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EarlG

(22,814 posts)
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 06:54 PM Feb 7

Spread the Love and Support Democratic Underground! It's Valentine Hearts Week on DU!

Hello everyone,

It seems like good news is hard to come by these days, but one piece of good news is that DU is still here. It would be tough to navigate these waters without this community, so first let me say thank you for coming here to share and discuss all the latest news and information. I'm grateful to you all for continuing to support DU, and each other.

As you know, DU could not survive without financial support. As you also know, I hate asking people for money. That's why (unlike most organizations these days, it seems) I'm not constantly in everyone's faces with emails and announcements asking for cash. It's also why we restrict our fundraising activities to just a few weeks out of the year, and try to make them fun.

Ad revenue is still our main revenue source, but it can be tough to rely on, given that ad rates fluctuate throughout the year. The absolute best way for DU to continue to thrive is through monthly Star Membership subscriptions, because the more of those we get, the less we have to rely on fickle ad rates.

Fortunately, there's no better time to get a Star Membership than right now, because it's Hearts Week on DU! This year's promotion will run until the evening of Sunday, February 16.

          

  • Purchase a DU Star Membership or renew your existing membership, and we'll give you Valentine hearts to share with your DU friends. For every dollar you spend, you'll get one Valentine heart to give away.

  • After you complete your purchase, you will immediately receive a DU Mail message containing simple instructions on how to give away Valentine hearts to your friends.

  • Monthly subscribers will also get some hearts to share -- if you are monthly subscriber, we'll send you a DU Mail message shortly with instructions on how to claim your hearts.
          

IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A MONTHLY OR YEARLY STAR MEMBERSHIP AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUY HEARTS, PLEASE READ

If you already have a recurring Star Membership and you want to buy hearts this week, my advice would be to use the One-Time Payment option in order to avoid setting up a second recurring payment.

If you already have a recurring payment, and you set up another one, your first one will NOT stop automatically. You can either stop a previous recurring payment yourself, or you can contact me to do it for you. If you want to do it yourself, here's how:

1) Log into PayPal and visit this page: https://www.paypal.com/myaccount/autopay

2) When you get there, look in the left column (if not on a mobile device) and you should find all of the automatic payments that you've set up. You can manage/cancel your payments from there.

And with that said...

Ready to get started?

Click here to Spread the Love!

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not receive a DU Mail message immediately after making your purchase, please be patient. In some instances there may be a short delay in processing your hearts, but you should receive them within 15-20 minutes at most. If you have to wait longer than that, please send a DU Mail message to me (EarlG).

Thank you for supporting Democratic Underground!

21 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Spread the Love and Support Democratic Underground! It's Valentine Hearts Week on DU! (Original Post) EarlG Feb 7 OP
On my way to the heart store now! Maru Kitteh Feb 7 #1
Thank you for EVERYTHING you and Elad do, my dear EarlG! CaliforniaPeggy Feb 7 #2
I've always regarded this as the most ingenious fundraiser and a Mike 03 Feb 7 #3
❤️ this. Just one question about Paypal: I really want to do a one-time only payment... Hekate Feb 7 #4
I see the payment EarlG Feb 7 #6
Thanks! Hekate Feb 7 #7
Hi EarlG MontanaMama Feb 7 #12
Hi there EarlG Feb 8 #13
Gracias, Jefe! JoseBalow Feb 7 #5
My Best Time to donate each year Cha Feb 7 #8
K&R BumRushDaShow Feb 7 #9
Earl G.: I don't remember if I have a recurring annual subscription or not. Sogo Feb 7 #10
This fundraiser is always sooooo much fun... ultralite001 Feb 7 #11
how to gift a DU membership to a friend? IGoToDU Feb 8 #14
What outstanding timing for the hearts fun this year. Prairie_Seagull Feb 8 #15
Kick for 💕 liberalla Feb 8 #16
Thank you for the heart my unknown friend TalenaGor Feb 9 #17
I thought I had set up a recurring payment. PayPal kept failing when I tried to set one up, maybe again? I was able to diane in sf Feb 9 #18
Thank you, wordstroken Feb 9 #19
My Star Membership Codifer Feb 9 #20
This message was self-deleted by its author Oopsie Daisy Feb 10 #21

CaliforniaPeggy

(153,353 posts)
2. Thank you for EVERYTHING you and Elad do, my dear EarlG!
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 07:47 PM
Feb 7

I look forward to getting whatever hearts I get as a monthly subscriber!

