Buddhist Geeks, over the course of the next several weeks, is asking you to help us reach a goal of having 500 micropatrons contribute $5 / month each, for at least $2,500 / month. Your contribution will help support us in continuing to offer the same high-quality content that we've been offering the past few years, plus over the next year launch a few new free offerings to our community—including the Buddhist Geeks Digital Magazine and an in-person conference entitled BuddhaDharma 2.0. Continue reading if you'd like more details, or if you've heard enough you can go ahead and become a micropatron.
What's in a Name?
When I heard the name Buddhist Geeks, I felt right at home!– Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
Buddhist Geeks launched its first offering, the Buddhist Geeks Podcast, at the beginning of 2007. Born out of a conversation between two Naropa University students in the coffee shops of Boulder, Colorado the Buddhist Geeks podcast became an instant hit among tech-savvy Buddhists looking for a fresh perspective on being a modern-day Buddhist practitioner.
Now, almost 3 years, 140 episodes, and over 1,000,000 downloads later, Buddhist Geeks has emerged as something more than a weekly podcast program, but rather something closer to a movement or community. Every month we receive dozens of heartfelt letters from listeners of the Buddhist Geeks show. Some are just beginning on the path, and have found Buddhist Geeks to be an extraordinary resource as they begin their journey. Others are life-long practitioners who find our interviews thought-provoking and engaging. In each case we hear the identical message, Thank you so much for providing these invaluable discussions and for making them free!
In return many of our hardcore listeners have contributed donations to the show, and when combined with a small amount of advertising revenue, we have been able to pay the bills and keep the show going. But bringing in $200 - $500 / month isn't really sustainable given the quality of production that we aim for, and the time that we want to devote toward offering this type of valued content. Our goal, as mentioned above, is to raise at least $2,500 / month, via the patronage of our community. But before we explain what we'll do with that money, and why it's worth supporting us today, we want to share why we aren't doing this the more traditional way.
Now, almost 3 years, 140 episodes, and over 1,000,000 downloads later, Buddhist Geeks has emerged as something more than a weekly podcast program, but rather something closer to a movement or community. Every month we receive dozens of heartfelt letters from listeners of the Buddhist Geeks show. Some are just beginning on the path, and have found Buddhist Geeks to be an extraordinary resource as they begin their journey. Others are life-long practitioners who find our interviews thought-provoking and engaging. In each case we hear the identical message, Thank you so much for providing these invaluable discussions and for making them free!
In return many of our hardcore listeners have contributed donations to the show, and when combined with a small amount of advertising revenue, we have been able to pay the bills and keep the show going. But bringing in $200 - $500 / month isn't really sustainable given the quality of production that we aim for, and the time that we want to devote toward offering this type of valued content. Our goal, as mentioned above, is to raise at least $2,500 / month, via the patronage of our community. But before we explain what we'll do with that money, and why it's worth supporting us today, we want to share why we aren't doing this the more traditional way.
Why Free is the Right Cost
Buddhists Geeks have quickly become the leading Buddhist podcast on
the web.– ElephantJournal.com
Considering the number of people who listen to our show regularly (last month Buddhist Geeks was downloaded over 73,000 times), and considering the amazing response we continue to receive, we didn't think it would be too hard to make Buddhist Geeks financially sustainable. Our first thought was to continue offering the podcast for free, and then branch out with some sort of premium offering. It could be an online course, an in-depth audio or video program, or perhaps the recorded material from an in-person conference. All of those ideas were received well by the community—in fact when we surveyed our listeners over 2/3's of you said you'd be extremely interested in that kind of content—but all of these services had one major flaw: They would limit the number of people who would benefit directly from the material.
We feel that the Dharma is a gift worth giving—indeed a priceless gift of incomparable value. And in-keeping with the spirit of generosity, which has sustained BuddhaDharma for millennia, it seemed only appropriate that we find a model for financial sustainability that incorporates the ideals of offering the Dharma freely. So, instead of making money from a premium service, with a very small number of people receiving the benefits of that service, we want to offer a premium service (like those mentioned above) and be able to offer all of the digital content freely, to anyone who wants it! So, we've decided to flip the equation on it head, and ask you, our supporters, to become micropatrons and make it possible for everyone to receive the benefits of our work—including you.
We feel that the Dharma is a gift worth giving—indeed a priceless gift of incomparable value. And in-keeping with the spirit of generosity, which has sustained BuddhaDharma for millennia, it seemed only appropriate that we find a model for financial sustainability that incorporates the ideals of offering the Dharma freely. So, instead of making money from a premium service, with a very small number of people receiving the benefits of that service, we want to offer a premium service (like those mentioned above) and be able to offer all of the digital content freely, to anyone who wants it! So, we've decided to flip the equation on it head, and ask you, our supporters, to become micropatrons and make it possible for everyone to receive the benefits of our work—including you.
