By Robert M. Sarwark
Last year, when I took over as treasurer/business manager of The Porch Press, I knew that I would have to institute some changes to help us stay financially stable for the foreseeable future. For full disclosure, this newspaper usually costs about $4,000 per month to publish and the bulk of our funding comes from selling ad space to local businesses and nonprofits. But with rising printing and postage rates (really, our only two regular expenses), I was concerned that we would soon be struggling to keep up.
We had a few options to consider: 1.) bring in more advertisers per month to pass the break-even threshold (the ratio of ads to editorial content is always 1:1); 2.) receive more individual donations; 3.) receive more community grant funding; and/or 4.) raise our advertising rates by a considerable margin. Since option 4 was the least desirable for all parties, we have aimed instead for a combination of options 1, 2, and 3. For now, our ad rates will remain unchanged.
It’s true that we have, fortunately, brought on several new advertisers over the last year — so much so that we now regularly have enough paid content to run 12- and 16-page papers. But what really put us over the top was the great outpouring of donations from you, our readers, especially in May of 2023. Combined with our sales of Porch Press T-shirts at last year’s Ormewood Park Makers Fest, our supporters contributed over $1,600 in that month alone. Grants from the East Atlanta Strut, the Grant Park Neighborhood Association, and others were particularly helpful as well.
May was clearly a good month for us. This is why we have decided to declare it as the window for our annual “Fun(d)drive.” (What’s the “d” stand for? “Don’t forget!”) Yes, we are indeed driving the fun and, hopefully, the funds to keep this wonderful old jalopy on the road by asking you to consider a contribution. Whether it’s a one-time or a monthly donation via PayPal, or a check in the mail, no amount is too small to help. See theporchpress.com for instructions, or scan the QR code found elsewhere in this paper.
What’s more, Saturday, May 18 is the date of the sixth annual Ormewood Park Makers Fest, an event that is quickly becoming beloved in our coverage area (also see elsewhere in this issue). This year, we will be at our booth selling classic and brand-new t-shirts, running a raffle of local-themed prizes, and, of course, taking donations. Come by and see us!
Again, I can’t thank you enough for supporting this paper. Whether you’re an advertiser, a donor, or involved with grant-making, we truly appreciate it all. And if you’re a regular reader who hasn’t donated before: We love you too, but we also challenge you to do more! Keeping non-profit media alive is only possible when our community members step up to help offset the growing costs.
Rock on!
