Who pays for SawdustZone?
You do! SawdustZone is a user-supported resource, much like public television or public radio. We run on the principle "if you like what you see here, make a contribution to ensure that it sticks around."

OK, how do I contribute?
The shortcut is to click on "Donate Now" above. It's also always available via the "Paid Subscriptions" link in your "User Settings". Additionally, at the beginning of each calendar year we have a "Fund Drive" and the funding information is linked to in the header of the site. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also send a check or money order to:

The Sawdust Foundation, Inc.
c/o Chr's Phelps
6626 96th St S
Cottage Grove, MN 55016-3959

Please include your username if sending payment through the mail so your subscription status can be updated on the site.

What is the Affiliates page?
The Affiliates page contains links to vendors that a woodworker may use as well as links to the sites of some good folks who have supported SawdustZone and BT3Central in the past. Stop by here on your way to the virtual store and SawdustZone will get a small commission on anything you buy.

Do I get anything special for contributing?
SawdustZone has designated members who contribute financially as "patrons". There are only three options as listed below.

♦	SawdustZone Patron $10.00
♦	SawdustZone Plus $50.00
♦	SawdustZone Plus Monthly $10.00 monthly recurring. ($120.00 / year)

Only you and staff will know which option you choose and the benefits are the same. Patrons are extended a few "perks" for contributing but all patrons have the same perks, regardless of their "level". Currently, those perks are:

♦	Higher limit of number of attachment images.
♦	New, Larger Custom Avatars
♦	Space to create your own blog.
♦	Patrons will not see any advertising on the site other than the banners on Affiliates page and the affiliate links block.
♦	An official vote in the direction of Sawdust Zone and policies. (You DO have an ownership stake of sorts after all!).
♦	A warm fuzzy feeling deep within your heart.
♦	A potential tax deduction. The Sawdust Foundation, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) charitable organization recognized by the IRS. Your contributions are likely tax deductible, but as always, consult a tax professional. Details can be found in the Site Information section of Articles.

Is the fund drive the only source of funds for SawdustZone?
No. SawdustZone also has "affiliate agreements" with a few online retailers. Info on that can be found in this post. Historically, affiliates revenue accounts for about 10% of the annual SawdustZone budget. We have also implemented Google's AdSense which provides some advertising revenue. We also receive some direct support

What regular expenses does SawdustZone have?
The fixed costs of SawdustZone include:

♦	Server payments for hosting both production and development servers.
♦	Broadband service for dbhost to facilitate offsite backup. This assumes added expense to dbhost from his broadband provider. Only added costs will be passed on. If no costs are incurred, we will not distribute funds for that purpose. .
♦	Given reaching our fundraising goals, a dedicated third party backup solution instead of backing up to a broadband connected server. (more reliable).
♦	Yearly domain name renewals.

What happens if SawdustZone takes in more than the requested amount in a year? Does someone make money?
Absolutely not. SawdustZone is run by the non-profit Sawdust Foundation, Inc. We are not looking to make money so we try to spend all of the income on "business related expenses" so as to never turn a profit. We do maintain a reasonable operating surplus to guard against cash flow fluctuations and emergencies. In the event of a surplus beyond that, we try to find things to spend the money on that will benefit the site, and the mission of The Sawdust Zone Foundation Inc.

In the past the surplus has been used for:

♦	Services and equipment to facilitate regular nightly backups.
♦	An additional hard drive for the server to host images on.
♦	Additional software for add features like chat, image Gallery, log file analysis and website management.

Why should I give? The fund drive is over and all the requested money was raised.
The fundraiser amount is based on the bare essential amount needed to maintain SawdustZone at the same level as the previous year. Obviously, there is room for improvement and additions. As Surplus funds are built, we begin to investigate ideas for upgrades and enhancements as well as anything else that might benefit the community. Besides that, contributing financially, at any level, is an indication of support for what we provide here at SawdustZone.