Receipts (kinda blurry)
Added 2025-01-26 00:10:46 +0000 UTCMost of them - because I already had recurring donations set up for the People's Resource Center and Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry, I didn't get receipts that I've changed my monthly payment amount. I'll provide them in a later update.
And to be clear - this is something I genuinely want to do!
The purpose of formally making it a policy and doing this out in the open is both to keep me accountable and so you can know the ways you're helping my local community (and the broader Internet community, too). I truly hope that brings you the same joy it brings me!
-Alec
Comments
The most ethically balanced YouTuber.
Steven Williams
2025-06-14 15:38:14 +0000 UTCI agree that volunteering in your own community tends to make the biggest impact, but I'm skeptical that the same is true of monetary donations. Through an organization like GiveDirectly you can send unconditional cash transfers to people earning under $3/day, many of whom use the money to fulfill basic needs like housing and sending their children to school. While poverty exists in rich countries too, the impact one can have per dollar is lessened by aid recipients having more money to start off and living in a part of the world with a higher cost of living.
Dylan Mahoney
2025-02-24 04:49:54 +0000 UTCI’m in grad school to become a teacher right now and doing a full time unpaid teaching internship (isn’t that fun) but I had to subscribe when I saw you post about doing this. 🩷
Nicole Regan
2025-02-22 19:02:14 +0000 UTCI’m not Alec and I cannot speak for him. I am however a community activist in my area and can tell you that donating and volunteering in your own community tends to make the biggest impact. National charities are great and important (he donates to the Trevor project too) BUT your dollars will always go further in a local charity. National work is important but it’s also important that we all take action in our areas to tend our own metaphorical gardens. Local community work build strong resilient communities that are less vulnerable to outside influences.
Nicole Regan
2025-02-22 18:58:08 +0000 UTCI just upgraded because of this
Timothy Tasse
2025-02-21 17:59:31 +0000 UTCIt’s really awesome of you to make such a tangible commitment to improving the lives of others! But why do you prefer to support geographically close charities?
Dylan Mahoney
2025-02-01 23:28:15 +0000 UTC(don't though)
Fab
2025-02-01 00:14:20 +0000 UTCStop being such a nice person.
Fab
2025-02-01 00:13:50 +0000 UTCThank you Alec! Subscribed as soon as I saw what you are doing for people in need.
Giuseppe Talarico
2025-01-28 22:48:49 +0000 UTCGood on you mate! Of course this is timely with what's going to happen over the next four years, especially to certain groups of people.
Andrew Mmmm
2025-01-28 10:29:47 +0000 UTC##OrgName## in image #5 is my favorite. (Seriously though, this is awesome. Thank you for doing this!)
Adam Rosenfield
2025-01-27 04:37:42 +0000 UTCYou are a true role model. We are in desperate need of more of those these days!
Jon Snyder
2025-01-27 00:39:41 +0000 UTCI think what you are doing is great. When you are looking at your expenses, be sure to include putting back something as an emergency fund. You never know when you might need this.
Robert McCullough
2025-01-26 23:11:03 +0000 UTCThank you for all the donations but the Center on Halsted and Trevor Project specifically. The LGBT+ community needs all the help it can get, especially right now.
Ennex The Fox
2025-01-26 22:39:00 +0000 UTCI realize you're probably not forgetting to save up retirement and just general "life sucks but why should mine" funds, but if you have forgotten those you may want to slightly adjust. However, I love the donation of excess to local services. This is what I like to see with people.
Nicolas Pereira
2025-01-26 21:42:49 +0000 UTCThis is an incredibly thoughtful idea. Thank you, Alec!!
Ram Rangaswamy
2025-01-26 21:32:47 +0000 UTC"half of the population", at least of people who voted. Nearly 40% of eligible voters didn't vote in the last presidential election. Lots of people are just apathetic, and aren't left or right.
Danny Walsh
2025-01-26 17:42:15 +0000 UTCAlec, you are a true example of what is possible if you have compassion, and act on it....more power to your elbow.
Al Mack
2025-01-26 16:04:27 +0000 UTCSo you really are just the best kind of person. If more people were as generous and conscientious as yourself, the world would be a much brighter place.
Isaac Clarke
2025-01-26 15:58:45 +0000 UTCI love your videos, but THIS is why I upgraded to a paid membership. You sir, are an inspiration.
Richie Brian
2025-01-26 15:52:58 +0000 UTCHow extremely positive
Roja
2025-01-26 13:58:31 +0000 UTCYou rock Alec, I work with some of the lovely people at Center on Halsted, they will definitely appreciate the donations. Keep on being awesome!
