Support ICE Tea Tools
How to sustain ICE Tea Tools through community funding and help grow its network of pods, volunteers, and Dispatch Admins.
Support ICE Tea Tools
Info
ICE Tea Tools is a community-powered alert, verification, and response network that helps people spot, track, and respond to ICE and law enforcement activity.
We don’t rely on the state — we build our own systems.
To keep the network running and allow full-time coordinators and Dispatch Admins to focus on training, outreach, and scaling, we need $3,000 per month as a survival baseline, with any additional support going directly into growing the network, not salaries.
Why We’re Raising Funds
- Families face raids, harassment, and intimidation every day.
- Most people don’t know their rights or can’t organize fast enough when threats appear.
- Existing tools are centralized, corporate, or leave vulnerable people behind.
ICE Tea Tools fills that gap — but scaling this to cover more regions takes dedicated time, training, and resources.
What It Actually Costs to Live in Olympia, WA
Olympia is not cheap, with housing and transportation well above the national average. Based on current averages (Payscale.com):
| Expense | Monthly Estimate |
|---|---|
| Median Rent | $1,847 |
| Energy Bill | $187.90 |
| Phone Bill | $177.11 |
| Gas (50 gallons @ $4.17) | $209 |
| Groceries (basic staples) | ~$500 (+5% markup) |
| Healthcare (average visits & Rx) | ~$300 |
| Transportation (car upkeep, bus, insurance) | ~$350 (+29% markup) |
| Miscellaneous (clothing, emergencies, buffer) | ~$500 |
Estimated Monthly Survival Total: ~$3,800–$5,000/month (before taxes or savings).
While $3,000/month keeps the lights on, reaching $5,000/month allows us to cover real costs without crisis.
Anything beyond $5,000 isn’t for salaries — it fuels network growth.
Funding Tiers
-
Baseline Survival: $3,000/month
Keeps ICE Tea Tools online, supports one Admin, and launches 1–3 pods per month. -
Stability: $5,000/month
Covers Olympia survival costs with a small buffer, while allowing for consistent pod launches and outreach. -
Growth Beyond $5,000/month
Extra funds go toward:- Launching more pods each month
- Printing multi-language flyers and emergency cards
- Subsidizing Starter Kits for low-income or high-risk pods
- Building a regional team (part-time Dispatch Admins, tech support, and training staff) so the network can scale sustainably.
How Funds Are Used
Core Tech Infrastructure
- Hosting, mapping tools (Leaflet), databases (Supabase), and backend for Watch, Dispatch, and the Academy (currently $100/month at minimal use).
Community Training & Certification
- Expanding ICE Tea Academy with multi-language, accessible courses so more people can step up.
Launching Local Pods
- Starter Kits to get pods running in new areas, equipped to recruit, organize, and respond.
Paid Dispatch Admins
- Coordinators who run Dispatch, onboard new pods, and ensure volunteers are trained and ready.
Dispatch Admin Growth Roadmap
Phase 1: Core Launch – $3,000/month (Survival)
- Fund one full-time Dispatch Admin (core coordinator) at a bare minimum level.
- Keeps Watch, Dispatch, and Academy running.
- Launches 2 new pods per month.
- Onboards 50+ new volunteers monthly.
Phase 2: Stable Operations – $5,000/month
- Covers actual Olympia survival costs without constant financial strain.
- Supports consistent pod launches, volunteer training, and tech upgrades.
Phase 3: Regional Expansion – Beyond $5,000/month
Funds beyond core survival pay for:
- 2–4 part-time Regional Dispatch Admins ($1,500/month each).
- 1 Academy/Training Coordinator ($2,000/month).
- 1 Tech Support (part-time) ($1,000/month).
This supports ~15–20 states, 50+ pods, and hundreds of trained volunteers.
What a Pod Starter Kit Includes
Each new pod (2–10 people) receives:
Physical Materials
- 500 Know Your Rights flyers (QR codes for Watch/Dispatch).
- Tabling basics (signage, laminated info sheets, clipboards).
- Pod contact cards (customizable).
- Emergency hotline list template (legal/mutual aid).
- Outreach banner (“Join Your Local Community Defense Pod”).
- Optional radio kit (2 handhelds).
- Stickers/buttons for visibility.
Digital Resources
- Pod Creator Mentor in ICE Tea Academy (training on organizing, tech setup, and security).
- Recruitment and onboarding templates.
- Guides for setting up Signal groups and hotlines.
Cost per Pod Kit:
- $500 – Standard kit for 5–10 volunteers.
- $1,000 – Includes radios, banner, and full tabling campaign.
How Your Support Helps
One-Time Donations
- $25 – Prints 500 flyers for pods.
- $50 – Keeps Watch, Dispatch, and Academy online for 1 month.
- $100 – Supplies 1 new pod with outreach basics.
- $250 – Funds a community tabling campaign.
- $500 – Launches a new pod with full materials and training.
- $1,000 – Expands coverage regionally (2 pods + dispatch training).
Monthly Support
- $5/month – Offsets basic server costs.
- $10/month – Funds mapping and database tools for one region.
- $25/month – Provides flyers for 2 pods every month.
- $50/month – Helps launch 1 new pod every two months.
- $100/month – Supports survival-level funding for a coordinator.
- $250/month – Sponsors a regional program (tech, pods, outreach, training).
- Above $500/month – Directly funds network expansion (new pods, regional staff, and subsidized Starter Kits).
Join Us
Your contribution isn’t charity — it’s community self-defense.
Together, we can make sure no one faces ICE or state violence alone.
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