Begging letter I sent my non-ME/CFS FB friends asking them to swap votes in Chase

[Dolphin]

I don't know if this is of much use to people.

I've decided to concentrate on the CAA as I think the WPI is safe to get into round 2. Of course, there's no harm getting more people to vote for the WPI this time as they can be called on to vote in round 2. But apart from that, it doesn't matter if one comes in 1st or 100th position in round 1 AFAIK.

Anyway, other people may not feel as confident that the WPI will get through and may want to change the wording.

Maybe the wording is rubbish - I'm partly doing it to put the idea in people's head that one can use the leftover votes from Chase Community Giving to bargain for more votes.

Title: Ill help a US charity you like win money if youll do it for me

Hi <name>,

Last year, I helped a US ME/CFS-type group get 1600 or so votes to help them win $20,000. Thats $12.50 per vote. People got bonus votes so for example my votes were equivalent to around $25 alone.

This year, the value of each *free* vote could be worth maybe $50, maybe more.

$5m is being given away and there is a very good chance that two ME/CFS can win $25,000 of it each but at least one of them could win $100,000 (and up to $500,000) more.

So in exchange for pestering you for a vote, Ill be happy to vote for charities you like.

You get 10 votes at the start; Ive used up 2 votes so have 8 left.
So let me know your number #1 and #2. Ill vote for your number #1 straight away and if my votes arent used up from begging in a few days, Ill vote for your number #2.
Only charities with a turnover of $1m-$10m are eligible. The easiest way to work out who you want me to vote for is to look at the list at:
http://chasecommunitygiving.contextoptional.com/leaderboards/top

So what I want you to do is register and vote - instructions below.

If you are confused there is a short instructional video at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0tikeIGtc4

Thanks,

<name>


Simple steps
1. Login to your Facebook account. (Facebook acount is required)

2. From your Facebook page, go to Chase Giving Community page by clicking on
the link shown here:
http://www.facebook.com/ChaseCommunityGiving

3. "Like" the Chase Giving Community by clicking on the "Like" button.

4. Now go to the Chase community giving app by clicking on the link shown
here http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/

5. Now search for CFIDS Association of America
Click vote now.
Ideally, note the number of your vote

If you want to vote for two ME/CFS charities, also search for:
"Whittemore Peterson Institute and vote for them.

Feel free to ring me if you want.

 

[Dolphin]

Well, my sister did it for both so worthwhile in my eyes. I don't want to have regrets I didn't try my best (along with balancing other stuff).

 

[SpecialK82]

Dolphin - thanks so much for posting this letter, it will help me get started to beg as well.

Even though they are both doing well compared to other charities, I am really astonished that both the WPI and CAA are not getting more votes. I thought our community was bigger - I always think, where are the 17 million that have CFS worldwide? Even if only 20% have beeen diagnosed and a fraction of them are on-line, it should still be in the tens of thousands. Anyway I am charged about winning this contest, especially round 2, we all could use a big victory!! :victory:

 

[Dolphin]

Dolphin - thanks so much for posting this letter, it will help me get started to beg as well.

Even though they are both doing well compared to other charities, I am really astonished that both the WPI and CAA are not getting more votes. I thought our community was bigger - I always think, where are the 17 million that have CFS worldwide? Even if only 20% have beeen diagnosed and a fraction of them are on-line, it should still be in the tens of thousands. Anyway I am charged about winning this contest, especially round 2, we all could use a big victory!! :victory:

Thanks SpecialK82. Great you're enthused also!

If one clicks around the different options, one can see what votes one's other FB friends have made. I've been avoiding making FB friends apart from an initial bunch I got in my innocence but based on a small sample, it seems lots and lots of people with ME/CFS (et cetera) outside the US (as well as some within the US) haven't voted.

Last time PANDORA got around 1600 votes and that included some bonus votes (i.e. people voting twice for them so that less than 1600 individuals voted). PANDORA hadn't been criticised much at that stage I know (I know there was a spat a few months back from now i.e. since then) and they cover lots of conditions and that's all they got. I think the contest lasted around a month then also. So even though it's disappointing in one way, the WPI is already an improvement so well done to everyone who has voted esp. those who have helped get other votes.

One thing that is going for us this time is that a lot of the groups who are good at getting Chase votes are excluded as they've won before. The WPI in particular looks like it could be in the running for one of the very big prizes - certainly hopefully more than $25,000. Fingers crossed more get interested.

 

[Dolphin]

CAA seems pretty secure for Round 1, since they are currently #13 and the rank #100 only has 1/10th the votes. It doesn't matter whether they're 1 or 100 for Round 1. So I'm not going to bug my friends until Round 2. But who knows, maybe priming them with action in Round 1 will help with Round 2. Rank in Round 2 will matter though, and CAA also has a good chance of winning in Round 2.

Fair enough, the CAA is looking increasingly secure.

One does have an easy message to send if they do get in to round 2 e.g. start with something like "Thanks for voting in round one, they won $25,000" so the person gets positive feedback. Also they've gone through the hoops, liking Chase Community Giving so fewer steps next time. Anyway, in the end, I only did my family first time (apart from links others would have seen with my FB updates, which unfortunately seem to get ignored) - next time I might write further afield.

But it is probably worthwhile getting people with ME/CFS (and committed parents/partners) primed for round 2 as they might be the sort of people to make an effort in round 2 i.e. prime the people who might bring in more than one vote (their own).