The Buddhist Geeks Digital Magazine
If you're trying to find your way as a young twenty-first-century Buddhist, don't miss this funny, sincere, NPR-esque podcast by three Gen-Y geeks from Boulder.– EnlightenNext Magazine
In addition to continuing to offer the same great content from the Buddhist Geeks podcast, the money that you donate will allow us to begin at least 2 new projects this year. The first offering that we will launch—with the support of 300 micropatrons—is the Buddhist Geeks Digital Magazine. The Digital Magazine will be something in between a formal print magazine—which often entails heavy editing and a high barrier of entrance for authors—and a group blog, which sometimes has no editing standards or clear group direction.
We'll be inviting some of our favorite Buddhist Geeks to write regular columns on the digital magazine, as well as accepting guest submissions from our readers. There will also be a large multimedia component, with audio and video material comprising a sizable part of the magazine's content. We are not exaggerating when we say that the Buddhist Geeks Digital Magazine will be one of the finest sources of Buddhist-inspired content available today.
We'll be inviting some of our favorite Buddhist Geeks to write regular columns on the digital magazine, as well as accepting guest submissions from our readers. There will also be a large multimedia component, with audio and video material comprising a sizable part of the magazine's content. We are not exaggerating when we say that the Buddhist Geeks Digital Magazine will be one of the finest sources of Buddhist-inspired content available today.
The BuddhaDharma 2.0 Conference
Modern. That's the best word to describe it. Every issue they talk about relates to the hear and now. You feel less like just a listener and more like a part of a community here.– iTunes Review
Our 2nd major project—which we will be able to offer with the support of 500 micropatrons—is a weekend conference planned for the later half of 2010 in Boulder, CO. The BuddhaDharma 2.0 Conference is an event that will focus on the radical innovations available to Buddhist practitioners and communities living in the modern era. Some of the topics that we plan on exploring include:
- Buddhism & Technology – The information age has radically altered almost every dimension of our personal lives, our society, and economy. What impact will it have on the Buddhist tradition, and are there ways we can consciously adopt technologies to benefit Buddhist communities?
- Cutting-edge Buddhist Practices – Many Buddhist teachers are being informed directly by other pre-existing traditions of personal exploration and change. The result is that all sorts of innovative and interesting hybrid practices are emerging in the Buddhist world. Are these practices as radical as their creators claim? Or are there examples of teachers who are simply watering down the teachings of the Buddha, re-packaging them in fancy garb, and charging gobs of money for them? We'll explore these questions, as well as engage in some of the more promising of these hybrid practices.
- Buddhism & Science – Scientific explorations into the benefits of Buddhist-style meditation have exploded in the past several years. What is the implication for the Buddhist tradition, and for the wider populous?
- The Future of Buddhism in the West – Underlying all of the previous topics is a question about where we are now, and where we are heading tomorrow. With such an array of complex factors influencing the development of Buddhism today, how can we engage with the future in a way that honors the rapidly changing nature of things, and the need to act quickly at times, with the deep-rooted need to stay present with what is?
Radical Transparency
In the spirit of radical transparency, we wanted to be up-front with you on how your money would be used. Here is a breakdown, in terms of percentages, of how your contribution will be used:
- %50 for Salary – Half of your contribution will go toward helping the primary Buddhist Geek, Vince Horn, in subsidizing his income and having more time to work on Buddhist Geeks. He will use his skills in writing, audio/video production, web development, and all-around Buddhist-geekery to make the above projects happen.
- %45 for Business Overhead – Close to half of your money will go toward all of the things that go into running a media business. These includes things like:
- Taxes and legal fees
- Audio & video recording equipment
- Web hosting, design, & development costs
- Transcription service
- A/V engineering support
- Marketing costs
- Down-deposit on a venue for the BuddhaDharma 2.0 conference
- Travel and lodging costs for the keynote speakers of the conference
- %5 for Buddhist Charities – In June we started pledging %5 of everything we make directly to those Buddhist charities and non-profits that continue to make it possible for all of us to practice and receive good guidance, right here in the West. Five percent of anything that you contribute will go toward extremely worthy Buddhist non-profits and charities.
Become a Buddhist Geeks Patron
Below you'll find several options for supporting us in reaching our goal. You can do so either by pledging a particular amount per month, or by giving the equivalent of what that amount would be over a years time. You can give as little as $5 / month, or as much one million dollars (think Dr. Evil). Seriously though, whatever amount you can afford and feel compelled to offer, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal of offering high-quality Buddhist wisdom to the wider world.
P.S. - If you don't mind your name appearing on this site, you'll be listed in the right-hand column, along with a link to your website (if you have one). We'll also be including all of our patrons on an early-bird list for signing up to the BuddhaDharma Conference, as well as sending them a special graphics pack, to thank them for being at the very heart of this emerging community.
