In the business world, this giving of thanks is also important — and for businesses in the adult entertainment industry, the folks they should be thankful for are the trade associations that support and defend their businesses, in Sacramento, Washington and beyond.
These groups, namely the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP) and the Free Speech Coalition (FSC), rely on the financial support of the adult industry to carry on their missions.
"ASACP's ability to protect children and help the adult industry protect their businesses is dependent on our sponsors and members," ASACP CEO Joan Irvine told XBIZ, "and we are pleased that we have been able to offer our supporters numerous benefits through our programs."
According to the association, ASACP has maintained a child pornography reporting hotline since 1996, which receives between 7,000 – 12,000 monthly reports; has provided Best Practices to the adult industry since 2002; and launched the Restricted to Adults (RTA) website label in 2006.
ASACP accomplishes all of this and more on a small budget and through the generous financial support of its sponsors, members, and volunteers. With consolidations in the industry and the economy, ASACP has experienced a dip in sponsorship and now truly needs the industry's help.
"Many people asked ASACP to establish a charity, so that in addition to their sponsorship and membership payments, they could donate money that would be a charitable tax-deductible gift," Irvine added. "We are pleased to announce that we have established the ASACP Foundation — a 501 c3 nonprofit!"
ASACP has created donation banners to encourage people to make the vital donations that will allow it to carry out its child protection mission. It is asking its supporters to include a donation banner on their websites and to ask their affiliates to do the same.
"Supporting ASACP has always been the right thing to do," Irvine concluded.
By supporting the groups that support you — ASACP and FSC — you can make a difference.
