't, minus 9% (to encourage people to set "reasonable" goals). If you fail to reach your goal, you may also elect to return all money to contributors, and you will owe nothing.
Kick It into Gear
Then there is the current king of the hill, Kickstarter. Launched in April of 2009, the site has been a massive success. At the moment, Kickstarter says that over $350 million has been pledged by more than 2.5 million people, successfully funding more than 31,000 creative projects "in the worlds of Art, Comics, Dance, Design, Fashion, Film, Food, Games, Music, Photography, Publishing, Technology, and Theater."
The bulk of Kickstarter-funded projects – 68% – were in the $1,000-10,000 range. But 300 raised between $100,000 and $1 million, and 13 raised in excess of $1 million. Of those that are posted, about 45% fully meet their goals, and about 12% end without having received any pledges. 82% of those that reach 20% of their goal go on to attain full funding.
Kickstarter is an "all or nothing" proposition. Project creators make their pitch, set a funding goal, and a deadline by which the full amount must be raised. If they succeed, donors' credit cards are charged at that time; if they don't make it, no one is charged anything. Kickstarter takes a 5% cut of successful fundraisers, and payment processing fees can claim another 3-5%. Outside of that, creators keep 100% of the money and retain all rights to their projects.
Backers receive no equity or financial payback, but are promised "rewards," depending on one's pledge level. Mostly, people participate in good faith, contributing to something they believe in. Kickstarter's "Terms of Use require creators to fulfill all rewards of their project or refund any backer whose reward they do not or cannot fulfill." But there are no legal guarantees.
If a Kickstarter project really tickles people's fancies, the results can be stunning. For instance, a modest project currently listed on its start page began with a goal of $5,000 and, with the deadline still two weeks away, has pulled in almost $110,000.
Where To from Here?
So, is crowdfunding the future capital source for every new venture under the sun? Well, probably not... although we can't say for sure, because it does sometimes seem that way. In no particular order, some current and projected applications include:
- Journalism – With Spot.us and Global for me, the public provides suggestions and tips for stories. When a journalist accepts a suggestion, he creates a pitch, which is then funded by those who are interested. Whether this will gain any traction with readers accustomed to free Internet news content remains to be seen.
- Politics – Democratic candidates can benefit from ActBlue, a crowdsourced fundraising site that allows anyone to be part of a PAC. Since 2004, ActBlue has raised over $300 million. Across the aisle, Ron Paul ran his campaign for the presidential nomination largely through crowdfunding.
- Public projects – Want those bike lanes but your town is out of money? You can turn to CivicSponsor.
- Fashion – Milk and Honey Shoes allows customers to design their own shoes. Several other sites that will let consumers participate in designing new fashions are currently under development.
- Personal wants and needs – GoFundMe specializes in fundraising for individuals, for everything from weddings to funerals, and medical expenses to high-school trips. Greedy or Needy aims to fund make-a-wishes without the necessity of going through a big foundation. Kapipal teams up with PayPal to finance just about anything.
- Science – Still in its infancy, science crowdfunding has many researchers excited about the possibilities. RocketHub's #SciFund Challenge was the first crowdfunding initiative to support science projects, while Petridish invites donors to "fund science & explore the world with renowned researchers."
- Biotech – On October 1, biopharmaceutical antibacterial drug-discovery company Antabio, and WiSEED, the French crowdfunding platform dedicated to technologic startups, announce the successful completion of their seed round of financing. Initially funded by more than 200 small investors, Antabio was able to finance a key step in the validation of its drug-candidate molecules, bringing it to the attention of some major players in the drug-discovery arena.
- Cars – According to Gizmag, Local Motors "is a small Phoenix, Arizona-based automotive firm that uses crowd sourcing for brainstorming, designing, refining and developing vehicle ideas. They work with an Internet community of more than 20,000 designers, engineers, auto enthusiasts and other passionate minds toward developing unique, customer-centric offerings." They're currently working with BMW to crowdsource the Beamers of the future.
