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MRH Media 2,999 posts MRH MRH Media 2,999 posts
MRH

***DURING THIS CRISIS ALL DONATIONS WILL BE USED TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS TO MODELERS IN NEED***

We are using all donations right now to fund free scholarships to modelers by giving them some of our paid content for free. Your donation will be used directly to fund these scholarships. 

If you are a person in need, then  put your name in the hat here.

Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine is an ad-supported for profit digital magazine that is provided free to model railroaders via the internet.

Our primary expense is contributor payments to model railroaders who write for MRH. Ad revenue does not always cover contributor costs. Your donation helps pay fellow modelers to make more in-depth how-to articles and videos for you and keeps them available at no cost to everyone through MRH magazine.

Note: Because MRH magazine is for-profit and a digital magazine product you receive that benefits you, your donations to MRH magazine are NOT tax-deductible.

Donating is not something we see as an obligation of every reader. We're primarily speaking to modelers who feel they can afford a few dollars to say thanks to MRH and our contributors for 100 free issues.

(If you want, you can elect to make your donation recurring -- just select the "Pick Amount" button and check the recurring checkbox.)

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Donate $1 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Donate $5 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Donate $10 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Donate $25 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Donate $50 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Donate $100 US to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 

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Pick donate amount to IN-NEED MODELER SCHOLARSHIP

 
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Rick Sutton Prolific poster 4,358 posts
Rick Sutton

Money well spent

I've learned so much from the forum and magazine that my enjoyment in the hobby has been greatly enhanced. I figure if Joe is asking for a little help then I'm gonna pony up. Love this place!
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Neil Erickson NeilEr Moderator 5,778 posts
Neil Erickson NeilEr

Thanks

If you can just get another 19,998 persons to donate five bucks a month ...

Neil Erickson, Hawai’i 

My Blogs
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Virginian and Lake Erie Super User 9,223 posts
Virginian and Lake Erie

I will be choosing an amount

I will be choosing an amount to donate and will consider it a subscription. This is one of the few magazines now actually worth buying. I enjoy the forums the most but this has fast become my favorite magazine. The forever free model may not actually work with costs continuing to go up and shrinking advertisers in our hobby. If it becomes time to pay in a subscription format later count me in. Right now I will be donating something I will decide how much later but it will be an annual amount just like a subscription.

Rob in Texas

MRH Blog / Prep for an Operating Session / Delving Into the Past / The Club Blog / Youtube / etmrc.org
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hobbes1310 Frequent poster 907 posts
hobbes1310

I'm guessing its in US

I'm guessing its in US dollars.

Phil
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GPaalvast New member 7 posts
GPaalvast

Free subscription?

The option of a voluntary recurring donation aka "free" subscription for say a few dollars (or euros in my case) would be in the long run a more steady income for MRH than a one time or irregularly bigger donation. Still, I will donate now and say "Thank you MRH Media" for all the goodies in those previous issues!

- Gion
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Dan Pugatch Breakwater Branch Regular poster 355 posts
Dan Pugatch Breakwater Branch

Even custom donators only

Even custom donators only goodies is a good way to motivate folks, a lot of us would prolly pay for a MRH freight car like NMRA does every year.
 
Freelance HO Scale set in 1977-1984 Portland, Maine.
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craig3 Regular poster 338 posts
craig3

Permanent Link on Forum Opening Page?

Joe

I'd suggest putting the donate button permanently on the opening page of the Forum so it doesn't drift down the pages and end up off of page 1 and people won't see it.  

Craig
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Wabash Banks Regular poster 471 posts
Wabash Banks

Done

Done!

I second the recurring method. Sometimes I get busy and miss making a monthly or quarterly donation plus it feels like paying a bill. If I can just do a payment method, like for TMTV, then that gets easy and you get more money

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michaelrose55 Super User 3,458 posts
michaelrose55

Joe, I just donated $10 but

Joe, I just donated $10 but there was no button to make it recurring…

Michael

The Breitenbach - Rosenheim Railroad V4
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zosimas New member 1 post
zosimas

thank you for your content

Donated. I rarely read magazines,  but this one has the most useful how-to articles.
Reply 0
Bernd MRH Author 5,553 posts
Bernd

Donate

Why not donate an article?

Bernd

New York, Vermont & Northern Rwy. - Route of the Black Diamonds - NCSWIC
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joef MRH Founder 17,403 posts
joef

Recurring

Quote:

Joe, I just donated $10 but there was no button to make it recurring…

Sorry, looks like the recurring option only exists on the Pick Amount choice.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

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michaelrose55 Super User 3,458 posts
michaelrose55

Sorry, looks like the

Quote:

Sorry, looks like the recurring option only exists on the Pick Amount choice.

Then I will use that one the next time. No problem .

Michael

The Breitenbach - Rosenheim Railroad V4
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joef MRH Founder 17,403 posts
joef

We'll certainly take that as well

Quote:

Why not donate an article?

We'll certainly take that as well. Some of you have donated an article gratis, and that's always very appreciated.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

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Bill Brillinger Moderator 4,904 posts
Bill Brillinger

recurring

Quote:

Sorry, looks like the recurring option only exists on the Pick Amount choice.

