This week last year I was obsessing over the logo. I had no idea how the site was going to work. I didn't even know where to begin, what technologies to use, what trials and tribulations would lay ahead in 2016. But I knew we needed a logo. And you guys knocked it out of the park, voting for a symbol which still fills my heart each time I see it. Thanks!

And now, for the Giving... At our last board meeting, I was bringing Jessica up to speed on all of my Charitocracy development plans for the rest of the year. Giving Tuesday is on November 29, and my ambitious goal was to roll out a system incentivizing donors to invite their friends and family. Essentially, not only would you see in your Dashboard a tally of how much you directly donated*, but also how much all the people you've invited have collectively donated, including the people they've invited, etc. So while you may have given $13, you're perhaps responsible for $1300! (*Your individual donation total is kept private, but included in the aggregate sum of those "upstream" from you.)

Jessica was quick to give this donation hierarchy a clever name: your Giving Tree! And so was born Charitocracy's new pyramid scheme to motivate you to drag others into this most wonderful of charity-of-the-month clubs. Today I've rolled out the tree, which for most people is starting out extremely bare. Here's what Jessica's looks like! She wins.

Coming real soon: a proper invitation system where you can email friends and family with a customizable message and a sign-up link that automatically gives you "root" status for their new Giving Tree. In the meantime, let me know if I missed any connections: if someone joined because of you, or vice versa. And happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!