When Streetsblog San Francisco launched a year and a half ago, we were lucky to have some generous seed funding that allowed us to get reporters in the field, focus on content, and begin building a strong community of readers and commenters who have helped make the blog so vital to the sustainable transportation movement in the Bay Area.
We were honored to receive the Golden Wheel Award from the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition a few weeks ago, but just as we've reached a high point in terms of impact and readership, we've learned that we can no longer rely on the same level of financial support and we quickly need to diversify our funding sources to keep Streetsblog San Francisco running.
In December, we wrote that we needed to raise $50,000 by the end of June to help accomplish our goals this year. We're still at a distance from that goal, and whether we reach it will determine the immediate fate of Streetsblog San Francisco. Because we are no longer able to rely on previous support, we're launching an urgent fundraising push today that we hope will allow us to continue our work for the rest of 2010 and beyond. Please consider a tax-deductible donation today.
I use the word urgent because it is. If we don't raise the money there's a chance Streetsblog SF could downsize at a time when we should be expanding. We want to increase coverage of transit, bicycling, pedestrian safety, and sustainable development not just in San Francisco, but Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento. The reality, however, is that if we don't raise $50,000 by the end of June our future isn't secure.
We're hoping you, our readers, will step up in a big way to help us continue our work. You've been generous in the past, and have helped make Streetsblog the go-to source for transportation news in the Bay Area. We know the SFMTA, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, many elected officials and other transportation agencies read Streetsblog and we want to continue to help shape the narrative on sustainable transportation issues in the Bay Area and throughout California.
We have a significant challenge ahead of us, and we can't do it without your
help. In addition to online contributions, we're holding a private fundraiser
June 17th for large donors who can give a significant contribution to keep us going. If you can give generously or you know individuals who would step up to support us in a significant way, please get in touch with
me at bryan@sf.streetsblog.org
and I'll provide you the details.
Likewise, we're examining various new sources of revenue, including advertising and sponsorships. Yes, it's a reality you'll probably see ads on Streetsblog SF soon, but we promise they won't be obnoxious. We're also in the market for an experienced development director, someone who can help us build a funding base and assure that we will expand our mission.
Streetsblog SF is a project of OpenPlans, a New York-based 501(c)(3)
not-for-profit. OpenPlans provides all of the hosting and technical
infrastructure for Streetsblog SF, as well as paying for all of our
overhead, including taxes and health benefits. That means every
dollar you donate goes directly toward paying the salaries of our reporters and contributors.
OpenPlans has provided this support since we launched and is eager for
Streetsblog SF to continue its work and grow. However, we have a significant
funding gap to cover our salaries, and while we've been working to close
it, we've reached a critical time.
Thank you for all your contributions up to now and your continued support and readership. With your help we can turn a crisis into an outcome that creates a stronger and more sustainable future for Streetsblog San Francisco.