NatTheCat
2025-01-26 12:38:56 +0000 UTCThis is wonderful, thanks for the transparency and the incredible initiative!
Dries
2025-01-26 11:07:25 +0000 UTCTl;dr: thank you - this is wonderful and unexpectedly joyful, especially at this time! Long version: I want to make it very clear that the reason for supporting you (and other content creators on YouTube who happen to be middle-aged men in the USA) is the content, specifically the fun you give me learning something new or getting a different point of view about things such as laserdisc, electromechanical jukeboxes, the right color for LED-based Christmas lights, or, of course, the refrigeration cycle. I think people putting so much time into making such wonderful videos deserve to make a living. Still, in the last ten years or so there has always been a worrying aspect to this - knowing that half of the population in countries such as the USA, and more of that among the group of middle-aged men, actively support political views that sharply collide with my own and that threaten the country and the world, inevitably led to the question of “what kind of people am I supporting?” You have always kept politics out of your videos (which is, I think, the right thing to do). Things like your focus on sustainability (like the practicability of heating with heat pumps even in the Chicago winter) and electromobility (where I chuckled about the “situation for an EV road trip if you don’t have a Tesla”) have made it clear that you don’t belong to the kind of people who think it’s fine to watch the word literally burn - but still, for some reason it made me feel extremely good when I saw what kind of organizations you are supporting. So, again, thank you, and I’m looking forward to more stuff about how technology can make the world a place where we all can live for a long time to come!
Andreas Trottmann
2025-01-26 10:26:08 +0000 UTCGenuinely was very excited to tell my partners about this today, when the world is so exhausting and destructive lately, to have someone I already respect a lot step up and do something like this is just... uplifting in many many ways, especially emotionally.
Boo Rider
2025-01-26 10:15:20 +0000 UTCYou are a wonderful human being, Alec. Thank you.
SignalEleven
2025-01-26 10:04:04 +0000 UTCThe amount of research, production time and general quality that goes into your videos reflects how much of a genuine person you are. The money generated from patreon should always go to you first because you deserve it Alec. I love how you are donating it to charities but make sure you have plenty to spare. These reciepts just show how genuine you are. With all the bad stuff going on with people in the US right now, that money is gonna help people a lot. Thank you for creating some of the best and factually correct videos I have ever watched. From me (a random guy on the interwebz) thank you!
Calum Griffiths
2025-01-26 09:08:13 +0000 UTCTruly a heart of gold! Thank you for sharing this with us and including us in your joy. Your success is well deserved!!
Enrique Osorio
2025-01-26 09:05:18 +0000 UTCI'm happy to indirectly help your local community. Don't see the need for receipts or accountability though, it's YOUR money. You've worked for it so by all means spend it how you like. Giving some to charity is still a very nice thing to do of course! 😎
Frans
2025-01-26 08:40:31 +0000 UTCI really like that you made your contributions public. I also really like your selection of organizations to gift to, for me personally the EFF and archive.org stand out as especially good choices. I can't speak for the choice of lokal groups as a non us citizen, but given your diligence with research I'm sure this is the optimal decision right now!
Rayelhero
2025-01-26 07:43:04 +0000 UTC👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
MrHammond
2025-01-26 07:37:16 +0000 UTCThat's wonderful.
Primm Slim
2025-01-26 06:17:48 +0000 UTCWow. Super admirable!
Justin Joanknecht
2025-01-26 05:21:13 +0000 UTCI used to live in Chicago so I recognize some of these names! Thanks for all you do Alec :)
jar jar
2025-01-26 03:50:16 +0000 UTCOn behalf of myself, and my LGBT friends, thanks for donating to Center on Halsted and The Trevor Project. It is a an encouraging bit of light that some of us sorely need to see.
Kevin Mitchell
2025-01-26 03:14:23 +0000 UTCI really don't need to see receipts - you're a trustworthy fellow.
Alan Holland
2025-01-26 03:04:27 +0000 UTCIf anyone gets offended at your choices and goes all like “UGH! UNSUBSCRIBE!” please let us know and we’ll donate more to them (through you). 😁
Colin Cogle
2025-01-26 02:49:14 +0000 UTCOh I don't even want to think about the paperwork involved to actually make that happen...
Technology Connections
2025-01-26 02:34:25 +0000 UTCI think this qualifies you as a non-profit.
