NotePlease note that these questions have not been updated now that the initial campaign has ended. As most of the information is still relevant, I will not be changing them. However, if you want clarification on anything, please refer to the last question on the page. Thanks!Hogwarts? What?If you're at this page, then you know Aleks and you also know that she's a huge Harry Potter fan. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a life-sized, real world experience at Universal Studios in Florida and it's a Mecca for any Harry Potter fan. I can think of no place Aleks would be more excited to visit than this place. If you don't know, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is the fictional boarding school for young witches and wizards in the universe of Harry Potter. Once magically inclined children reach age 11, they receive a Welcome Letter in the mail from the current headmaster of Hogwarts inviting them to attend. Strangely, Aleks' letter never came...I'd like to fix that.How does this work?For those of you that don't know, I am an artist, graphic designer, and a calligrapher. It is my intention to create two intricately illuminated, hand-lettered documents on aged parchment, the previously mentioned Welcome Letter and a Class Roster. For everyone who donates (or contacts me), I will include your name (and personal message according to the donation scale at the right) on either the Welcome Letter or Class Roster.These two items will serve both as the announcement of our communal gift as well as a giant get well/we all love you card that she can keep forever to remind her of the sheer number of people that were thinking about her when she was in the hospital. I will post progress pictures here of the two items as I work on them. Provided there enough funds and there are no complications, Aleks will then be able to visit Hogwarts in Florida in the summer! And not just a visit, the whole experience. (See below...) Due to changing schedules and unforseen circumstances, I must reserve the right to make the deliverables using the computer instead of by hand if necessary. I actually *prefer* to do it by hand because I have all of the materials to do that. Printing is expensive.
Where does this money go?100% of this money goes to Aleks or to items that then go to Aleks. I'm not taking a dime of it. I'll be paying for my own transportation, accomodations, tickets, and the materials for the deliverables. I will also be paying the PayPal transaction fees out of pocket as my personal donation. The money will be used in the following way:
Why is there a time limit?Aleks is projected to be in the hospital for five weeks, that's 35 days. Once she's out, I want to present her with the gifts. (this time schedule is subject to change, so it's honestly better to give early). The gifts will take quite a bit of raw time to make and once I start, I won't be able to easily add people, so I'm setting a cut off for donations at 20 days from the launch of this site. You can still donate after this, but I will not be able to guarantee your name on the gift. Can I choose how my money is used?Yes, of course. At the time of donation, please include any special wishes. You can wish for the money to go only to paying for her school, to go the family to offset the expenses of eating out at the hopsital, or even request that it help pay for my transporation/admission too. (I will only accept money for my expenses if her costs are covered first and it's expressly stated on the donation)
(Note that donations that are specified for goals other than sending Aleks to Hogwarts will not count toward the
Do I have to donate to get my name on the Class Roster? This whole thing seems weird...Of course not! Just send me a letter or an email and I will happily put your name on the class roster as a First Year. I want to make sure that everyone who wants to be a part of this can be. Anyone may donate anonymously or have your names put in a different tier. This is not a contest. This is NOT about giving Aleks a list of people organized by how much money they gave. This is about overwhelming Aleks with a list of people who love and support her. I'm only emulating the Kickstarter tiered reward structure because it's proven to increase donations. Money is NOT a measure of how much love you have for a person and I do NOT want to imply that in any way. I just want to give Aleks something special. Can I donate for someone else?Certainly. You can donate for someone else or have a larger donation include several names and messages according to the tier schedule to the right. This would work well for a family or a group of friends. Remember, I will happily include anyone's name at the First Year level for free. $1,500?! How did you get these figures?My original estimate of $1,500 is based on the following prices/estimates:
The stretch goal estimate was what I simply imagined would be necessary to replace all of Aleks' lost/destroyed items and still give her a generous amount in her pocket to put toward school and accident related expenses. Wait, who are you anyway?I'm Joseph Toschlog. I've had the wonderful privilege of dating Aleks for this past year and a half. She is undeniably the best girlfriend on the planet and I want to do my best to wrangle fate to compensate her for the unfortunate hand it dealt her. Wait, what happens if you guys stop dating?Firstly, I will be really upset. Regardless, in that case, I will immediately cut a check for the total donation balance and mail it to her dad to either follow through with the Hogwarts plan or to brainstorm something else nice for her. I'm not out to scam anyone. Update: It's almost over and we're still dating. I don't think you need to worry about this anyway. ;) Do I have