The Geek Initiative is an established website celebrating the contributions of women in geek culture. We're committed to equality and diversity in gender and race. We produce articles, blogs, and podcasts.

We're running this campaign to level up. We create engaging content ranging from fluffy features to the controversial and concerning. 

We enjoy highlighting a variety of people and projects, from cosplayers to TV shows to important fan films, other media projects, and indie games. We believe in supporting media that treats our geek culture with fairness and representation. 

While we do look critically at media, we believe in uplifting indie and mainstream entities who create and present progressive, realistic, and diverse characters. Most of our Indiegogo funds will directly pay our contributors for their work - because good work is worth it!

We're led by Senior Editor Tara M. Clapper, a professional geek with over a decade of experience in digital publishing. Learn about our editors and contributors here.

We have a press presence at multiple local conventions including New York Comic Con and Philadelphia Comic Con. In 2015 we hope to include more conventions in our press coverage lineup. 

We plan to spend this funding in the following ways:

• Indiegogo fee (4%-9% depending on funding achieved).

• $100 - Purchase of used Chromebook for East Coast convention coverage (we have been using this as a borrowed item, but must purchase it).
• $200 - $100 Ongoing tech support and future upgrades (WordPress theme tweaking, etc.). (We were able to barter services for tech support, freeing up more budget to pay contributors.)
• $550 or more - a starting budget to pay our writers, editors, and artists through April of 2015. This funding will tide us over until we launch our donation-based service to support our site. (Contact us with questions about this. TGI's content will always remain free.)
• Check out our perks to see how our specific rewards can benefit you.

Our contributors are actively involved in very important, groundbreaking cultural discussion read by industry influencers, young adults, and general consumers of media.

• We wish to provide positive examples of women in geek media.
• Through exposure, we have the power to support and uplift the contributions of women; to highlight and discuss female characters in the media we consume.
• We maintain a critical eye while looking forward to the future of diversity in pop culture media.
• Some of our contributors have never been published before. Our editorial team mentors them in a friendly electronic workspace. With your funding, we can pay them, too - because their ideas ARE worth rewarding.
• The Geek Initiative remains a feminist site - a haven for equality, NOT misandry. We welcome contributors of all backgrounds. 

Our website is already fully operational. Our ad revenue pays for hosting costs. We have faced some opposition in the past year as we do cover and critique video games, which has led to some potential threats and site outages. 

The worst thing that could happen is a major technical glitch BEFORE we raise the funds. That said, we meticulously back up the site many times per day.

We offer some pretty sweet perks. Ever want a LARP written just for you and your friends? If you're an author, you can take advantage of our professional editing services. 

Got a small business? Take a look at our advertising perks. 

Don't see something you want here? Just send us a request via the comment tool and we'll consider your perk suggestion.

Please consider contributing to help us out! If you are unable to make a financial commitment now, please share the link to this campaign to support us, and make sure you follow us. Like, share, and tweet our articles!

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