PrettyThin

Hey PT Members (and non-member supporters).
A lot of people have been asking about donating to this website, and the questions range from how to how much to what happens if, so I thought I would address them here and make this process a little more transparent.

The most important thing for you to know about making donations is "where is my money going." To answer this, I think it is important that you understand PT a little. This is something most if not everyone knows, but I think it should be stated very openly.

PrettyThin is NOT a professional organization in any way. It's not even an organization. The people who moderate this site are not selected because they are experts in the field (although they all have suffered from an eating disorder which in my mind goes further than much professional experience). We are not certified as professionals. I think it i safe to say that PrettyThin is not an organization at all, meaning it is not a non-profit nor a for-profit. it simply is...

In that PrettyThin is not an organization, it is not doing any kind of formal bookkeeping nor has officers who decide what is done with any finds that enter this site. There is nothing but an honor code that determines what is done with any money that comes into this site.

So what is the money used for?
Initially, it was used for hosting of this site, which has now been taken care of for the most part. PrettyThin does not need donations to remain online, so long as the relationship with my current hosting company remains as is.

I have been toying with the idea of developing this site on another host, but this means that a lot of the tools that are being used on this site - such as the uploading of images, the forums, the profiles and membership - would all have to be developed. So, your donations MIGHT go toward research and development of PrettyThin elsewhere, but there is no intention to do so at this time.

So what is happening with donations that come in right now? Nothing. It is accumulating in the event that hosting needs to be paid for again, or some expense arises. Whatever that expense might be simply does not exist right now.

Some have suggested - mainly because I have been spending less and less time on this site to the point that I rarely am on the site any more - that I should spend more time on the site and make it my occupation. I am not sure if this is a "right" thing to do, but am entertaining the idea. Should this ever happen, your donations will become my income. if you have any opinions on this, PLEASE send me a message. I do not think it is right of me to make this decision without you approval.

Many people have asked about sending cash in the mail, but I think that's illegal. Even if it wasn't, I wouldn't be able to receive it, and would rather say thank you for then intention than have you do that.

So, what to do if you don't have a credit card? Some have told their parents that they want to buy something for a friend online or made up some story and donated to PT. Thank you for the donations, but I want to foster honesty, so please do not do this. If you're going to use your parents card, tell them what you're donating to. This might spark questions - for better or worse - but it is the right thing to do.