PIXEL TO PIXEL FOUNDATION(2)

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PIXEL TO PIXEL FOUNDATION

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Q: What is the Pixel To Pixel Foundation?

A: Many people who are on disability depend on Second Life as an important part of their social lives and as an outlet for creative expression, but they cannot afford to spend of their own money on it. Some are completely house-bound, and are all the more reliant on Second Life for social contact. The Pixel To Pixel Foundation assists people on disability by granting them small, weekly Linden-dollar stipends for them to spend on enjoying Second Life more fully than they would otherwise be able to. It was founded in 2009 and exists only in Second Life.

Q: How did the Pixel To Pixel Foundation get started?

A: When the founder, Jadyn Firehawk, first came into Second Life, she persuaded a friend from an online bipolar support chat room to join as well. At the time, she was able to earn money by working part-time, though she struggled with a mental illness disability herself. Her friend was on disability and couldn't afford to spend any of his own money in SL, so she gave him some Linden-dollars each week, so that he could rent a home and buy things. He would jokingly come to her and ask, "Mommy, can I have my allowance?" It gave her joy to help him in this way, and she began to think that other people might enjoy doing so as well. That is when she got the idea of creating the foundation.

Q: How much do P2P Foundation participants receive?

A: P2P Foundation recipients are given a L$500 per week "stipend" to spend in SL in any way that they wish. This is equivalent to approximately 2 U.S. dollars per week per recipient. The stipend is given with no strings attached, meaning that there are no requirements or limitations on how the money can be spent. Recipients spend the money on rent, clothes, furnishings, pets, gadgets, building materials, texture uploads, or anything else that they wish.

Q: Where does the money come from?

A: 100% of the money that goes to P2P Foundation recipients comes from individual donations. A majority of the funds are raised during mailed out fundraising appeals every few months, with other sources being major benefactors and Donation Kiosks that volunteers have placed at their shops, clubs, galleries, and sims on the Foundation's behalf. Sometimes, volunteers also host special fundraising events, which become important sources of funding.

Q: How do you know that people who are receiving the money are really disabled?

A. In order to qualify for the P2P Foundation program, recipients must be not only have a disability, but they must also be "on disability" -- that is, receiving disabiity benefits from a governmental agency or private insurance program that requires medical proof of their disabling condition. They must be willing to prove to the Foundation that they are on disability by agreeing, if randomly asked, to submit a copy of their disability benefits award letter (or similar document) to the Foundation Director with their personal identifying information blacked out and their avatar name written in, via regular, real-life mail or electronically.

Q: How much of the Foundation's budget is spent on overhead costs, and how much of it goes to the participants?

A: The P2P Foundation Director (Jadyn Firehawk, also known as Pixel Falconer) works on a purely volunteer basis, and the Foundation pays one staff assistant at L$500 salary per week. The rest of the Foundation's budget goes directly to the program's recipients. The cost of office space, fundraising tools, and other expenses is donated by benefactors separately from the Foundation's operating budget, as in-kind contributions. The Foundation currently pays out L$10,000 per week in stipends to support 20 recipients. The Foundation operates on an "open books" policy.

Q: How long is the waiting list?

A: The P2P Foundation currently supports 20 people, and there are more than 20 others on the waiting list. Unless the donor base can be significantly expanded, the wait time is up to 2 years, due to a low turnover rate. People who are on disability and in Second Life tend to stay, because SL becomes such an important part of their daily lives, meaning that new slots do not often open up. However, some people do leave for various reasons, including becoming self-supporting through entrepreneurial activities in SL.

Q: How do I make a donation?

Send any donations to: Pixel Falconer:
Or, stop by any of our Donation Kiosks at the following locations:

Q: Who is Pixel Falconer?

Pixel Falconer is Jadyn Firehawk's alt that was created solely for the administration and handling of the P2P Foundation's funds. All donations go to Pixel Falconer, and all stipend payments are paid from this account as well. This is to keep all Foundation financial matters clearly separated from personal funds. There is no mixing or crossover, except when Jadyn Firehawk makes personal donations to the Foundation.

Q: How can I help, besides making a donation?

A: One way is to come to our office and pick up a Fundraiser Kit, which includes a Donation Kiosk that you can place at your shop or sim, as well as notecard givers, logo textures and other useful items for hosting an event or other fundraising activities.
Main office:MAP
If you place out a Donation Kiosk, please let us know, because we then consider you to be a sponsor and would like to add your site to our Sponsor Wall and our Donation Kiosks Locations list.

It's also very effective whenever a supporter hosts a fundraising party on behalf of the foundation, whether that someone is a DJ hosting a major event at a club, or just an individual who would like to have a party among friends, and have our Donation Kiosk there and help spread the word about the foundation that way.

You can also support the foundation by shopping at our fundraising stores. 100% of all proceeds from items sold at these stores go to support the foundation. Beautiful, artistic imagery to decorate your home or shop!

Q: Who do I contact for more information?

A: Please contact Jadyn Firehawk (Founder) or Pixel Falconer (Director), via notecard, for more information. Thank you for your interest in the Pixel To Pixel Foundation!

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