from Hacker News

Petition: Put a Donate button on the NASA home page

by dlf on 1/21/13, 4:55 AM with 2 comments

• by mpyne on 1/21/13, 5:14 AM

  While this would certainly be nice, it's actually illegal for NASA (or any government agency) to use additional funds for purposes that are handled by what's termed appropriated funds (the money that comes from Congress passing a government budget).

  There are non-appropriated fund activities in the government, but those are generally focused on a specific mission area. I'm not sure which NAFI's NASA might have that it would be able to use donated funds for, but I suspect this wouldn't be nearly as helpful as one might think.

• by alwaysinshade on 1/21/13, 5:12 AM

  I'm in Australia and would happily donate a few bucks to NASA from time to time. Anyone who recognises the value of expanding our knowledge of the universe would happily throw a few coppers their way.