Should I adopt a highway?
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51 members have voted
Signs, Everywhere, there's signs Blocking.
out the scenery Breaking. my mind Do.
this Don't! do that Can't! you read the signs "Oh?
Quote: BleedingChipsSlowlyIt would be easy to find a charity that is both a worthy cause and that uses a high percentage of the donation to directly fund work for the cause.
I'm open to suggestions on worthy charities. It has been discussed here before, but I'm very put off by the percentage that most charities spend on administration and fund raising.
Quote: WizardI'm open to suggestions on worthy charities. It has been discussed here before, but I'm very put off by the percentage that most charities spend on administration and fund raising.
I don't know exacts on the % of donations going to admin costs, but I am a big fan of Wounded Warriors Project
Quote: WizardI'm open to suggestions on worthy charities. It has been discussed here before, but I'm very put off by the percentage that most charities spend on administration and fund raising.
As opposed to the government, which is so efficient in handling other people's money it needs to beg people to donate money to pay for the upkeep of highways?
Quote: NareedAs opposed to the government, which is so efficient in handling other people's money it needs to beg people to donate money to pay for the upkeep of highways?
One could argue the government should be paying for any form of charity.
nobody reads. Find a local animal charity, you
would be a hero to them giving that much
every month. And you'd feel a lot better
than with the sign.
Quote: EvenBobFind a local animal charity, you
would be a hero to them giving that much
every month. And you'd feel a lot better
than with the sign.
Nothing against pets, but what do said animal charities do with the money?
Quote: WizardNothing against pets, but what do said animal charities do with the money?
You want the kind that rescue lost and abused
dogs. These are good people and they do great
work. There have to be a number of them in
your area, asking around you'll find you the best
one in no time.
A place like this, they're always looking for sponsors:
http://www.adoptarescuepet.org/
Quote: FrGambleThis would make me even happier to be a member of the Wizard of Vegas site.
Beside acts of charity are a double blessing - to those you help and to yourself.
$2500 for a sign by the side of the road seems like a waste to me.... so many Veteran's and their families in need ,even in the Vegas area
Why not sponsor a young Veteran's family for the year...something like so much a month towards paying their bills or purchasing food and clothing
If you go that route put me in for $100 and I would guess a few others on here would likely join the cause
Quote: WizardNothing against pets, but what do said animal charities do with the money?
They buy food for the animals, pay vet fees, pay for transportation services, and overhead (heat, rent, hydro, water).
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Of course your charity should be Gambler's Anonymous or a charity that deals with gambling addiction.
There are enough people who surf to your website, think they learn how to beat a game or at least pay a better game, and become addicts. You're not responsible for that of course, Mike, but you have to be aware of the effects your site might have on the vulnerable and foolish.
It dose not matter what the government is doing or is not doing. Just because the government is not doing their job properly does not mean we should let the highways go to s**t.
I think its a very cool, neat, interesting idea. Its your welcome to Vegas and it fits you well. Just knowing people are driving past "your" road and sign would be fun thinking about. People have already said how it may be fun to stop and take a pic with the sign and talk about it on the way to Vegas all while thinking of WOV . You could Leave a complicated secret clue or riddle near or on the sign and see if anyone can solve it. They could pick up a few pieces of trash as well.
I would do it regardless if there are other "more deserving" causes. If everyone gave all the money to the most deserving causes then all the others would suffer. If people have a charity in mind, they should GO FOR IT, they shouldn't expect you to lead the way for something they are passionate about.
Quote: FleaStiffConsider various roads you are familiar with: can you name any firms that had such signs up?
Excellent question FleaStiff! And, if you do recall a firm, have you ever visited their web site or done business with them? Did seeing the sign influence any further action on your part?
Quote: WizardI'm open to suggestions on worthy charities. It has been discussed here before, but I'm very put off by the percentage that most charities spend on administration and fund raising.
You can avoid having the lion's share of your donation paying for "administrative costs" by vetting an organization with the BBB and IRS. The BBB checks Standards for Charity Accountability and the IRS provides a Exempt Organizations Select Check. I like donating to local charities that I know are doing good work.
They have done an apples-to-apples conversion using these criteria very similar to your EOR conversion. So you can decide how well they spend their money. You're ideally looking for a charity that spends 15% or less on administrative costs and 10% or less on advertising/fundraising.
You can either search charities by name, or under one of 9 broad categories, then narrow it down by any of rating or specific area of concern or location or other criteria/some combination.
Quote: djatcI don't know exacts on the % of donations going to admin costs,...
