The Quilt Block Challenge - Long Version

This is the long explanation for what the Quilt Block Challenge is.   The short version is over on the right side there.

I love to quilt.   But hey, I can only use so many quilts myself even here in frozen Maryland (those from further north I don't want to hear about how MD is not frozen).   So I make quilts for friends.  Babies, weddings, etc.   But I also want to give back.   There are a lot of organizations that accept donations of quilts:  Project Linus , Soldier's Angels, Afghans for Angels just to name a few.  But how to get quilting.  That should be a no brainer but wasn't.   Just never got around to it.  

So I came up with the idea of the Quilt Block Challenge.   It is modeled on the "buy a brick" fundraisers that many organizations have.   Except instead of a brick, you are buying a quilt block.   For every $10 donation made to one of the organizations listed on the sidebar, I will quilt a block in the donor's honor.   Feel free to make an "In Memoriam" or "In Honor of" donation.   I make the block and sew your initials or the person being remembered/honored onto the block.   I then send you a picture of the completed block.   When I get enough blocks done, I make the quilt.   You get a picture of the completed picture also.   The quilt then gets donated to one of the organizations accepting finished quilts.   So its double giving for one donation.  The organizations get donations and an organization gets a finished quilt.   The links for the organizations take you right to the donor page for each organization.  

But QA, what if I want to give more than $10?   Feel free to do so.   In fact, it takes about 20 blocks to make a quilt (some more, some less, depends on size of the blocks and size of the quilt).   You can donate $100 and get half a quilt made.   Or be really generous and donate $200 and get a whole quilt in your honor or the in someone else's honor/memory.   The only difference with the whole quilt is you don't get a picture of an individual block.   Just of the whole quilt.   I know breaks your heart right?

Does the donation for a half or whole quilt have to be to only one organization?   No, it does not.   I couldn't choose just one organization to be the recipient of the monetary donations, why should you have to choose only one.   As long as you let me know the total donations, I don't care how you distribute it.   The only requirement is it must be one of the five on the sidebar.

How do you prove you donated?   Simple use the contact information below to copy and paste your receipt (without any bank, credit card or the like info) for the donation.   Then send it to me.   Make sure to include your email address so I can send you the pictures.   This information will be used solely for that purpose.   No marketing, no spamming, etc.   Use it and forget it.   I don't want to bother you after you did something so nice.   Your privacy is important.   If you want to continue talking about your block, quilt, the challenge or whatever, feel free to use the comments on the blog.

When I was bouncing this idea off friends they wanted to know why I didn't use Firstgiving or Indiegogo or something.   Those are great places to go to donate, get funding etc.   Just not right for this.   First of all, I wanted you the donors to make the donations directly to the organization.   That way you get the tax writeoff.   And I don't have to worry about handling the money.   Also those websites require a fundraising goal with a set deadline.   I don't have a deadline or a goal amount in mind.   I just want to see how much can be raised and how long this can keep going.   If I am still making blocks and quilts in 5 years through this -- AWESOME.    As long as folks are donating, I will keep making quilts.  

There is a donate button on the top right side.   That is to help me with the costs of this.   Fabric, batting, thread, plus the occasional snack while quilting.   These donations do not go to the organization, do not qualify for a block, and are not tax deductible.   But your help is appreciated if you choose to help that way.

So that's it.   The long version.  I said it would be long.   So let's get donating and quilting.   Any questions?   Put them in the comments and I will respond.