- DIY – Launcht claims it "empowers universities, nonprofits, startup crowdfunding portals and others" to design and implement "their own custom white label crowdfunding & voting platforms."
- Brewskies – BeerBankroll is your destination if you want to help fund a small brewery.
And so on.
It's difficult to overstate how fast and furious crowdfunding has grown (but it pales in comparison to the growth potential of a new technology in replication). So red-hot is the sector that a whole secondary support network has popped up out of nowhere, largely as a result of the 2012 passage of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, which effectively lifted a previous ban against public solicitation for private companies raising funds. Among the nascent bureaucracies there is now a National Crowdfunding Association (NLCFA), National Crowdfunding Association of Canada, World Crowdfund Federation, Crowdfund Intermediary Regulatory Advocates, and Crowdfunding Professional Association (CfPA), all of which sprang into existence subsequent to the passage of JOBS. The CfPA offers a course in Crowdfunding 101 and sponsors a Crowdfunding Bootcamp to teach entrepreneurs how to master the process.
While crowdfunding does not yet have the Web presence of some other services, it's headed up with a bullet. Alexa, a leading Web information company, ranks some 30 million websites worldwide, according to the amount of traffic users of its toolbar generate. Its statistics are considered one of the most accurate yardsticks by which site popularity can be measured.
As of August 2012, crowdfunders were nowhere near challenging the top 10 megasites like Google, Facebook, YouTube, Wikipedia, Twitter, and Amazon. But Kickstarter was in 748th place, followed by Indiegogo (#1,798). Rounding out the ten most-visited crowdfunders were GoFundMe (10,892), ChipIn (28,394), RocketHub (47,424), GiveForward (52,383), Fundable (60,149), Crowdtilt (133,246), crowdfunder (105,447), and appbackr (125,977).
Pros and Cons… and Cons
The pros of crowdfunding – the Internet's P2P ability to unite worthy projects with seed capital, in the absence of conventional funding sources, and bring dreams to life – are obvious. But what of the cons?
Well, there's fraud, for one. Though crowdfunding sites claim to do detailed background checking before clearing a project to be posted, in reality this is fertile new ground for scam artists. In fact, in August the Massachusetts Securities Division charged a Lowell man in a crowdfunding scam, alleging that he had bilked 20 investors – who thought they were putting money into a gaming site – out of more than $150,000.
Regulation of securities issuance is another sticky topic. Questions about crowdfunding campaigns involving unaccredited investors and private companies are being closely examined in Washington. Complicating the matter is that due diligence can be very hard if not impossible for a prospective investor to do prior to offering startup money for a new company, and that the stock those companies are offering is often not intended to be traded on any recognized exchange. Private offerings for oil and gas drilling, which are not SEC-registered, are another area of concern.
Though the SEC has yet to set any hard-and-fast rules in place regarding equities, it is widely expected to stick some fingers into this rapidly baking pie as soon as the next few months.
Further, the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) publishes an annual list of emerging threats to investors. This year, NASAA included crowdfunding on its list of worries, warning that fraudsters could use it in new scams involving such unexplored territory as precious metals, real estate, and promissory notes.
Although not overtly fraudulent, there are also going to be ideas (including possibly some great ones) for which the funding goal is unrealistic. A September Reuters article discussed a Kickstarter project called Lifx, which intends to develop a dimmable, WiFi-enabled, multicolor, energy efficient, 25-year LED light bulb that you control with your iPhone or Android... and to start shipping finished product by next March. Talk about ambitious. So far, the bulb is a monster Kickstarter hit, and the project is oversubscribed. Backers have thought so highly of it that they've ponied up more than $1.3 million, in return for which they'll get… well, some bulbs. Once they're in production.
Unfortunately, as the Reuters piece pointed out, "Coming up with a truly worthy LED bulb is enormously complex, requiring expertise in physics, chemistry, optics, design, and manufacturing." One of the early entrants into the space, the Switch bulb, has received an eight-figure investment from one VC company alone; it was promised in October of 2011 and still hasn't arrived. Phillips, which won a $10-million government prize by marketing the first LED bulb, spent much more than that in development. So maybe Lifx can deliver the goods for $1.3M, and good for them if they can. But investors should probably be at least a little skeptical that they'll ever be dimming the room lighting with their phones.
