About
Ploddings (est. 2018) is a non-profit educational resource, focused on American early blues & folk styles for stringed-instruments. It incentivises membership fees, where 100% of proceeds are alotted to & managed by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund For Blues & Justice.
i) Partnership with Mt. Zion Memorial Fund
Since 2023, Ploddings is proudly partnered with the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund, led by Dr. T. DeWayne Moore.
Their work includes: (i) the erection of tombstones for musicians such as Belton Sutherland, Bo Carter, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Memphis Minnie, Sam Chatmon, Elmore James, Charley Patton, and Frank Stokes; (ii) the preservation of historical sites; and (iii) the creation of memorials such as the Mississippi John Hurt museum.
How Payments/Donations are Processed
100% of membership fees on Ploddings are controlled by the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund organization as charitable donations*. To be specific, their bank account is attached to & directly receives all Stripe payments on Ploddings; therefore, no middle-man handling of payments/donations exists. The custodian of Ploddings is Blah148.
*For citizens of the USA, that means Ploddings membership fees are tax-deductible, as the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund has public charity status approved by the IRS per section 170(b)(1)(A)(vi) of the IRC.
ii) How Subscriptions Work
Users of Ploddings may sign-up for a $5-per-month subscription fee, representing a donation to the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund account. Each successful payment dispenses 2 unlock tokens, where 1 token can unlock 1 song.
After unlocking a song, 2 additional features are granted. The ability to:
- Download a PDF of the transcription, and
- Use the slow-downer / pitch-shifter tool.
Token Policy
All tokens on Ploddings are:
- Non-refundable
- Do not expire
iii) More Information
Still have questions? For general inquiries, user support, or comments please reach out via the Ploddings contact page. To learn more about the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund, its current endeavors, how to volunteer, or its relationship with Ploddings, please get in touch via their website.