What on earth is going on at NaNoWriMo HQ? Here's a high level summary compiled by an anonymous community member.
Donation Derby
The Donation Derby was a fundraising competition between NaNoWriMo Regions that ran from 2009 to 2012 [1]. Staff member Emily Bristow ran the Derby.
Contests
There are two separate contests within the Donation Derby: highest total donations and biggest change in the average donations per Wrimo. Regions compete for these titles within their own leagues, and friendly competition is encouraged. The Donation Derby typically runs from midnight 31 October to midnight 30 November, Pacific Time. Winners are announced soon after December first.
For donations to count to your region, you must select that region as your home region and include your username (or the username of someone else homed with your region) when donating. Only donations made through the Donation Station or through check (include a valid username and home region) count toward the Donation Derby.
One region can win both competitions in their league, and it has happened multiple times. If no region in a league exceeds the average of the year prior, the winner is the region that comes closest to matching the previous year's average. In the event of a tie there, the winner is the region with the higher total donation in the current year.
Regions
Regions are assigned based on the number of active WriMos from the year prior who posted a wordcount. The regions are subject to change on a yearly basis, both because of an increase in the number of participants in a region and because NaNoWriMo staff tries to keep each region relatively balanced. For 2011, the regions were:
- League 1: Kodiak Bears = 400 homed+active and higher
- League 2: Siberian Tigers = 200-399 homed+active
- League 3: Komodo Dragons = 115-199 homed+active
- League 4: Wolverines = 55-114 homed+active
- League 5: Tasmanian Devils = 1-54 homed+active
- League 6: Badgers = regions that made no donations in the previous year, new regions, and all parts of a region that split into two or more regions, regardless of size
All leagues are set by November first each year. Region size may change over the course of November, but league assignment does not.
Prizes
Each winning region received:
- A personalized web badge to decorate blogs and regional websites
- A personal email from Headquarters
- Their region name on a plaque/trophy at HQ, plus photographic evidence of same.
- Public acknowledgment on the site
Prior Winners
2009
There was only one winner per league in 2009. Winners were based on average increase in donation:
- League 1 – USA :: New York :: New York City
- League 2 – USA :: California :: Elsewhere
- League 3 – Australia & New Zealand :: Canberra & the ACT
- League 4 – USA :: Georgia :: Augusta
- League 5 – USA :: South Carolina :: Spartanburg
- League 6 – USA :: Texas :: Longview
2010
Starting in 2010 winners were organized into two categories: increase in average donation and total donations.
Increase in average donation:
- League 1 – USA :: Georgia :: Atlanta
- League 2 – USA :: California :: SF Peninsula
- League 3 – USA :: California :: Santa Barbara
- League 4 – USA :: Washington :: Lewis County
- League 5 – USA :: Wyoming :: Casper
- League 6 – USA :: Wyoming :: Cody
Total donations:
- League 1 – USA :: Washington :: Seattle
- League 2 – USA :: California :: Orange County South
- League 3 – USA :: California :: Santa Barbara
- League 4 – USA :: Texas :: Longview
- League 5 – USA :: Pennsylvania :: Norristown
- League 6 – USA :: Wisconsin :: Kenosha/Racine
2011
Increase in average donation:
- League 1 – United States :: California :: San Francisco with a $3.81022 average increase
- League 2 – United States :: Alaska with a $4.39946 average increase
- League 3 – Canada :: Saskatchewan :: Regina with a $12.8375 average increase
- League 4 – Europe :: Ireland :: Elsewhere with a $24.4321 average increase
- League 5 – United States :: Florida :: Citrus County with a $7.01667 average increase
- League 6 – United States :: Louisiana :: Brimstone with a $20 average increase
Total donations:
- League 1 – United States :: Washington :: Seattle with $9210
- League 2 – United States :: Alaska with $2845
- League 3 – Canada :: Alberta :: Elsewhere with $1485
- League 4 – Europe :: Ireland :: Elsewhere with $2605
- League 5 – Canada :: Ontario :: Brantford-Norfolk with $385
- League 6 – United States :: California :: Los Angeles with $9245
2012
Increase in average donation:
- League 1 – United States :: California :: South Bay
- League 2 – Australia :: Adelaide
- League 3 – United States :: California :: Santa Cruz
- League 4 – United States :: South Dakota :: Black Hills
- League 5 – New Zealand :: Wairarapa
- League 6 – Canada :: Manitoba :: North
Total donations:
- League 1 – United States :: Washington :: Seattle
- League 2 – United States :: Alaska
- League 3 – United States :: California :: Santa Cruz
- League 4 – United States :: Kansas :: Topeka
- League 5 – Canada :: Prince Edward Island
- League 6 – Europe :: Sweden :: Stockholm