The Bank of Nerdfighteria's Semiannual Report

2015-12-08 · announcement · John · 3:21 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Global development (also: Projects) · mode: Announcements · tags: calendar ritual, fundraising ask, civic or action cta, self promotion, recurring series, community lore

John gives the Bank of Nerdfighteria's semiannual report on its three arms: Kiva lending totals, Patreon funding that now sustains Crash Course and SciShow, and the 2015 Project for Awesome with its Indiegogo, matching and voting.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting in a tie: the Bank of Nerdfighteria's semiannual report and its three branches (lending, spending, giving)

• ★★ John presents the Bank of Nerdfighteria's semiannual report, comparing the bank to the US federal government for having three branches: lending, spending and giving. (playful) — 00:00:01 · Bank of Nerdfighteria

00:00:16 — Lending branch: the Nerdfighter Kiva group, 49,000 members, $6.3 million loaned, $25 loans, 99% repayment

• ★★★ John says more than 49,000 members of the Nerdfighter Kiva group have loaned more than $6.3 million to developing-world entrepreneurs, the second largest group of all time on Kiva. — 00:00:18 · Bank of Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John says Kiva loans can be as small as $25 to an entrepreneur of your choice, with a 99% chance of repayment, playfully likening it to a savings account at -1% interest. (playful) — 00:00:25

00:00:39 — Spending arm: Crash Course and SciShow funded by voluntary Patreon subscriptions, now sustainable; perks

• ★★★ John says Crash Course and SciShow are primarily supported not by advertising but by voluntary Patreon subscriptions from those who can afford it, so others watch free. — 00:00:41 · Crash Course, SciShow, online advertising
• ★★★ John tells Hank that although many said Patreon funding would never work, it is working great: Crash Course and SciShow are now fully sustainable thanks to Patreon. — 00:00:55 · Crash Course, SciShow
• ★★ John says the brothers hope to expand both Crash Course and SciShow in 2016, and thanks supporters. (hedged) — 00:01:00 · Crash Course, SciShow
• ★ John points to cool perks for supporting the shows on Patreon, with a link in the description. — 00:01:07

00:01:11 — Giving arm: the ninth Project for Awesome, Indiegogo launch tonight, Foundation to Decrease World Suck, matched first half for Save the Children and UNHCR, voting, making videos, 48-hour livestream

• ★★★ John announces the ninth annual Project for Awesome starts Friday at noon Eastern, with fundraising starting at midnight via an Indiegogo with perks, 100% going to the Foundation to Decrease World Suck. — 00:01:12 · Project for Awesome, Indiegogo, Foundation to Decrease World Suck, world suck
• ★★ John says the Foundation to Decrease World Suck has no overhead: everyone volunteers, and it only distributes money raised during the P4A and the rest of the year to charities. — 00:01:32 · Foundation to Decrease World Suck, Project for Awesome, world suck
• ★★★ John says the P4A's first half raises money for Save the Children and the UNHCR, matched by $350,000 from Save the Children donors plus $250,000 from Hank and John. — 00:01:41 · Save the Children, Project for Awesome, Hank Green · also in: The Refugee Crises: Project for Awesome 2015
• ★★ John says the second half raises money for charities chosen by viewers, who from Friday can watch P4A videos and vote at projectforawesome.com. — 00:01:59 · Project for Awesome, Nerdfighteria
• ★★ John urges viewers who feel strongly about a charity to make a Project for Awesome video for it, saying such videos can win lots of money every year. — 00:02:12 · Project for Awesome
• ★★ John announces a 48-hour P4A livestream with Hank, himself and many YouTubers, the one time of year his kids are likely to cover his face in Sharpie. — 00:02:28 · Project for Awesome, Hank Green, Sharpie Face, Henry Green, Alice Green

00:02:42 — The Foundation already has $80,000, mostly from Nerdcrafteria and Vlogbrothers ad revenue

• ★★ John says the Foundation already has $80,000 before P4A starts, mostly from Nerdcrafteria and Vlogbrothers ad revenue, half of which sponsors online educational projects and half goes to the Foundation. — 00:02:42 · Foundation to Decrease World Suck, Vlogbrothers, online advertising, Project for Awesome

00:03:01 — Sign-off: questions in comments; John's P4A video on Friday and Hank's videos next Tuesday and Friday

• ★★ John tells Hank he will also appear on Friday, since it is his year to make a P4A video; to even things out he will see Hank next Tuesday (15 December 2015) and next Friday (11 December 2015). — 00:03:10 · Project for Awesome, Hank Green