If, instead of bulbs or other manufactured goods that may not show up, you're looking for a return on capital – i.e., investing in a startup that's offering stock – you are also likely to be disappointed, since more than half of all new small businesses fail within five years. Should you wish to make such an investment, it would seem sensible to find one in your immediate area, so you can check it out with your own boots on the ground.
Then there is intellectual-property theft. Most basement innovators probably haven't patented their ideas before presenting them to the waiting world, which means there's nothing to prevent someone with deeper pockets from stealing the idea, producing the product, and getting it to market first.
The reverse is also possible. Someone may, knowingly or unknowingly, post a project that infringes on someone else's patent or intellectual-property rights. According to a recent story in Wired, this has happened on Kickstarter at least five times since April.
On balance, though, we're optimistic. All of these potential drawbacks will eventually work themselves out in the marketplace, we're sure, provided that forthcoming government regulations don't make it too difficult for these sites to thrive.
Investment Implications
Crowdfunders may facilitate transfers of newly minted stock to investors, but they don't sell stock in themselves, so there are no opportunities here, at least for the time being.
However, there are some income-producing sites, like Lending Club, that have been very successful at returning a decent yield. Some Casey Research employees are invested in them, and they may interest readers who are willing to do their homework. By all means, check them out for purposes of portfolio diversification if you'd like to – or crowdfund your own pet project.
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We get smarter, but we never learn. Wisdom, when I was a child, tought me how to look out for the Bogey Man .../s
Investing money with people on the internet presenting a 'plan' ...
Somehow this very good article, yet makes me think of the Nigerians who have been expert at 'crowdfunding' for many years
And the hit Nigerian pop song about the 419 scams, 'I go chop your dollar!' by Uzodinma Okpechi, hilarious:
"I go take your money disappear ... just a game ... You are the loser ... I am the winner!"
Complete with dancing girls -
part of a wave of decentralization that will remake our world for the better: Decentralized finance, energy and manufacturing will remove the centralized power structures we already have oppressing us. Bring it on. No more TBTF Banks, oil companies or car manufacturers. Centralization is evil, and prone to corruption and failure.
Dear Bernank,
I am a good person with a secret. My secret is that I need some money. I am merely mentioning this to you because I represent data collection on a universal level for later analysis. Oh that is another secret. Anyhow since you have all the money until it is proven that you don't which is a lot different than saying the US cannot default because you are there to print as much money as needed to pay down any future debt, I thought I would ask you now to send me a little QE in my Christmas gift or should I say Holiday gift before you start asking for money yourself.
Thanks and all consideration appreciated.
Just say its "for the children" and watch the money roll in...lol.
That line never seems to fail prior to the school budget vote.
Money needed. Please send $1 to the address below:
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW Washington, D.C. 20500 U.S.A.
Attention: Barry
Proverbial Warren Zevon- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5puAN1PGQw
"Send lawyers, guns and money".
The U.S. Gubbermint seems to do well with it's crowd frauding funds...............
This is a great resource article. I saved it AND printed a hard-copy. I've been reading a lot, here and there, on this topic. Thank You, ZH!
(this is one of the Big reasons I get scairt they'll turn off the interwebs)
"Back in the 1960s, a clever but financially disadvantaged fellow placed a small ad in a national magazine that read something like: Money needed. Please send $1 to the address below. Do it today!"
I did the same thing in 1975, though the wording of the ad was a bit different: "This is your last chance to send $1 to First Middle Last-Name @ my address."
That was it. That was the complete add--real name and address included. I had done it out of curiosity, having heard from and economics teacher of the guy who did it in the 60s. I received two things: one check from a woman I never met; a visit from the postal inspectors--at my place of employment at the time: they wanted to know how much I had received; when I told them I only received $1 and showed them the check--which they took, they seemed to believe me. Everyone got a good laugh out of it, and life went on. I was 16 years old at the time and was working full time after school and running a vending machine business that I had started. I didn't need the money, but I couldn't let go of the idea that people would actually fall for something like that until I tested it myself...
