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[Jimmie Tyler]

 Hello all, I am very passionate about TIGHAR's work. It seems to me that financial support is the best way to help TIGHAR complete the work on Niku. Showing passion for a project like this can really go a long way with our friends and family. For instance when my parents, or friends hear me discuss the Niku hypothesis they can see the excitement in my eyes. They can really tell that I have a sincere passion for this project. Perhaps at family gatherings, or cook outs for instance, TIGHAR members can express there dedication and appreciation for TIGHARS work. This may entice close friends, and family to donate to TIGHAR. I know that personally I could talk about it for hours. What if we all made it a point to recruit (if you will) friends, or family members to make a contribution to TIGHAR. I have read where TIGHAR states that any contribution is significant, no matter how small. We all go back and fourth on this forum about this, that, and the other. But in all actuality TIGHAR needs the financial support to complete there work. I believe that I can gather some of my close friends and family, and explain the passion I have for this project. If each one of us avid TIGHAR forum members recruited one contributor, I believe it would help tremendously!!! If we explained to our friends and family how TIGHAR is a non profit org. and explained the Niku hypothesis, I bet we could all significantly help the cause. Perhaps if we all worked really hard on declaring our passion for TIGHAR, we could get TIGHAR out to Niku sooner than later. We all want that right??   Any thoughts??   

  Also, I saw on facebook today someone gave the idea of having live online feeds for the events that TIGHAR has. This would also be a great way to generate income for the project. I know that I personally wish that I could attend these events, and would be willing to pay to watch Mr Gillespie's presentations. I believe that is a fantastic Idea. When you are 500 miles away from the event, it gets difficult to attend. Especially when your working 40 hours a week, and have a family. It seems simple to me, MONEY is what TIGHAR needs.. Let's all make it a point to put a 100% effort into helping the cause, by working our butts off to get folks to click the donate button on TIGHARS web sight, or have them send TIGHAR a check.. I mean how much joy and happiness has this forum brought all of you? Lots Huh?? Let's do our part and help in the most beneficial way, financially..

[Ric Gillespie]

Corporate sponsorship is of course the most obvious and it looks like Ric and his colleagues have done a great job over the years, but can we help them further?

All the difficulties you list in attracting corporate sponsorship are true, but corporate sponsorships, although greatly appreciated, have been a minor source of funding for TIGHAR's work.  The same is true of grants from big foundations.  Large donations toward TIGHAR's research and expeditions have come mostly from private individuals and family foundations.  Sometimes the donor wants to participate and our Sponsor Team Member program has been very successful in attracting good people who have the ability to make significant financial contributions. Sometimes the donor simply wants to help us move the project forward.  Although you don't hear much about it, genuine philanthropy is alive and well in the 21st century. 

Small contributions from the general public are increasingly important and obtainable through the growth of social media.  I don't think we've even scratched the surface of what TIGHAR can do in this regard.

Managing negative publicity: TIGHAR gets some pretty venomous criticism from various unfriendly quarters which can make current or potential sponsors nervous. TIGHAR needs to keep it's head and shoulders above the squabbling crowd by being (and being seen to be) a high quality, objective and responsive organization. Ric has been particulalry good at this, but it's all too easy to be dragged down to the level of others when under fire. We need checks and balances to guard against this.

While it is true that TIGHAR gets some pretty venomous criticism from various unfriendly quarters, nobody seems to pay much attention to it.  This past year we got slammed hard in three national periodicals and I'd be willing to bet that few on this forum even know what they were or what they said.  In 2012 hundreds of stories about TIGHAR appeared in the media and nearly all of them were positive.  Like the poor, the detractors will always be with us, but if we continue to do good, honest work I think our credibility and public image will continue to grow.

[Monty Fowler]

Small contributions from the general public are increasingly important and obtainable through the growth of social media.  I don't think we've even scratched the surface of what TIGHAR can do in this regard.

Exactly right, Mr. Gillespie Sir. Which is why I send in what I can, when I can, via check. Yeah, I'm old fashioned, but it just feels better to write out a check for a good cause than to click your mouse.

LTM, who puts his money where his mouth is,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Dan Kelly]

This past year we got slammed hard in three national periodicals and I'd be willing to bet that few on this forum even know what they were or what they said.  In 2012 hundreds of stories about TIGHAR appeared in the media and nearly all of them were positive.  Like the poor, the detractors will always be with us, but if we continue to do good, honest work I think our credibility and public image will continue to grow.

If you will permit me Mr Gillespie, what were the periodicals and what were their criticisms?

[Ric Gillespie]

If you will permit me Mr Gillespie, what were the periodicals and what were their criticisms?

There's a possibly apocryphal story that was going around when I was with the 1st Cavalry at Ft. Hood in the early 1970s.  It seems there was a "firepower demonstration" at which high ranking brass and various dignitaries were invited to witness a staged air cavalry assault involving fire suppression by Cobra gunships followed by several formations Hueys ("slicks") full of troops converging on the landing zone (LZ) in front of the bleachers. As an added treat, the coordinating inter-aircraft radio communications were broadcast over loud-speakers for the audience.  Things didn't go as planned.
"The snakes have finished.  You can bring your flight in now."
"I thought the other flight was supposed to insert first."
"No, you go first.  Where are you?
"I don't know.  I'm all f---d up."

The commanding general on the ground grabbed a mic.
"The aircraft commander who just used profanity on the air will immediately identify himself!"

After a short pause:
"I may be f---d up, but I'm not THAT f---d up."
 

[Tim Mellon]

Let me guess: MAD Magazine?   

[Bob Lanz]

Let me guess: MAD Magazine?   

Sounds more like Dennis Miller to me. 