May I suggest ditching the set amounts, and only offering the "Pick your amount" choice - just rename it to "Donate Now".

That way people will donate what they want and at least consider making it "monthly".

Cheers!

Bill Brillinger

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, Admin for the RailPro User Group, and owner of Precision Design Co.
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Mark Pruitt Pruitt Prolific poster 1,264 posts
Mark Pruitt Pruitt

I made my donation...

...and money well spent it is!

I plan to make this an annual contribution. 

I know it will be spent wisely.

Mark P.

http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.com
https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton

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Barnyard New member 1 post
Barnyard

Small donation from the UK

As the adverts are aimed at the US market then I cannot really make any use of them. I'm not even modelling US railroads but I am working in H0 scale which is rare in the UK.  However I still find MRH a valuable resource and there is always something of interest, so I think that it is only right to make a contribution. I always look forward to each publication and especially the "What's neat" from Ken Patterson.

Bernard from England
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Raphael Regular poster 138 posts
Raphael

Forums

Thanks Joe & staff for all your efforts.  A lot of the value in MRH is also in the forums. Lots of very nice and talented folks, and each time I posted a question I got useful replies (sometimes way more than I wanted :-p)

Ralf~
[ web site ]
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hobbes1310 Frequent poster 907 posts
hobbes1310

Thanks Joe & staff for all

Quote:

Thanks Joe & staff for all your efforts.  A lot of the value in MRH is also in the forums. Lots of very nice and talented folks, and each time I posted a question I got useful replies (sometimes way more than I wanted :-p)

Yes but only 10% whom read MRH, comment on the forums. So with that poor showing, in any business sense  you would shut down the forums or use them as a loss leader?

 

Phil
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joef MRH Founder 17,403 posts
joef

Internet suicide

Quote:

Yes but only 10% whom read MRH, comment on the forums. So with that poor showing, in any business sense you would shut down the forums or use them as a loss leader?

You have to understand internet thinking. These forums are a goldmine of information that's expanding daily -- and Google LOVES a huge information repository that's being added to daily.

Thanks to these forums, MRH rates very high with Google and many of our new readers come from Google searches that send them to this website.

So to kill the forums and blogs on this site would be internet suicide. Our site would fall off Google's radar overnight.

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

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UPWilly Prolific poster 1,964 posts
UPWilly

About Donations & Alternatives

I am happy to make some small donations as my budget permits and I shall.

In the original post in this thread, Joe states:

Quote:

"If you find it financially difficult to do the hobby, then please don't feel any obligation to contribute. We're primarily speaking to modelers who are financially well off and want to say thanks to MRH and our contributors for 100 free issues."

I knew that at least one discussion had come up on this subject in the past:

From the May 2012 Staff Notes, page 12

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The hyperlink is:

http://www.mrhmag.com

The spread the word link is:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/spread_the_word

 

Bill D.

egendpic.jpg 

N Scale (1:160), not N Gauge. DC (analog), Stapleton PWM Throttle.

Proto-freelance Southwest U.S. 2nd half 20th Century.

Keep on trackin'
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anteaum2666 MRH Author 2,815 posts
anteaum2666

Done!

MRH is a great resource.  I look forward to reading it every month, and I especially like how the articles are about modeling, by modelers, and not just ads in-and-of themselves for the latest products.  Happy to help keep this great magazine available!

Michael - Superintendent and Chief Engineer
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View My Blogs
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AzBaja Prolific poster 2,048 posts
AzBaja

Now it is a thing to Donate?

Years ago on this forum I suggested we should be able to donate or pay some sort of money to keep MRH in the black. I felt the the advertiser only concept would not be viable in the long term. I received tons of kick back, from not understanding how FREE works, How advertiser pay the bills etc. Donations would ruin and possibly lead into a pay version of MRH etc. etc. I know find it interesting that people are now falling on their swords and want to pay/give donations to keep MRH viable. Like I said before MRH needs some way to skim money from the users and readers of MRH magazine and forum service. Donations, service fee etc. Advertiser model is not covering all the bills The sad thing is now that I'm retired I do not have the money to spare for a donation or another paid service like I did when I 1st put the ideea on the the table. So no donations from me. But it still would not hurt my feelings if MRH went full pay. If that is what is needed to keep it going so be it.

AzBaja
---------------------------------------------------------------
I enjoy the smell of melting plastic in the morning.  The Fake Model Railroader, subpar at best.
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joef MRH Founder 17,403 posts
joef

We don't expect you to

Quote:

The sad thing is now that I'm retired I do not have the money to spare for a donation ...

We don't expect you to. That's why we said ...

Quote:

If you find it financially difficult to do the hobby, then please don't feel any obligation to contribute. We're primarily speaking to modelers who are financially well off and want to say thanks to MRH and our contributors for 100 free issues.

In fact, we don't *expect* anyone to donate -- we treat it as a sacred trust and are very honored when anyone donates even $1. The funds are being put into a special "rainy day fund" and will be used to pay modelers who contribute articles and videos for MRH magazine - which by the way, is the single largest cost of production for the magazine.

We also will not be hounding anyone to contribute. It's there if you want to say thanks ... 

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

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