Date: 21-Apr-2011
From: linguist <linguist linguistlist.org>
Subject: Letter from Barbara Partee, Advisor
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Dear Linguist List subscribers,
Since I spend half of every year in Russia, I've become acutely aware of several things that I had been less conscious of when my view was just from the U.S. Maybe some of them will be relevant to some of you as we try to make this fund drive end!
(i) Linguist List is really international. In some ways it's even more crucial for the international community than for the U.S. - it really does help make it a small world, where everyone can find out about every kind of resource and opportunity. When I first arrived at Moscow State University in 1996, access to the internet was quite limited (one had to stand in line with your diskette for the one computer in the department that could send and receive e-mail), but there was already a mirror site of Linguist List installed and much used. If you're not in the U.S., this is to you!
Donate at: https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm
(ii) Students and faculty in many countries have much less time and money than they typically do in the U.S. One of my former Russian students this year asked me, with some annoyance, why I keep asking the relatively poor academics in Russia to send money to the rich U.S. She hadn't realized how many of the graduate students at Eastern Michigan University working for Linguist List are international students themselves, and that their work and study there is a great opportunity. And I also reply that no one is asked to give more than they can, and donations can be anonymous (so we never know that someone "didn't give"). We know that if everyone who uses Linguist List would give just a dollar (which requires some group cooperation, since the minimum credit card donation is $5), we would raise far more than the Fund Drive target total!
Donate at: https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm
(iii) Some countries (Russia is the example I know best) have no tradition of "fund-raising" among ordinary non-wealthy people to support a common good, as is common in the U.S. for public radio and many other good causes. Things for the common good tend in many countries to be either government-funded through taxation or else supported by rich donors and corporate sponsors. If you're in such a country, and you're a linguist, and you've ever benefited from Linguist List in any way, I hope you'll follow the example of my Russian colleagues who have in the past several years begun to donate, in smaller or larger amounts, as they can afford. The totals add up quickly enough!
Oh, I have to stop writing! One of my colleagues just phoned to ask me to use my VISA card to send in a contribution from her, so I should stop and send the money! (She had just seen the urgent appeal I sent around this afternoon to the Moscow linguist's mailing list - if you have access to a local list, use it to urge all your colleagues to donate, quick!)
Donate at: https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm
Best wishes to all from one of the Advisors,
Barbara Partee
This Year the LINGUIST List hopes to raise $67,000. This money will go to help
keep the List running by supporting all of our Student Editors for the coming year.
See below for donation instructions, and don't forget to check out Fund
Drive 2011 site!
http://linguistlist.org/fund-drive/2011/
There are many ways to donate to LINGUIST!
You can donate right now using our secure credit card form at
https://linguistlist.org/donation/donate/donate1.cfm
Alternatively you can also pledge right now and pay later. To do so, go to:
https://linguistlist.org/donation/pledge/pledge1.cfm
For all information on donating and pledging, including information on how to
donate by check, money order, or wire transfer, please visit:
http://linguistlist.org/donation/
The LINGUIST List is under the umbrella of Eastern Michigan University and as
such can receive donations through the EMU Foundation, which is a registered
501(c) Non Profit organization. Our Federal Tax number is 38-6005986. These
donations can be offset against your federal and sometimes your state tax return
(U.S. tax payers only). For more information visit the IRS Web-Site, or contact
your financial advisor.
Many companies also offer a gift matching program, such that they will match
any gift you make to a non-profit organization. Normally this entails your
contacting your human resources department and sending us a form that the
EMU Foundation fills in and returns to your employer. This is generally a simple
administrative procedure that doubles the value of your gift to LINGUIST, without
costing you an extra penny. Please take a moment to check if your company
operates such a program.
Thank you very much for your support of LINGUIST!
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