I got that far, and my first thought was "yeah, like that Wounded Warriors Project?". And then that was what you listed. Funny.
I hear tell that only 85% goes to the actual charity. The heads of the project make 6 figures (don't quote me, check for yourself). I was appalled the first time I heard it.
But maybe I'm getting old. I think now I hold the view that someone has to run these things, and it's not something you can half ass. It has to be a full time job, and full time employees need to get paid. Maybe they take 15%. But without someone running it, the WW wouldn't get 85%. They'd get 0.
I dunno. Something to think about.
Quote: FaceI got that far, and my first thought was "yeah, like that Wounded Warriors Project?". And then that was what you listed. Funny.
I hear tell that only 85% goes to the actual charity. The heads of the project make 6 figures (don't quote me, check for yourself). I was appalled the first time I heard it.
But maybe I'm getting old. I think now I hold the view that someone has to run these things, and it's not something you can half ass. It has to be a full time job, and full time employees need to get paid. Maybe they take 15%. But without someone running it, the WW wouldn't get 85%. They'd get 0.
I dunno. Something to think about.
According to my link above, WWP spends only 5.6% on admin expenses, which is excellent, but over 36% on advertising/fundraising, which is appalling. Overall, the recipients only get 57.9% of the money.
In contrast, Air Warrior which provides very similar services to WWP, but concentrates on Air Force veterans, spends 1.9% on administrative and 1.6% on fundraising/advertising, which leaves 96.4% going to the families and veterans. But, of course, nobody's heard of them. Similar charities exist for each branch, with comparable numbers.
Quote: beachbumbabsAccording to my link above, WWP spends only 5.6% on admin expenses, which is excellent, but over 36% on advertising/fundraising, which is appalling. Overall, the recipients only get 57.9% of the money.
I once saw an interview with a charity manager, who basically said the goal was to get as much money for the intended recipients. So if they spent $100,000 on 'costs', and took in $1,000,000, that would leave $900,000 to the needy. They considered it better if the spent $1,000,000 on 'costs', and took in $2,000,000, as that would leave $1,000,000 to the needy. The percentage was irrelevant. It was his job to get as much money to the needy as possible.....
Seems like the WWP has taken that approach..... quite repulsive to me.......
Just want to make sure my suggestion wasn't misunderstood. I am not recommending you Google the term "adwords." Adwords is a service you can purchase from Google. You supply keywords and the pricing you are willing to pay. Google presents advertisements when a search keyword is used. The ads are selected based on which company has offered the highest price. You only pay for times when your ad is presented. The service offers some great reporting metrics for you to gauge the return you are getting for your dollar. If you insert supporting programming language in your web pages, you can not only determine how many people "clicked through" to your site, but also how many pages they viewed. As an example, you could potentially track how many responses to Google adwords resulted in the visitor clicking through to Bovada from your site.Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly... Google adwords.
Edit: Added example.
Quote: BleedingChipsSlowlyJust want to make sure my suggestion wasn't misunderstood. I am not recommending you Google the term "adwords." Adwords is a service you can purchase from Google. You supply keywords and the pricing you are willing to pay. Google presents advertisements when a search keyword is used. The ads are selected based on which company has offered the highest price. You only pay for times when your ad is presented. The service offers some great reporting metrics for you to gauge the return you are getting for your dollar. If you insert supporting programming language in your web pages, you can not only determine how many people "clicked through" to your site, but also how many pages they viewed. As an example, you could potentially track how many responses to Google adwords resulted in the visitor clicking through to Bovada from your site.
Edit: Added example.
The Wizard already has pretty good organic traffic from Google...try googling any casino game and he'll usually have a link on the first page, if not the first link.
That being said, there are probably some key strategic keywords he could bid on that might increase his traffic.
I Goggled something(cant remember what it was) that had nothing to do with gambling and his site came up in the top 10 on Google, I was like WTF. Would this have anything to do with Google knowing what sites I visit and then adding them to the list on purpose? or was its just coincidence? I will try to look in my history and see what it was.Quote: AcesAndEightsThe Wizard already has pretty good organic traffic from Google...try googling any casino game and he'll usually have a link on the first page, if not the first link.
That being said, there are probably some key strategic keywords he could bid on that might increase his traffic.
Quote: beachbumbabs
Inbound: "Heading to Vegas? Play smart with free help at WizardOfOdds.com!"
Outbound: "Busted? Play smarter with free help at WizardOfOdds.com!"
