I can't speak for everyone here, but I think a lot of us donate 1% or more of what we spend on supplements to research. I don't see that it's generated massive amounts of money.
I suspect there is an exaggerated perception of how much money we are spending on supplements. For example, suppose a patient donates a mere $100 to research every year. That's 1% of $10,000. I think many of us are donating more than $100 per year and spending less than $10,000 per year ($833 per month) on supplements. If a patient spends $200 per month on supplements, that would only generate $24 per year for research. That won't get us very far.
Am I wrong?
I suspect there is an exaggerated perception of how much money we are spending on supplements. For example, suppose a patient donates a mere $100 to research every year. That's 1% of $10,000. I think many of us are donating more than $100 per year and spending less than $10,000 per year ($833 per month) on supplements. If a patient spends $200 per month on supplements, that would only generate $24 per year for research. That won't get us very far.
Am I wrong?
We need to be more than a few thousand patients in the network, and that's why we've got to keep reaching out and making the most of every media (and social media) opportunity to grow our donor base - and I agree that the more we give, the more we raise.
But I think a lot of people don't give at all because they're discouraged and think a small donation won't make a difference. And that's a self-fulfilling prophecy.