This is how the kids are doing it now. Third prize is you're fired!
I know one thing about the crowd. They can help you to make money trading, when you know to pick the right people. I do this over a year now. It's called copy trading
Great article. I love the doom and gloom, but a little innovation goes a long way. As a musician, I got a lot outta it.
When the government intentionally creates a gray market, participants in that gray market are placed at the mercy of the whims government regulators who at any time may impose white market regulatory standards in order to extract their pound of flesh.
The only thing it will take is a high-visibility fraud case involving the "donate" button on some website, somewhere. Perhaps it gets discovered that Al Ki-Aida donates to a crochet artist in Pittsburgh.
we "crowdfunded" solyndra. who knows what else we are "crowdfunding". "crowdfunding" means what? it means you don't have equity.
Come around tomorrow....we'll take you again.
With all the ways America is becoming less American everyday, about the only process headed the other way is crowdfunding like kickstarter.
It empowers both the applicant and the funder to engage in an activity that otherwise wouldn't be possible. It goes around banks.
It can fully or partially fund a project. It can help showcase that the idea has a market and is worthy of being funded by investors, or anyone really. Technically banks too, but less likely.
I'll take the example of Star Citizen, a game by Chris Roberts which is currently (for the next ~15 hours) available to be funded on Kickstarter. He (well the main guy) created the Wing Commander (series of games), Privateer, and Freelancer space sim games of the 1990's to early 2000's.
Star Citizen is a very ambitious space-sim that will be very expansive and resource hungry game slated for arrival in Nov 2014. It utilizes the CryEngine 3, game engine that you might have seen used for Crysis 2 and lauded for it's superb graphics and DX11 effects.
So far Star Citizen has raised about $5.2 million, which isn't a bad way to show to investors that it's worth funding the rest of the way.
When it comes to game creators (and for many people) caught in the Wall Street/corporate corner which stifles ingenuity, risk, and innovation it offers them an alternative. It can wear creative people down and once they make some money, they're gone because they don't want to deal with the corporate heads dictating to them and creating a hassle. Some people don't want to sit there and make another Call of Duty game. Sure the market exists for it, but they want to do something else, or might want to take it in another direction, while the corporation wants to pump out a title every year and make as few changes to not upset the cash cow.
I'm not trying to criticize the Call of Duty franchise too much, as it can be a fun game, and the most recent edition contains the most upgrades in years, however it is an example of minor changes, and yearly production, that showcases a growing problem within the industry. Other examples are the notoritous EA sports franchises, most notably the Madden football franchise. Kickstarter is a way to break from this mold and go in a completely different direction or reclaim something lost or some mix of the two.
Kickstarter allows game creators like Chris Roberts the ability to go outside of the usual way to create a game on his own term, visions, and capabilities. That's what Star Citizen is.
While the risk is there, specifically with Chris Roberts you know of his track history, you can watch pre-alpha footage and be amazed at what he has done so far, and you get a pretty good idea that with the substantial kickstarter funding coupled with private investment, the risk is negligible in this case imo.
Also there are generally 'stretch goals'. So say they want 1 million, but if they raise 1.25 million they'll add this. If 1.5 million they'll add this, this, and this. So on and so forth. So not only do you get a chance to fund a game, you can allow it to help set the beginning or overall scope of the project...or simply fast forward aspects that might have come to life a year after release and now would be available at launch.
It's not all well known and completely proven talent. You also have other cases where you can get talented young game creators/designers that want to skip the corporate/wall street grind and limitations entirely/early on, or be the seed to one of these eventual behemoths through an initial kickstart.
One such game where youngish game creators are doing that is with "Distance - A next generation arcade racer", which was recently funded with $161,000 dollars. The game looks pretty good, and even has quite the endorsement of Cliff Bleszinski the former long time head of Epic Games (think Unreal, and the licensed Unreal Engine). You know a guy, about a decade older who Mark Suckerberg only wishes he could be in terms of talent and productiveness.