RHüz
2025-01-26 02:02:00 +0000 UTCYour heart is as grand as your intelligence. Thank you for helping those in need!
Peter Roesler
2025-01-26 01:24:08 +0000 UTCThe sad part is you'll probably get some hate from inbreds living in trailer parks for some of these choices, but you're laughing all the way to the bank. Thanks for doing this!
Danny Walsh
2025-01-26 01:04:24 +0000 UTCAlec, much respect for all you do
Leah Swiler
2025-01-26 01:00:57 +0000 UTCHolmes would be funnier tho 😅
Jurgen Miseur
2025-01-26 00:52:55 +0000 UTC👏👏👏
Jurgen Miseur
2025-01-26 00:49:42 +0000 UTCAlec you're so real for that, what a great person you are!
Galena Spader
2025-01-26 00:45:31 +0000 UTCLove that these donations are to local organizations and for the local community. Got lots of friends and family in the area.
Andrew Hagler
2025-01-26 00:43:19 +0000 UTC#based
Morse Law
2025-01-26 00:39:55 +0000 UTCGood to see EFF on the list.
Patrick Wheeler
2025-01-26 00:32:51 +0000 UTCBe that TruTone LED beacon of hope!
Izzy the Bootblack
2025-01-26 00:31:26 +0000 UTCAlec, you are helping restore my faith in humanity
Rusty Eichblatt
2025-01-26 00:30:26 +0000 UTCAwesome! If you are ever looking for more spaces we always need support at www.scarleteen.com/contribute
Jacob Mirzaian
2025-01-26 00:28:25 +0000 UTCYou're truly a role model for all other YouTubers out there!
Timur Dudhasch
2025-01-26 00:25:16 +0000 UTCThey need these loving donations now more than ever. Thank you🫶🏻
Barbara Ganschow
2025-01-26 00:24:22 +0000 UTCI always love how he does the right thing 🙏
Cooper Schwartz
2025-01-26 00:24:12 +0000 UTCThese are GREAT choices. Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Alan Medsker
2025-01-26 00:22:28 +0000 UTCAlec, thank you for all the hard work you do to improve millions of lives globally (it seems hours of heat pump content is the only thing that can get me to sit down long enough to do any homework) and to then see your contributions help your local community must feel great. 🤎🤎
Fussy_ Llama
2025-01-26 00:22:27 +0000 UTCIt says something about me that as nice as these charities all are, the donation to the Internet Archive was the one that made me smile - they're doing God's work! 😄 But seriously, bless you for this.
Paul Coates
2025-01-26 00:18:32 +0000 UTCYou’re a good human.
ToastedNeurons
2025-01-26 00:17:48 +0000 UTCHaha! Misdirection
Anonymous
2025-01-26 00:17:26 +0000 UTCAlso I like how this makes it look like you think my last name is Halstead :)
Technology Connections
2025-01-26 00:17:07 +0000 UTCWow this is awesome, you are an amazing person!! Please dont give the money to flat earthers society like someone suggested, or perhaps do an episode which actually defunks their entire society :D
Tristar
2025-01-26 00:16:22 +0000 UTCThat I don't mind, but butterfingers over here left his email address visible
Technology Connections
2025-01-26 00:16:02 +0000 UTCOutstanding work. I joined blue a little while back and started following you and I’m even more impressed with the person you are then I was from just watching your amazing videos. Keep on being you Alec, we need more people like you in the world
Chuck Noonan
2025-01-26 00:15:10 +0000 UTCSo happy to support a channel that has a great mission.
Luke Hogan
2025-01-26 00:15:00 +0000 UTCMy gf and I absolutely love the tail light vid, as she's from Europe and loathes our lights.
Rob MacKenzie
2025-01-26 00:14:40 +0000 UTCHalstead
Anonymous
2025-01-26 00:14:19 +0000 UTCFYI, you've got your last name in one of them.
Anonymous
2025-01-26 00:13:58 +0000 UTCHot damn. You are very awesome
kn0tsin
2025-01-26 00:13:58 +0000 UTCYou're a star Alec. You deserve so much respect.
Rob MacKenzie
2025-01-26 00:13:54 +0000 UTCThis is fabulous Alec! Thanks for being genuinely awesome!
Ryan Pratt
2025-01-26 00:13:05 +0000 UTCVery cool of you.
Marlo Delfin Gonzales
2025-01-26 00:12:55 +0000 UTCVery cool
Nick Morgan
2025-01-26 00:12:11 +0000 UTC
