BENEFITS AND GIFTS FOR THE GOLDEN RULE ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTORS. 

(click here to go directly to gift amount order buttons below)

How do contributions help us all? 

The first thing contributions will go for is to pay off property for GRO offices, retreats and seminars. Once land is paid for, the rest will go towards constructing the first GRO retreat, and printing new GR books. The retreat will be built using Earth friendly systems (for caretakers and future visitors).

GRO has IRS non-profit status. We are fairly sure that when you make a gift/contribution and don't receive anything in return, it is fully tax deductible. But getting gifts in return, may reduce or eliminate the deductibility of your contribution. In any case, since we aren't experts on this, make sure you check with an accountant who is qualified to know if, what, and how you can benefit tax-wise. Every contributor to GRO of $20 or more will get: 

• A New Edition of the Golden Rule Workbook
  including the completion of Benjamin Franklin's organization and uncompleted book. 
  As soon as it becomes available, contributors will receive the ebook version, followed by the print version as soon as that is available. A $22.95 value for the paperback, $12 for ebook. A total value of $34.95. We are told the ebook should be available late summer/early fall '05, and the print version by fall/winter.

You can read more about it below, as well as details about exactly where and how contributions made via the "Make a Donation" button goes (hint - directly to the non-profit projects, and not into private pockets of "administrators", etc., like most non-profits do).

Please join us in helping the world, yourself and your loved ones, and stretch your budget as much as you can to give generously. Besides the obvious direct rewards, you'll also be rewarded with that warm feeling that only comes with giving selflessly and knowing that you're doing something to help others (and you may end up being one of those others yourself).

Whether you believe in "you reap what you sow", or "what goes around comes around", or not, we believe that somehow, somewhere, your support will go down as one of the greatest, most positive contributions you ever made during your life. 

And don't forget, this isn't just charity. You really do get more than you give, but more importantly, you will be doing something to help your soul, and perhaps even your own life in the not-so-distant future - like the plan for the fictional Shangri La in "Lost Horizon". 

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH TO HELP MAKE THIS A REALITY, AND WHAT DOES YOUR PART NEED TO BE?

Below you'll find various level "Make a Donation" buttons. But before you get to that, please hear what else we have to say, and give it serious thought.

As much as I hate the public television "support drives", we need to do something similar to help quickly raise the funds to make an American "Shangri La" functional and complete. 

People often feel powerless about making a real and positive difference. "What can I do? My little gift doesn't really count, it wont make a difference.", or "Someone else will do it - so I don't need to." But what often happens, is that almost everyone thinks the same way, and then no funds are raised. 

A "grass roots" movement can make all the difference.  When we all work together as one, we create and become part of something far more powerful than ourselves, and what we can achieve on our own.

Even if it's not a lot, if each and every person gives something, it all adds up and makes greater things possible. Like twelve people trying to push a car out of a ditch instead of one. Our collective power is awesome. 

Use your power now - join us in making that difference and become a part of a wonderful gift for all of humankind. All good people are counting on you. And as they say, "what goes around comes around". 

Such a project as this requires a lot of energy in one way or another. A whole lot of pennies from many people or a couple of million from one person would do it. 

But a lot of people helping a little, adds up to much more. And it's more likely to get a lot of small amounts than one or two big ones. What can you truly "pull off", especially if you are more than getting back what you give in several ways?  

As Jesus is quoted as saying in the modern bible, it's easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven (don't ask why a camel would want to get through the eye of a needle - I'm still trying to figure out why the chicken crossed the road). Or perhaps, the most modern version of the bible says "it's easier for an SUV to get through the desert than a river barge to get through the Nile delta..."

A poor person who only has a penny and gives that, is making a greater sacrifice than the billionaire who gives 990 million and still keeps 10 million for themselves. 

Of course, we're not saying anyone should give everything away and take food out of the mouths of their children or anything like that, we're just attempting to point out some issues and benefits of self-sacrifice and giving. 

So getting down to the reality of a reasonable level of gift-giving, if every single one of you who read this gives $50, GRO can get property and hopefully do some building for an educational/ retreat center and a GR workbook re-print. But if only half of you give that much, we may not even be able to secure property (unless there are a number of the far larger donations also). 

That's why it would be best if everyone contributes $100 - it would insure a land pay-off, a functional degree of construction, and a re-print. But getting back to reality again, it's highly doubtful that 100% of our readers will respond with $100 contributions, or any. But while every little bit helps (any gift is really appreciated, financial or otherwise), $100 or more will make it more likely that GRO can reach those goals immediately. 

Where does the money go?

Your contributions from the above will go into the GRO's non-profit account. Not a penny goes to us, W-H, or other companies who are donating products. Also, none will go for things like "administrative fees" or "management", etc. All of it will go directly to non-profit costs, paying for land, equipment, non-member construction costs, and perhaps in the future, people doing lectures or educational retreats of a related nature. 

Does GRO accept gifts other than money? 

We also welcome tax deductible gifts like construction equipment,  tractors, well drillers, solar panels, cars, trucks, boats, planes, etc.

We know money is tight for many of you these days, but please consider the importance of this project. The "Make a Donation" shopping cart buttons below, and the monthly "auto-pay" systems make giving easy (cancelable at any time). 

Also, you could contribute something additional that's equal to a week's pay or such. To give more (or less) than the preset amounts, please call the WH order fulfillment line toll free at 800 845 7991, to make other or special arrangements.