Mike this is the best idea put up so far. There is absolutely nothing between that stretch from Victorville to Primm. Yet radio stations are out there catering to the I-15 traffic. Who's paying for it? The Las Vegas casinos advertising to that traffic. If signs didn't work on highways no one would be doing it. Don't listen to the naysayers. You get those signs out there and traffic of WOO is gonna get a big bump.
Quote: AxelWolfI Goggled something(cant remember what it was) that had nothing to do with gambling and his site came up in the top 10 on Google, I was like WTF. Would this have anything to do with Google knowing what sites I visit and then adding them to the list on purpose? or was its just coincidence? I will try to look in my history and see what it was.
I believe Google is doing a little bit of that kind of stuff now (which sucks). But to double-check, sign out of Google (if you are signed in) and clear all of your cookies, and then try again. If the link is still there, then it's not your history.
Quote: boymimboOf course your charity should be Gambler's Anonymous or a charity that deals with gambling addiction.
Most programs based on the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous decline outside contributions so GA is out.
Quote: AcesAndEightsI believe Google is doing a little bit of that kind of stuff now (which sucks). But to double-check, sign out of Google (if you are signed in) and clear all of your cookies, and then try again. If the link is still there, then it's not your history.
You can also run Chrome in 'incognito mode'.
The sign can be found just before Cima Road on the northbound side of the I-15, about 24 miles from the Nevada border. That bridge you see in the background is Cima Road.
Quote: bwWouldn't WizardofOdds.com be better for you?
Yes, I asked for that. Part of the red tape was CalTrans wouldn't allow it, because the ".com" is not in my official business name.
Quote: nickolay411Looks Great! Congrats.
Thanks!
Ok, it's the wiz, who everyone (on this site) loves, so no one wants to say anything, but come on....white socks and sandals??
Wiz, you ARE nerdy. I have never met you (that you know of), but every time I see a picture, some new nerdiness about you strikes me. Surprisingly though, you make nerdiness look good. You are one of the few that can pull it off. :)
Are you trying to say mathy straight guys have no style?Quote: kewljCongrats on the adopt a highway thing. That's an honorable thing. You should have kept the part about the tax write off motivation to yourself and let us think it was all about you being a great guy.
Ok, it's the wiz, who everyone (on this site) loves, so no one wants to say anything, but come on....white socks and sandals??
Wiz, you ARE nerdy. I have never met you (that you know of), but every time I see a picture, some new nerdiness about you strikes me. Surprisingly though, you make nerdiness look good. You are one of the few that can pull it off. :)
Right now there is alot of mandated money going into Problem Gambling charities.. so you don't even have to advertize, the casino has to donate a certain percentage to anti gambling charities. Its a good time to get onto the bandwagon. Don't worry about not knowing how to treat problem gambling, nobody does; but it lets you write off your trips and get your website where it might do some real good. Meanwhile you pay yourself a real good salary.
Quote: AxelWolfAre you trying to say mathy straight guys have no style?
I resemble that remark...
Seriously, congrats on the very eye-catching logo sign, and well done on sponsoring the effort!
Quote: AxelWolfAre you trying to say mathy straight guys have no style?
Not at all. Mathy straight guys have style........a style all their own! :)
We really need to talk about the socks and sandals. I'm strait and know better than this.
Quote: kewljOk, it's the wiz, who everyone (on this site) loves, so no one wants to say anything, but come on....white socks and sandals??
Socks and sandals don't go together? Why hasn't anybody told me this before? At least they weren't black socks.
I also dressed this way when I climbed this rope at Santa Monica beach earlier that day, except I had a nice collared shirt on.
My apologies to those who already saw the video at DT.
Quote: WizardYes, I asked for that. Part of the red tape was CalTrans wouldn't allow it, because the ".com" is not in my official business name.
Great looking sign but I do believe it would have been better with the .com. I don't know if you looked into it at all, but I wouldn't have thought it would be very expensive to change the business to a DBA WizardOfOdds.com.
Quote: DRich... but I wouldn't have thought it would be very expensive to change the business to a DBA WizardOfOdds.com.
I think you're right. However, I didn't want to fuss with waiting for that to get approved and slow down the sign even longer. Besides, if I just put a sticker that said ".com" on the sign, do you think anybody would care?
Quote: Wizard
Good thing I don't live around there. It's a
cool sign and I'd take my step ladder and
ratchet set and it would be in my rec room.
Quote: rxwineI wonder if you had a business named "Wrong Way" or "Hippo Crossing" or "Unlucky Street" or "Dead End" or "Alien Abduction Zone" if they would accept it.
Maybe a business called "Speed Limit 100" or "Stop"