Threads in this video

• milestone · Bank of Nerdfighteria: the Nerdfighters' Kiva lending team — John reports the Nerdfighter Kiva group has more than 49,000 members who have loaned more than $6.3 million, the second largest group of all time on Kiva. (00:00:18)
• reminder · John asks Nerdfighters to make loans through Kiva.org (2007) — John tells viewers they can make Kiva loans of as little as $25 to an entrepreneur of their choice, with a link in the description. (00:00:25)
• reminder · John asks viewers who value and can afford it to support Crash Course and SciShow on Patreon (2015) — John says people who value Crash Course and SciShow and can afford it can support them on Patreon, which has perks. (00:00:48)
• restate · How should online creators be paid: ads, sponsorships, paywalls or direct audience support? — John holds up voluntary Patreon subscriptions instead of advertising as working great: Crash Course and SciShow are now fully sustainable. (00:00:55)
• rule change · P4A 2015 edition — John sets out P4A 2015: starts Friday at noon Eastern, Indiegogo fundraising from midnight with 100% to the Foundation, first half for Save the Children and UNHCR with matching, second half for charities chosen by votes. (00:01:12)
• promised · John and Hank: match $250,000 of P4A 2015 first-half donations (2015) — John says he and Hank are going to match another $250,000 of P4A 2015 first-half donations. (00:01:49)
• reminder · John asks viewers to donate to P4A 2015 through its Indiegogo, with first-half donations matched (2015) — John tells viewers every dollar they donate during the first half of P4A 2015 will be matched. (00:01:55)
• reminder · John asks viewers to watch and vote for P4A 2015 videos at projectforawesome.com (2015) — John tells viewers that from Friday they can watch P4A videos and vote for favorites at projectforawesome.com so Nerdfighteria picks the charities. (00:02:03)
• reminder · Hank invites viewers to make P4A 2015 videos for their favorite charities (2015) — John urges viewers who feel strongly about a charity to make a P4A video for it. (00:02:12)
• reminder · Hank asks viewers to join the P4A 2015 livestream (2015) — John says the link to the 48-hour livestream will always be at projectforawesome.com. (00:02:34)
• callback · John's Sharpie Face: answering questions with Sharpie drawn on his face (2012) — John calls the P4A livestream the one time of year his kids are likely to cover his face in Sharpie. (00:02:38)
• milestone · P4A 2015 edition — John reports the Foundation to Decrease World Suck already has $80,000 before P4A 2015 starts, mostly from Nerdcrafteria and Vlogbrothers ad revenue. (00:02:42)
• milestone · Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) — John says the Foundation to Decrease World Suck already has $80,000 before the 2015 Project for Awesome, mostly from Nerdcrafteria and vlogbrothers ad revenue, half of which sponsors online educational projects. (00:02:42)
• promised · John: post his P4A 2015 video on Friday, December 11 (2015) — John tells Hank he will also post on Friday (11 December 2015) because it is his year to make a P4A video. (00:03:10)
• milestone · SciShow: launch of Hank's science channel (2011) — John tells Hank that although many said Patreon funding would never work, it is working great: Crash Course and SciShow are now fully sustainable thanks to Patreon. (00:00:55)
• progress update · John: keep Nerdfighters up to date on how the vlogbrothers pre-roll money is spent (2014) — John says the Foundation already has $80,000 before P4A starts, mostly from Nerdcrafteria and Vlogbrothers ad revenue, half of which sponsors online educational projects and half goes to the Foundation. (00:02:42)

Where the stories that moved here went next

• P4A 2015 edition — completed; last: outcome, 2016-11-01
• John: keep Nerdfighters up to date on how the vlogbrothers pre-roll money is spent (2014) — open (updates through 2026, not reported done); last: progress update, 2026-10-09
• John and Hank: match $250,000 of P4A 2015 first-half donations (2015) — the project it belongs to reported its result; last: promised, 2015-12-08
• John: post his P4A 2015 video on Friday, December 11 (2015) — kept
• Vlogbrothers pre-roll ads and the Vlogbrothers Creator Grants (2014) — running; last: looked back, 2026-10-09
• SciShow: launch of Hank's science channel (2011) — running; last: looked back, 2026-05-22
• Bank of Nerdfighteria: the Nerdfighters' Kiva lending team — running; last: looked back, 2024-01-16

Mentioned

Central: Bank of Nerdfighteria · Foundation to Decrease World Suck · Project for Awesome

Also: People: Alice Green · Henry Green

Projects: Crash Course · SciShow

Organizations: Federal government of the United States · Indiegogo · Kiva · Patreon · Save the Children · UNHCR

Terms: doobly-doo · Sharpie Face

Concepts: crowdfunding · microfinance · online advertising

Only in the description or credits: Nerdcrafteria

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