PEERS 2022 Annual Report
"Thank you for all you've done to push humanity in the right direction. I've been inspired by many of the articles you post. It's not only made me a better journalist but a better person. And I'm perhaps just one out of a thousand who takes the time to write.” ~~ Byron C. in Australia, Jan. 14, 2022
PEERS (Public Education and Empowerment Resource Service) was officially incorporated in January of 2006 as a nonprofit umbrella organization for the 13 websites focused on education and transformation now under its management. In keeping with the desire to create a new paradigm for our world, everything offered by PEERS is free of charge. We are able to survive and even thrive thanks to the many generous donations of our supporters and volunteers.
As of the end of 2022, PEERS has provided inspiration and education to many millions of caring people around the globe for 17 years. Over this time, we are thrilled to have received a cumulative total of over 33 million visits to our websites. PEERS continues to touch countless people's hearts and make a difference in our world in a most meaningful way.
2022 was a challenging year with a wonderful bright spot for PEERS. Financially, the amount of donations we received was the lowest in years, as was the number of visits to our websites. The bright spot, is that thanks to last year's large donation, we hired the amazingly skilled Amber Yang who is now working with us full time and providing fresh new ideas which will no doubt bear fruit in the coming year. This is the first time we've been able to hire more than one employee in 15 years.
The total income of PEERS in 2022 was $49,053, the lowest since 2011. The number of visits to our websites dropped 26%% compared to 2021, continuing a downward trend since 2013, when the PEERS websites received 10,000 visits a day. In this past year, we received a total of only 590,000 visits, averaging about 1,600 visits a day for the year. Sadly, this is our lowest number of visits since 2006. The reason for this is mostly that Google has pushed smaller and alternative websites like ours ever further down their search lists since 2013, and the large majority of our visits come from Google searches. We hope with last year's large donation to find ways to reverse that trend.
The number of subscribers to our two email lists increased slightly over the year by about 20, so that we now have about 16,500 subscribers from over 160 countries.
“Your newsletters are the very best of their kind. I'm very pleased I'm able to help to keep them going. Such a tremendous service — I always try to recruit new subscribers. ~~ Jordan P. with a $1,000 donation, Aug. 4, 2022
"Eternal gratitude for bringing us so much knowledge, which helps us understand what our purpose in life is here on earth." ~~ Terezinha, Dec. 29, 2022
The total number of donors to PEERS dropped slightly from 475 to 460 this year. The number of supporters giving monthly contributions dropped only 2% to 143, while the total donated monthly increased 1% to $1,990 per month. Yet thanks to last year's major donation, we still have a very healthy $306,000 in the bank at the end of the year, Despite the drop in numbers, PEERS continues to be on very solid financial footing, enabling us to step up even more in making a difference in many people's lives and in our world.
PEERS Websites
The large decrease in number of website visits was felt on all of our websites. Compared with 2021, WantToKnow.info, experienced a decrease of 28% in the number of visits in 2022, with 361,000 visits to the site (about 1,000 visits a day). Even so, since 2006 WantToKnow.info has received over 24 million visits and continues to educate and empower hundreds of people worldwide every day.
"This website is beyond incredible. Thank you for your work and commitment in bringing out the truth.“ ~~ Teodora P., on signing up for a $100/month contribution on WantToKnow.info, Feb. 27, 2022
"You guys are truly unsung heroes. You are doing the job journalists should be doing, but they wouldn't be willing to ostracise themselves by doing so. You have put your own reputations on the line and sacrificed many worldly treasures to be on the side of good. And for that you are truly wealthy." ~~ Wayne M. on WantToKnow.info, Oct. 13, 2022
Our second and third most popular sites also had significant losses. The Personal Growth Courses website decreased by 31% to 113,000 visits for the year, while the Web of Love website dropped 28% down to 17,000 visits. That said, the PEERS websites continue to make a difference in people's lives. We regularly receive wonderfully supportive and grateful feedback on our websites, email lists, and online courses. Here is one more of the many wonderful emails of support we received this year.
"I applied myself very single-mindedly to the breathing sacred love exercise because I was motivated by an important relationship, and it was at a turning point. After a while of really good focus on the beautiful duality of the words, they started changing to those of nonduality, and I experienced a nondual union with the person I'd been thinking of. It led to a wonderful meeting of minds, and a whole new beginning." ~~ Vimala on the Web of Love website, Feb. 13, 2022
“You are playing a big part in helping turn this big ship around that we're all sailing along on, so that we head in a better, more peaceful, compassionate direction towards Love and away from fear. " ~~ Ed. C., Aug. 13, 2022
The wonderful bright spot of 2022 was the hiring of the incredibly talented Amber Yang in August. She's largely been in training since her hiring and getting up to speed on all that we cover. Yet with awesome Internet and design skills, a deep spiritual base, and a beautiful optimism, we have no doubt she will be an invaluable asset to our team. She's planning to develop a solutions hub next year and set up a video interview section, among other things. It's so wonderful that last year's big donation made hiring Amber possible.
