You may notice that the advertisements in the left sidebar we taken down last fall. This was done so that ISEOF could comply with the requirement that U.S. non-profits be primarily supported by contributions from the public.

To that end, readers are invited to support The Oil Drum by contributing to ISEOF via the PayPal "donate" button in the left sidebar. Below is a partial list of the expenses that reader contributions will cover:

• Advertising The Oil Drum to potential readers through various media
• Publicizing ISEOF/TOD research in the media
• Web server lease and maintenance
• Access to commercial databases for research purposes
• Travel to conferences to report on proceedings and present research
• Legal fees associated with obtaining and maintaining non-profit status

Keep in mind that The Oil Drum staff are completely volunteer. In other words, no staff member receives any monetary compensation for the work they do for The Oil Drum.

We understand that this is a tough time for many of you financially. If you can't give a monetary donation, you can still support us by continuing to leave insightful comments and telling your friends about us.

Please note that ISEOF's application for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) public charity is currently pending before the Internal Revenue Service. While we expect the application to be approved, in the event that it is denied, donations may not be tax deductible.