Dear Okey's Promise Keeper,

The Okey's Promise: Celebrating the Human-Animal Bond project is progressing and moving ahead, albeit a little bit slower than planned. Despite the fact that the Kickstarter Campaign was under the goal and thus, unsuccessful, I am continuing to move forward with the fund raising and the planning for the project.

As I mentioned in a previous update, I am now using the ChipIn program to raise funds. Some of you have visited the Okey's Promise ChipIn page and moved your pledge into a contribution there. Thank you so much!!!

Many of you have not yet visited the page, which is fine. There is no obligation to do so.

If you would still like to contribute funds to the project, however, you can do so by visiting the Okey's Promise ChipIn page. If you contribute via the ChipIn page, that money will be collected immediately via PayPal rather than be a pledge collected at a later date like the Kickstarter program.

Because the Kickstarter campaign was under its goal, your Kickstarter pledge will not be collected.  If you contribute to the ChipIn, this will be the only money collected. You are not contributing twice.

I am also doing a daily auction of artworks from my main website www.bztat.com to raise funds for the project. Please check daily to see the new work and make bids. All proceeds go towards the project and all bidders get entered into a contest for free artwork!

Please visit the Okey's Promise website often to learn the latest about the project and efforts inspired by it. Thanks for your support!

BZTAT

According to Kickstarter, this project did not succeed. According to Okey's Promise Keepers, however, we have barely begun.

Kickstarter limits your time frame for raising funds for a project. They have an all or nothing policy that says you only get your backers' funding if you meet the goal. They also take 5% of your proceeds, and Amazon takes a processing fee as well.

In many cases, artists rely on the visibility of Kickstarter to help their projects get backers. My projects' backers, however, do not tend to be Kickstarter devotees. They instead, are part of a network of pet enthusiasts and bloggers with whom I connect. 

If it was just me behind this project, I might have ended it after not meeting the goal. But it is not just me. Many helped with raising pledges and getting the word out, and I believe that their efforts should be rewarded. I also believe that their passion for the project is growing, which leads me to believe that more funds can be raised with more time.

I, therefore, have decided to continue the campaign through another fundraising program - ChipIn. If you would still like to contribute to the project, you may do so at the Okey's Promise ChipIn page. I will honor the same rewards listed here at Kickstarter through that venue. Unlike Kickstarter, your contribution will be taken immediately though PayPal and will not be a pledge to be collected at a later date. Also unlike Kickstarter, ChipIn charges no fees, so with the exception of PayPal transaction fees, your contribution goes completely towards funding the project.

Please do not feel that you are obligated to transfer your pledge to being a ChipIn contribution. If you would like to continue funding the project, however, please do visit the ChipIn page. The project and the artwork will be created to the greatest scale possible with whatever funding I receive.

Please visit the Okey's Promise: Art for a Cause website often to keep up on the latest news on the project.

Thank you so much for your support. I look forward to the future growth of the Okey's Promise initiative through the backing of Okey's Promise Keepers!

BZTAT

We only have a few hours left to get pledges for Okey's Promise. We are a ways away from our goal, but it is still possible.

Okey's Promise Keepers have pledged because this issue and the art touches them in some way. Do you know someone who may be touched as you have been? Please share this with them, if so. If we do not meet the goal, no pledges will be collected.

The project will happen if we do not reach the goal, however, it will be so much better if we do.

Thanks for your support!

BZTAT and Okey

Wow, what a stunning start to the campaign! In just six days, we are already at 20% of the goal! We still have a long ways to go, but this is an amazing way to start it out.

By making a pledge, Okey's Promise Keepers are showing how important it is to them to get the OP message out there. Please share the message in anyway you can - Twitter, Facebook, email, your blog or any other method. I appreciate all the help anyone can offer!

So far, we have already had a few blogs write about the project, and that has resulted in new Promise Keepers. We have folks doing all sorts of creative things to get others involved as well. No idea is too crazy, so please let me know if you have one!

Thanks again for the support!

BZTAT and Okey