There are two ways to donate to the Tour de France Challenge Fundraiser for the Dylan Fitzgerald Carlton Endowment Scholarship. Both options are tax deductible donations that will be made directly to the Kent State University Foundation.
Keep in mind that many companies--such as The Walt Disney Company, Blizzard Entertainment, and Progressive Insurance--will match employee donations to higher education institutions. This means that your donation to the Dylan Fitzgerald Carlton Endowment Scholarship Fund could be twice as effective as a donation to another charity. Think about it, won't you?
The first option is a standard pledge. To make a standard pledge you just need to send me an email and let me know how much you'd like to donate to the scholarship fund. I'll add your name and donation amount to the pledge list. Also, I'd be happy to add your company or personal website to the Links page. If you'd rather not be exposed to the glare of the spotlight, you can donate anonymously as well.
Now, I've always been a bit demanding and because of that I've never been a big fan of the straight pledge. Personally, I'd like to know that the person receiving my donation believes in the scholarship and that they're willing to work for it. That's why I've created the pledge contract.
In a pledge contract, the donor (that's you, right?) and I enter into an agreement that goes something like this: the donor pledges a base amount and the contract contains both a bonus scenario and a penalty scenario, one of which determines the final amount of the donation. In the bonus scenario, I succeed at whatever goal the donor has set for me and the donor doubles their base amount. Yay! In the penalty scenario, I fail at whatever goal the donor has set for me and I have to match the donor's base amount. Boo!
In both scenarios, the scholarship gets the same donation amount but the source of the donation is very different. Here's an example:
Tom decides that he wants to do a pledge contract instead of a standard pledge. He agrees to a base donation amount of $100. To get the bonus scenario in the pledge contract, Tom has decided that I need to successfully complete Stage 14 of the Tour de France without stopping and without assistance. If I succeed, Tom agrees to donate an additional bonus of $100 to the scholarship fund for a total donation of $200. However, if I fail, then I have to match Tom's base donation and donate an additional $100 to the scholarship myself.
Tom's Donation Responsibility |
Ryan's Donation Responsibility |
|
| Base Donation Amount | $100 |
-- |
| Bonus Scenario (I succeed) | $100 |
$0 |
| Penalty Scenario (I fail) | $0 |
$100 |
| Final Donation Amount | $200 |
$200 |
See how that works? Regardless of the outcome, the scholarship fund gets the same donation amount. It's my performance, though, that determines whether the donor pays the full amount with the bonus, or if I have to match their donation with the penalty.
I'm willing to entertain just about any proposed goal, but there are three obvious choices: completion of Stage 14, final riding weight, and the time of completion for Stage 14.
Completion of Stage 14: This one really doesn't need any explanation; I will either complete the stage or I won't.
Final Riding Weight: For me to finish the stage, I've got a lot of weight to lose before July 22nd. I'm 5'9" and as of this typing I weigh 170.8lbs, giving me a BMI of 25. Not bad for general health, but pretty damn awful for any serious cycling. Filled with 80-hour weeks, the final two months working on Meet the Robinsons kept me off the bike. The additional three weeks of recovery after my septoplasty didn't help, either. Over those three months, inactivity and a lack of discipline added a good 10lbs. So, I've got work to do. I'm targeting a max of 155lbs and would accept pledge contracts that required me to meet that weight. I'd be willing to agree to amounts as low as 145lbs, but anything below 155lbs will require some coaxing. I'm thinking a bonus donation amount that results in triple the base amount might do the trick...
Time to Complete the Stage: Since this exact course has never been used as a stage in the TDF, the time of completion would have to be based on something other than a straight final time. Possibilities could include requiring me to finish less than, say, two hours after the stage winner or less than an hour after the final rider crosses the finish line.
If there is another condition you'd like me to meet, email me.
You can find information on how to make a donation on the FAQ page.
Trust issues, huh? Well, I expected that. Lawrie Cranley, co-owner of Bikestyle Tours in Australia, has agreed to be the impartial judge for the fundraising challenge. He will be part of the vehicle support group following my progress along the stage. He will be able to make sure that I meet all the conditions that have been put forth in any pledge contracts. He'll also make sure that any deviation from a condition is acceptable for a ride of this magnitude. For instance, a pledge contract that states I finish the stage without stopping or assistance still needs to allow for certain, uh, biological needs during the ride. Even the pros have to make an occasion pitstop over six or so hours of riding. That's an allowed acceptance, but stopping to catch my breath and seek refuge in the shade of a tree is not.
If you would rather make a gift directly to the DU Dylan FItzgerald Carlton Endowed Scholarship you may do so by clicking the "Give Today!" button below. Clicking the button will take you to an online form. If you choose to donate online, please make sure to check the "I want to designate my gift to the following areas not listed above" option and enter "I'd like to designate my gift to the Delta Upsilon Dylan Fitzgerald Carlton Endowed Scholarship".
Alternately, you can give by phone by calling 330-672-8754. You can also send a personal check to the Kent State Foundation and earmark it for the Delta Upsilon Dylan Fitzgerald Carlton Endowed Sholarship:
KSU Foundation
Attn: Bridgett Ford
Kent State University
1061 Fraternity Circle
Kent, Ohio 4424
Ok, so I was good and put that stuff in from KSU because they asked me to. But, really, which would you rather do? Click a button and make a donation, or enter into a pledge contract and make me suffer for the next four months?