[Jon Romig]

Edit: Kickstarter is primarily for artistic/creative projects, but there are other crowdfunding websites that we could explore. I do believe that the project is a good candidate for crowdfunding.

There have been some amazing campaigns on Kickstarter recently - millions raised for various projects. Often it helps to offer a "benefit" at various funding levels, like a donor would get a color print at the $100 level, join the on-site  ;)team at the $10,000 level, etc.

I think the next expedition would be a great candidate for Kickstarter. But you have to set a budget and actually do the project if you raise all the funds - so the number would be large.

We could also use Kickstarter for smaller projects like scientific testing, a trip to interview somebody, etc.

Jon Romig

[Will Hatchell]

Let me guess: MAD Magazine?   

Sounds more like Dennis Miller to me. 

Nah, if I had to guess, it would have to be none other than National Enquirer. 

[Monty Fowler]

Two thoughts -

First: See my post in this section - Membership renewal - let's all kick it up a notch this year! - for one good way for ALL of us to give a little more to both 1) Keep TIGHAR going and 2) Help the next Niku expedition along. Mr. Gillespie and his Chancellor of the Exchequer (aka Pat) have come up with some generous incentives for us dedicated forumites to assist in that regard.

I've said this before but it bears repeating: Talk is cheap. Answers are expensive. I for one am willing to put my money where my (at times considerable) mouth is by renewing my membership at the next higher level - and am challenging all Forum members, lurkers and non-members to do likewise. If you are a member, renew at the next higher level. If you're not a member, join!

Second: I would echo Ric's assessment of going after foundation money in general, having attempted to assist TIGHAR in this regard. Private or family foundation money is much more likely, and that only if someone on that foundation board personally likes TIGHAR and what it's doing. Foundations give to people, not causes. Fortuately TIGHAR happens to have some (relatively  ) likeable people as its public face, which helps immensely. But raising money this way is extremely time consuming and in no way a sure thing. Ever. BTDTGTTS.

Tapping into social media is starting to pay off, but it is paying off incrementally. Going to Niku ain't cheap. Social media funding might conceivable raise enough money to get us there, but then you need the money to do what you need to do and and have enough money left over to get back.

Love to Mother, who needs more coffee this morning,
Monty Fowler, TIGHAR No. 2189 CER

[Ric Gillespie]

I have some thoughts about fundraising that I'm eager to share but, at the moment, I'm working up a research bulletin on the sonar anomaly for the TIGHAR website and that has to take priority.  Film at 11.

[Laura Gridley]

There's a radio show I listen to occasionally late at night called Coast to Coast AM, it has millions of listeners.  The other night, I caught part of one guest being interviewed--he was talking about his research into Amelia Earhardt and his research into the "getting captured by the Japanese" theory.  I haven't listened to the whole show yet but I didn't hear them discuss TIGHAR's hypothesis.  Could be an avenue to publicity.  Just a thought.

[Matt Revington]

Laura, I hope I don't offend you but that radio show is not a forum Tighar should choose if they want to be treated seriously by the wider community, it specializes in sasquatches, space aliens and the more bizarre conspiracy theories, I listen occasionally when I can't sleep and it is kind of fascinating in a train wreck/freak show kind of way.

[Matt Revington]

Just for completeness the person on that radio show last week was Rich Martini and expert on reincarnation, the afterlife and a documentary maker about AE, his blog does take a couple of cheap shots at Tighar

http://www.flipsidethebook.com
http://earhartmovie.blogspot.ca

[Laura Gridley]

Hi Matt--no offense taken. I don't tend to get offended very easily so feel free to share your opinion.  I agree that C2C might not be appropriate venue, but let me present a counter argument.  First, despite the often strange, non-mainstream topics (and some guests, yes, for sure), there are often excellent scientific guests on the show.  Many are highly respected in their fields of study and highly educated.  Those are the C2C shows that I really enjoy.  There are plenty that I find odd or don't care for the guests etc and just avoid altogether or turn off, but when you have a renowned physicist doing a 1-4 hour in depth interview on theoretical physics, THAT I'm interested in.  My point is that just being interviewed on the show does not necessarily equate to "no respect".  There are PhDs from schools like Princeton, Dartmouth, UCLA, Cambridge etc etc that appear on the show and who still maintain respect in their communities because they give thoughtful, educated, non-sensationalistic interviews.  Yes, C2C does also have very bizarre guests on at times and the hosts will let them (and callers) freely give their opinions as well.  But it doesn't mean there's not a place for groups such as Tighar who are conducting legitimate research to further air their hypothesis and try to gain more interest and funding. 

As I listened to that gentleman discussing his Amelia research and the lack of depth and evidence given, it made me frustrated because Tighar seems to have a much larger and stronger database of evidence.  I wanted Tighar's hypothesis and evidence discussed and presented. 

Perhaps there are a couple part time hosts who are a bit more in depth with their questions and interviews than the main host, George Noory.  I tend to favor George Knapp's guest interviews myself. 

I am inclined to think of an interview with millions of listeners, some of which I'm sure are able to listen to and appreciate intelligent discussions, could not be harmful if the guest (in this case, say for example, Ric), was reasonable, intelligent, and presented a well-rounded presentation of the evidence.  (I work in a scientific field, by the way--medicine--as well as being the daughter of a mother who has a PhD in a scientific field and is constantly working on research---and I am not one to just naively believe what someone says without them having a good base of evidence.)

Anyway, just my two cents.  If the show is ok for the likes of scientists such as Dr. Mikio Kachu,  and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Dr. Robert Zubrin, etc etc etc, then I think it's at least worth a post mentioning it as a possibility for more publicity and fundraising. 

I appreciate your opinions!  Love coming to this forum and reading the current findings and thoughts by forum members.  Been reading here off and on for a long time but just rarely post.

Laura