to use Pay Pal?Absolutely not, in fact, I'd prefer that you didn't. Paypal takes out 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. That adds up after a while. If you feel comfortable, you may also donate by sending a check (or cash if you know and trust me) to: Joseph Toschlog2519 Brewster Rd. Indianapolis, IN 46268 I will confirm the receipt of all donation funds mailed to me via phone call, email, or whatever contact method you provide in your letter. I will also enjoy talking with you and getting to know how you know or are related to Aleks. I donated but I don't see any changes on the website...This webpage is not automated. I'll be updating it manually, hopefully every day but I may miss a day here and there while I'm helping Aleks recover or commuting between home and Chicago. Can I donate something else?Sure! If you have something in mind, shoot me an email at joseph.toschlog@gmail.com or call me at 765-490-6388. Special donations will be highlighted appopriately on the Welcome Letter or Class Roster. Can I send you something to include in the Welcome Letter or Class Roster?Absolutely. If you want to write a personal letter or artwork for me to include with the Welcome Letter or Class Roster, just send it my way along with any special instructions. Please try to make it Harry Potter related or on parchment if possible. Hey! I have an idea, you should do this instead....Awesome, tell me about it via email at joseph.toschlog@gmail.com or call me at 765-490-6388. I have a different question...Hopefully I have an answer. Feel free to contact me at joseph.toschlog@gmail.com or call me at 765-490-6388. |
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(Last updated: 2013/02/28 12:33 EST)
This campaign is officially closed, thank you for your contributions!Expired GoalsGoals below this box were only for the original campaign. I'm leaving them here for posterity so that people can understand why the Faculty/Staff List & Class Roster are designed they way they are.Donate $0 or more:12 First Years so far...Your name will be penned in calligraphy on the Class Roster along with the other First Years. Your house will be chosen at random via a four-sided die.Donate $10 or more:34 Upper Classmen so far...As an Upper Classmen, your name will be penned in calligraphy slightly larger on the Class Roster. You may choose your house. (Please include your choice of house with your donation)Donate $30 or more:7 Prefects so far...As a Prefect, your name will appear prominently in calligraphy in the house of your choice. You may also include a message to Aleks up to 140 characters (a tweet!) for me to add, also in calligraphy, under your name. (Please include your choice of house and your message with your donation)Donate $40 or more:1 Head Boy/Girl so far...Donations at this level will grant you Head Boy or Head Girl status. Your name will be among those most prominently featured in the house of your choice on the Class Roster. In addition, you may include a personal message to Aleks of up to 280 characters. (Please include your choice of house and your message with your donation)Donate $50 or more:18 Staff members so far...Congratulations on your appointment to Hogwarts. As a Staff member, your name will appear on the Welcome Letter. You may choose the name of your non-faculty position and house if desired. Additionally, you may include a personal message to Aleks of up to 140 characters. (Please include your choice of staff job title, house, and your message with your donation. If you do not wish to come up with a title, I'll think of something fun and appropriate.)Donate $75 or more:3 Professors so far...As an esteemed member of the Hogwarts Faculty, your name will appear larger on the Welcome Letter. You may choose the name of your department or specific courses that you teach and house if desired. Additionally, you may include a personal message to Aleks of up to 280 characters. (Please include your choice of department/courses, house, and your message with your donation. If you do not wish to come up with a title, I'll think of something fun and appropriate.)Donate $100 or more:19 Department Heads so far...Privileged Department Heads have their names prominently featured in the Welcome Letter and may dictate the name of their department and house and also include a personal message to Aleks of up to 420 characters. (Please include your choice of department, house, and your message with your donation. If you do not wish to come up with a department, I'll think of something fun and appropriate.)Donate $150 or more:2 Assistant Headmaster so far...As an Assistant Headmaster, your responsibilities are great. As such, your name on the Welcome Letter will also be great. In addition to choosing your house, you may include a personal message to Aleks of up to 560 characters. (Please include your choice of house and your message with your donation.)Donate $200 or more:5 Former Headmaster so far...Former Headmasters of Hogwarts have their names featured most prominently on the Welcome Letter, may choose their house, and may include a personal letter to Aleks up to a full 1,000 characters. (that's a lot of calligraphy!) (Please include your choice of house and your message with your donation.)I reserve the right to "promote" anyone to a higher donation tier in order to make the final deliverable look better. No one will be "demoted" and besides, Aleks won't see who donated what anyway, so don't get too hung up over it.
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The background picture of Hogwarts was found here and modified by me. No copyright infringement intended. Everything else was designed, created, and implemented by Joseph Toschlog.
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