The Personal Growth Courses
Since the launch our first online course in 2007, 349 individuals have now registered and completed one of our four free courses, while thousands more have done so without registering. Though only five people completed a course in 2022, almost every registered participant gives glowing reviews upon completion of a course. As registration is not required to take a course, we calculate from website statistics that 30 or more unregistered individuals completed a course in this last year, and many hundreds engaged in one or more of the fascinating lessons available free of charge.
"The Transformation Course questioned the lines that shaped the inherited cultural-social boxes I’ve been unconsciously operating from. This process invited both my heart and mind to create my own shape – a shape that makes space for questioning authority and thinking for myself. Yet most importantly, a shape that makes space for what’s possible when it comes to human goodness and potential. I feel evermore inspired to align my activism with narratives that seek connection, and not polarization or division. What a profound service this course is!" ~~ Amber Y. on the Transformation Course, Dec. 2022
Another indicator of the value of these free courses is the donations given by course participants. We are happy to offer these courses free of charge, so those in challenging financial circumstances can reap the benefits. Yet what a gift that nearly half of those who complete a course choose to give a donation, and the average donation is over $200. 12 participants have contributed $1,000 or more to PEERS after completing a course. Three generous individuals have even donated over $10,000. We are overjoyed to receive such generosity in response to these empowering courses.
PEERS Finances
As mentioned above, it's been a challenging year for PEERS financially. 97% of our income came in the form of donations from generous supporters. The remaining 3% came from dividends on our savings. Five individuals gave donations of $1,000 or more, down noticeably from recent years with a significant difference in that we had no donations over $2,000. Our total income was $49,053.
Our total expenses for 2022 were $129,752. Expenses were so much more than income as the abundance in our bank account from last year's big donation enabled us to hire a new employee, Amber Yang, thereby greatly increasing our expenditures. We feel this was money very well invested, as Amber brings a bright new energy and wonderful expertise to the PEERS team.
About 90% of our expenses last year went to two employees and three contractors of PEERS plus one gentleman we hired from the Netherlands for a few months, but his English unfortunately was not up to par, for a cost of $9,971. $59,333 was paid to Executive Director Fred Burks in salary (plus $3,813 in government taxes). Amber Yang received $20,475 in wages (plus $1,642 in taxes). Mark Bailey did an great job with our weekly news summaries, for which he was compensated a total of $17,370. Tech whiz Andrey was paid $1,688 for his invaluable help. Donald was paid $1,548 for his work on Google Ads. He continues to take advantage of $10,000 in free ads offered by Google to nonprofits. This has resulted in an impressive increase of over 220 visits a day this year.
The remaining expenses were $2,982 for Internet and email expenses, $2,179 to PayPal and Stripe (Donorbox) for the small percentage they take to process online donations, $577 in government taxes and fees, $844 for our payroll service, $1,451 for office supplies and newspaper and magazine subscriptions, and $122 in bank fees. We made one donation to another nonprofit of $4,800 fulfilling the request of last year's major donor. We believe the total expenses of $129,752 is a small amount for the services we provide.
To see the QuickBooks form listing profit and loss figures for PEERS in fiscal year 2022, click here. For the PEERS balance sheet as of the end of 2022, click here.
The statements at the above links were prepared without official audit of our books and records, though they have been carefully reviewed by Executive Director Fred Burks and were examined and certified by Treasurer John Lumiere-Wins. PEERS ended the year with liabilities of $3,233 resulting from payroll taxes not due until January 2023. All donations were unrestricted. Largely due to hiring a new employee, we had a net loss for 2022 of $80,699. We are extremely grateful to our big donor last year whose awesome generosity will support us in further developing for at least the next few years.
"Please know that both my wife and I love what you are doing to bring light into the darkness of our world. In our minds you are true light-workers, as we also try to be." ~~ Bob B., Mar. 22, 2022
Transforming Our World Together With You
Our world is rapidly changing and transforming, especially in these COVID times. People around the globe are waking up and wanting to make a difference. And people all over are awakening to deeper spiritual realities and to our common humanity. Though at times it can be quite daunting and even depressing, in other ways it's an exciting time to be alive!
PEERS is at the forefront of a grand movement to transform our world into a more caring and loving place for all people to live. Thanks so much to all involved with PEERS for your invaluable support in this most noble endeavor. Even with all of the uncertainty ahead, we enter this new year of 2023 with full hope at the possibilities of ever greater transformation of our world through our great work and that of our supporters and so many others who are coming together for the betterment of all in our world.
"Happy to know you're out there finding a heart-full way past the polarity while standing firm in your values and looking the truth straight in the eye.” ~~ Sarah M, Mar. 14, 2022
Note: To read other messages of deep appreciation for our work, click here and here. And we'd be thrilled if you are inspired to make a donation to support our work. To do so, please click here.
PEERS 2022 Annual Report
Compiled and Written By
Fred Burks
PEERS Executive Director
The PEERS empowerment network
"Dedicated to the greatest good of all who share our beautiful world"