Mike 03

(18,323 posts)
3. I've always regarded this as the most ingenious fundraiser and a
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 07:53 PM
Feb 7

good-hearted, truly joyful event. To be honest, I've been thinking "I'm in the worst mood, not really sure I want to see the hearts right now, maybe Earl will put it off, or maybe scrap it this year." But now, seeing it go live, I am in instantaneously in such a better mood.

I know this hasn't been the easiest time for you either, coping with the aftermath of the election, engineering a major upgrade of DU, then testing out new forums. So the fact you are willing and able to do this right now is hugely appreciated, I'm sure, by me and everybody else at DU. Thank you.



Hekate

(96,988 posts)
4. ❤️ this. Just one question about Paypal: I really want to do a one-time only payment...
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 08:01 PM
Feb 7

…and I keep getting the creepy feeling (“Thank you for joining Paypal! “ ) that I joined them anyway. Can you check? Sorry to be a nuisance — but on the upside I sent you a hundred bucks, and believe me, I meant to do that.



EarlG

(22,814 posts)
6. I see the payment
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 09:06 PM
Feb 7

Thank you very much! I don't think I can tell from the payment page whether you're a PayPal member or not. It does say you are "unverified" so maybe that means you checked out as a guest.

You should get a receipt email from PayPal for the purchase, but if you ended up creating a PayPal account by accident, I would think you would also receive some kind of "welcome" confirmation email from them, with details. If that didn't happen, I don't think you need to worry. If you did accidentally create an account with them, as far as I know it is not too difficult to sign in and then just cancel the account.

MontanaMama

(24,355 posts)
12. Hi EarlG
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 11:55 PM
Feb 7

Thanks for the each out. I made some kind of mistake…I meant to pay $50 for my membership and then I always buy another $50 worth of hearts for Valentine’s Day too. Somehow I clicked a recurring payment of $50 a month and that wasn’t my intention. PayPal says I have to figure it out with DU and I am not finding a way to do that. Is this something you can help me with? Please accept my apology for the hassle. I know you have a lot going on right now.

Thanks in advance.
Jennifer (MontanaMama)

EarlG

(22,814 posts)
13. Hi there
Sat Feb 8, 2025, 01:01 AM
Feb 8

Not to worry, I've taken care of this -- I canceled the recurring nature of the payment, so essentially it now acts as a one-time payment. You will get your hearts to give out and your Star Membership is good for another year starting today, but the payment will not recur automatically.

Thank you for the generous contribution!

Cha

(309,221 posts)
8. My Best Time to donate each year
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 09:15 PM
Feb 7

It’s a Twofor!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️💝🌈💙🇺🇸

Sogo

(6,153 posts)
10. Earl G.: I don't remember if I have a recurring annual subscription or not.
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 09:47 PM
Feb 7

Can I find out from you?

Thanks.

ultralite001

(1,495 posts)
11. This fundraiser is always sooooo much fun...
Fri Feb 7, 2025, 10:21 PM
Feb 7

Thank you, EarlG...

From the bottom of my ❤❤❤...

IGoToDU

(187 posts)
14. how to gift a DU membership to a friend?
Sat Feb 8, 2025, 09:27 AM
Feb 8

I really do want to give a DU membership to a friend, and I thought it might be good to ask the question as well in this reply thread in case anyone else like me wants to do so and doesn’t know where to go on here to do that. Thank you so much for everything you do!

Prairie_Seagull

(4,054 posts)
15. What outstanding timing for the hearts fun this year.
Sat Feb 8, 2025, 09:55 AM
Feb 8

Very nice intermission among, well I don't need to tell you or really anyone on here. Spent my first hour giving out hearts. Actually enjoyed my coffee more than usual.

Thanks EarlG

diane in sf

(4,148 posts)
18. I thought I had set up a recurring payment. PayPal kept failing when I tried to set one up, maybe again? I was able to
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 03:55 PM
Feb 9

make a one time donation and PayPal worked.

wordstroken

(934 posts)
19. Thank you,
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 06:33 PM
Feb 9

Thank you, thank you to the secret admirer who gave me a valentine heart! ❤️
So much appreciated.

Codifer

(925 posts)
20. My Star Membership
Sun Feb 9, 2025, 10:48 PM
Feb 9

is active and current.... should I have received a small heap of hearts to give out?

Response to EarlG (Original post)

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