Join in the way that fits your current capacity.
Excelsior Ideas organizes participation around two tracks: Members (action) and Supporters (donors). You can be one, the other, or both. Basic membership is the only real action-track option right now — we describe what is live today and what opens later.
Overview
Healthy organizations need readers who engage seriously, members who contribute effort when pathways exist, and supporters who help sustain the work financially. Excelsior Ideas is still early in its development. Some options below are available now in basic form. Others are future-stage roles that will open as structure, staffing, and systems mature.
We are building step by step — and we think trust starts with honesty about where we are.
Member vs Supporter
| Member (action track) | Supporter (donor track) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it means | Stay connected to the mission and take part through reading, sharing, and action as pathways open. | Provide financial support at a level that fits your capacity. |
| What is available now | Basic membership — follow the work, stay informed, and take action steps we publish. | Gifts accepted through The Forest and Trees while Excelsior Ideas donor infrastructure is in transition. |
| What is not live yet | Formal volunteer programs, leadership tracks, issue advocacy teams, and think-tank roles. | Stripe giving, recurring tiers, and tax-deductible receipts through Excelsior Ideas directly. |
| Can you do both? | Yes. Many people will begin in one track and grow into the other over time. | |
What you can do now
As a Member
- Basic membership (available now): Read and share our analysis, follow Act This Week priorities, and take the action steps in our articles and video companions.
- Stay connected: Subscribe for updates as we publish new campaigns and action guides.
As a Supporter
Financial support helps sustain writing, analysis, and platform development. While Excelsior Ideas completes organizational and banking setup for direct giving (including Stripe), support can be accepted through The Forest and Trees.
Important: Support given through The Forest and Trees is not tax-deductible as a contribution to Excelsior Ideas. We state that plainly so you can give with clear expectations.
If you would like to support the work now, contact us and we will point you to the best available option.
What will open later
As the organization grows, we intend to add clearer pathways — honestly labeled when they become real, not before.
- Member pathways (future-stage): Volunteer roles, leadership functions, issue-specific advocacy teams, and research contributors as programs and staffing develop.
- Supporter pathways (future-stage): Recurring giving tiers through Excelsior Ideas, Stripe checkout, and formal financial transparency as a standalone organization.
We will update this page when new pathways open. We will not imply they are live before they are.
Financial transparency
Excelsior Ideas is an emerging organization. We do not yet have the full donor infrastructure of a mature nonprofit. Until that is in place:
- Support may be routed through The Forest and Trees as an interim channel.
- That support is not tax-deductible as a gift to Excelsior Ideas.
- Direct giving through Excelsior Ideas — with clear receipts and tiers — will come after organizational and banking setup, including Stripe integration.
We are grateful for support at any level. We also believe trust requires saying plainly what we can and cannot offer yet.