You even have opportunities of other lesser known game creators who may want to make a sequel to a relatively well selling game from 25 years ago. There is a wide range of people that figure out what they can do, what they need to do it, and deliver it to an audience that wants it. Really what's more American than this?
People have opportunity they didn't have before, and if others agree, they can help make it a reality.
The donator/funder does incur risk, for instance, everything collapsing and receiving nothing for their money, however when you realize you can locate people who are passionate about what they do, especially if they have a track record in the industry, then you can make a fairly appropriate judgement based on their presentation of the vision.
The benefits are you can receive the game (or whatever it is) for cheaper than when it hits the market. For Star Citizen, you could of gotten the game at 30 or 35 dollars, now it's 37, as each tier has a number limit. Still cheaper than a 50-60 dollar launch price. You can receive other benefits like a better ship early on, in game currency, different skins for your ship, even your name in the credits list. These are generally relatively cheap. You can even get some physical rewards like a card mailed to you. For bigger donators sometimes the devs will allow something to be named after you, or you can be written into the story, or into the world's lore, even fly you out for dinner with the game devs. Even access to the Alpha and/or beta of the game. This is just in the context of games, but similar things apply to many other genres of funding.
A few months back someone successfully funded the Oculus Rift, which is a Virtual Reality glasses, that will be far more advanced than say the Virtual Boy of Nintendo from about 20 years ago. No doubt with motion sensing technology in the Wii and others pushing forward what's possible in another example that creating new tech fosters ancillary benefits (like the Space program helped give us Apple...and the entire tech industry). While the Oculus Rift isn't grand, it is a passable version of Virtual Reality and good step forward into making that finally a reality.
As we know bailouts go for fraudulent and/or unpayable debt, it doesn't go for actual creation. Banks want their derivatives, not so much on funding creative endeavors. Kickstarter bypasses the madness and truly is a showcase of American Spirit. After all, so what if there's a risk, there's a payoff, and if people have a brain usually they'll be able to spot out the frauds. What we have now is legalized fraud and blackmail on the macro level where there is no risk for them.
I'll gladly help fund Star Citizen or Distance because I can live with the risk, believe in what they are doing and that they CAN do it, and the benefits are good enough to persuade me. Each one is an individual situation, where you have to analyze, do your due diligence, and take on the risk if you want the spoils.
If you like space sims like Star Citizen, a game that will need a very powerful PC when it comes out, and not be a console port, then head over here, you got about 14 hours to jump in.
Note: They have two funding pages, one on their home page here


text:
Thicker Than Water
|Release Date: October 27, 1999
|Running Time: 91 mins.
|MPAA Rating: R
|Box Office: $79,823.00
|Genre: Drama, Music
Ice Cube
Big Pun
Tom'ya Bowden
Kidada Jones
All Cast & Crew >>
Summary:The story of rival "top dogs" from two inner-city gangs who cooperate amidst a turf war to promote their music. When DJ's mixing equipment sets on fire and a record company executive double-crosses Lonzo, the two decide to take the future into their own hands. DJ and Lonzo turn to Gator, a successful drug-lord who has left the streets and is living high in the hills of Los Angeles. For a time, their association is a success, but when someone rats to the police, the trouble begins. Meanwhile, DJ is juggling two girlfriends, Brandy and Leyla and his mother keeps urging him to go to the hospital to visit the father who abandoned him as a child. Back on the street, when a fellow gang member is k... Full Summary >>


text:
Chris Guillebeau travels the world and writes for a small army of remarkable people at chrisguillebeau.com. His bestselling book, The $100 Startup, provides a blueprint for readers interested in creating their own freedom.
Once in a while it really hits people that they don't have to experience the world in the way they've been told to - Alan Keightley***
The Art of Non-Conformity (AONC) project chronicles my writing on how to change the world by achieving significant, personal goals while helping others at the same time. In the battle against conventional beliefs, we focus on three areas: Life, Work, and Travel.


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