For Members Who March
A Direct Word to the Members Who Carry the Activity Forward
You give the activity your time, your discipline, and your body. DPO is here as a research partner that respects what tour life actually costs you — and offers a way to participate in the research that supports steady stewardship on the road.
Dear Member,
If you’re reading this, you probably already know what tour life asks of you personally. Hours of rehearsal in heat that doesn’t care, gear that wears out faster than your budget refills it, off-day meals you cover on your own, and the steady stream of small purchases that add up across a season.
DoublePenniesOnline LLC is a U.S.-registered research and development company — classified under NAICS 541720 — that studies how households maintain steady, stewardship-oriented spending through the financial pressures of life. That includes the financial pressures you carry as a member. Your reality on tour is exactly the kind of household stewardship our research is designed to understand and support.
This isn’t a sponsorship. It isn’t a paycheck. It isn’t a tour stipend, and it’s not affiliated with your Corps’s fundraising. It’s voluntary research participation, on the same terms as every other DPO participant. You enroll individually. You consent individually. You join the same First-Come-First-Served queue as everyone else. And if it’s a fit for you, you receive a $500 Consumer Research Spending Card (CRSC) to use in approved spending categories — the categories that make stewardship at home and on the road actually possible.
The sections below walk you through what tour asks of you, what participation looks like, and how enrollment works. Read at your pace, ask any questions you have, and decide for yourself.
What Tour Asks of You Personally
Beyond Corps fees and household contributions, here’s what you carry on your own.
The Small, Steady Costs
Off-day meals. Gas station snacks. Drinks when the housing site fountains are dry. Laundry quarters. Pre-tour camp travel. Small things, all season long.
Gear & Supplies
Sticks, mouthpieces, valve oil, marching shoes, drill flats, pad bags, replacement reeds, audio gear, batteries, tape, tools, sunblock, blister care.
Body, Mind & Comms
Fitness routines that keep you marching. Recovery tools after long days. Phone bills with tour-time data. Mental wellness on the demanding stretches.
What Research Participation Looks Like For You
The mechanics — plain language, no fine print buried.
You contribute a $10 research fee to enroll. It’s fully refundable at any time, including after your CRSC is issued — if at any point you decide participation isn’t for you, you get your $10 back, no questions asked.
When your turn comes in the same First-Come-First-Served queue every other participant joins, you receive a $500 Consumer Research Spending Card (CRSC). The CRSC works at approved merchant categories and is yours to spend on the everyday things that support stewardship at home and on the road. Below are common ways members might put a CRSC to use:
Common Ways Members Use a CRSC
- Groceries and off-day meals
- Gas for personal vehicles
- Replacement gear and supplies
- Fitness, recovery, and wellness
- Household essentials between tours
- Phone bills and communications
- Clothing and uniforms
- Medical and pharmacy expenses
The CRSC is restricted from certain merchant categories — see the Non-Qualifying Goods & Services list for the full breakdown.
How to Enroll
Four steps. Same as every other DPO participant.
No special path. No preferential queue. Members of partner Corps enroll the exact same way as the general public. That equal footing is what keeps the research credible — and what protects you as a participant.
Read the Informed Consent
Start by reviewing what participation involves: research purpose, data collection, voluntary participation, and your right to withdraw at any time.
Pay the $10 Research Fee
A small, fully refundable research fee that registers you in the program. Refundable at any time, including after disbursement.
Receive Your CRSC
When your turn comes in the FCFS queue, you receive your $500 Consumer Research Spending Card for use in approved spending categories.
Repeat Up to 10 Cycles
Phase 1 supports up to 10 research cycles per participant — up to $5,000 in Consumer Research Spending over the experiment.
Are you a Corps director or part of a member’s family?
What This Is Not
DPO is not a paycheck, sponsorship, tour stipend, recruiting program, or income opportunity. It is voluntary research participation, classified under NAICS 541720, with a fully refundable $10 research fee and a $500 Consumer Research Spending Card upon your turn in the FCFS queue. Participation has no effect on your Corps membership and is never a condition of it.
Ready to Enroll? Start With the Informed Consent.
The Informed Consent is where every participant begins. Read it carefully, ask any questions, and decide for yourself whether DPO research participation is a fit for your season.
Read the Informed Consent & Enroll →