Q. How will donations support the show?
A. In order to produce a professional podcast, there are monthly expenses for services including audio engineering; web design and hosting; podcast hosting services; recording software; graphic design; and music leasing rights. In addition, Mark and Anika dedicate over seventy hours of labor each month to the podcast.
Q. What are the giving levels?
A. There are two giving levels, at which you will receive benefits in return:
$5-9/month or $60/total gifts a year-Sustainer Gift Level:
- We will recognize your support on our website
- You’ll receive an invitation to participate in a private group video college admissions session every January
- And we will mail you two beautiful Your College-Bound Kid notebooks – one for you and one for your student
$10 or more/month or $120/total gifts a year-Enhancer Gift Level:
You will get all of the benefits of the Sustainer Plan in addition to,
- A 30-minute private one-on-one video coaching session with Mark on any college admissions topic that you would like to cover
- An opportunity for a 100-word shout-out to any student you want to recognize; it could be your own child, or if you are a counselor or supporter of the show, it can be any student you believe is worthy of recognition for their hard work
Note: You can give more than $10/month or less than $5/month if you feel so inclined. We are grateful for whatever you can give to support the podcast.
Q. If I make a one-time gift, will I get any of the benefits of the Sustainer or Enhancer plan?
A. If your gift is at least $60 – $119 dollars, you will receive the benefits of the Sustainer Gift Level, and if your gift is $120 or more, you will receive the benefits of the Enhancer Gift Level.
Q. Will I get a tax-deductible receipt if I give a donation?
A. We are not a 501-C3 organization, so we cannot issue you a tax-deductible receipt
Q. How do I know your website is secure with my financial information?
A. We are a WordPress website hosted by Go Daddy, one of the most reputable companies in the country. We also own a professional SSL certificate, ensuring the protection and privacy of your information.
Q. If I no longer want to support the show monthly, how do I stop making contributions?
A. Just log in to PayPal and initiate stopping your monthly payment. If you have any questions, just call PayPal; here is their number 888-818-3909.
Q. What payment methods do you accept?
A. Any major debit or credit card. This includes American Express or Discover. We accept contributions through PayPal. You don’t need to have a PayPal account to use your debit or credit card to give.
Q. How do I make a donation?
A. Visit www.yourcollegeboundkid.com, click the Donate button, and follow the prompts to setup your recurring gifts, or make a one-time gift.
Q. Tell me more about the private group video college counseling session I get with the Sustainer Gift Level.
A. Every January, Anika and Mark will host a private 60-minute video session that you will receive an email invitation to. Mark will discuss a number of admission trends and hot topics and there will be plenty of time for you to ask your questions.
Q. Tell me more about the 100-word “shout-out” to a student of my choice at the Enhancer Gift Level.
A. Just email us 100 words or less about what you would like for us to say to acknowledge your student. You will receive an email to let you know which episode will air your shout-out and we’ll also post your shout-out to our Your College-Bound Kid Facebook page. We will also put up the photo of your student on Facebook if you want us to.
Q. Tell me more about the 30 minutes of one-on-one college coaching with Mark at the Enhancer Gift Level.
A. Mark will send you a Calendly invite for you to select a mutually agreed upon time via Zoom video. You will receive a link to his Zoom video account. Mark will send you an email with more information when you are ready to schedule your sessions.
Q. How do you recognize those who give $60 or more on your website?
A. We list anyone who gives $60 or more on our website under the “Our Supporters” button. We will list your name, your city and your state. If you do NOT want to be recognized on our website, please email us and let us know this and we will list you as Anonymous but we will still list your city and state. You inspire others to give when we can list you in some format.
Q. Can I give a gift anonymously?
A. If you do NOT want to be recognized on our website, please email us and let us know this and we will list you as Anonymous but we will still list your city and state. You inspire others to give when we can list you in some format.
Q. I am okay with my student being recognized with the one hundred word “shout out” on the podcast but I would prefer to not be recognized on Facebook; can my student be recognized on the podcast but omitted from the “Facebook shout out”?
A. Absolutely, we ONLY recognize students on Facebook when the parent/guardian gives us explicit permission to give your student the Shout out on Facebook?
Q. Can I give my shout out on your show to my favorite charity instead of to a student?
A. Yes, you can shout out your charity but you can’t ask our listeners to support the charity in the “100 word shout out”. Acknowledging your charity may be an attractive option for people with no children, multiple children or for college counselors who listen and support us.
Q. Why do you call your two plans the “Sustainer Gift Level” and the “Enhancer Gift Level”?
A. We hope our Sustainer level will cover our recurring expenses, and it is our hope that the Enhancer level will allow us to introduce new features to improve the quality of the show for our listeners. We would also like to upgrade our audio equipment to improve our sound and if we receive enough support we will make this investment.
Q. If I give a gift of less than $60 or $5/month to I receive anything?
A. Yes, you will receive a thank you email and you will also be invited to the private video presentation on the State of College Admissions by Mark in January. Every gift is appreciated by us. We know you could spend your hard earned money on so many other things and we are grateful you want to help us maintain and improve our podcast.