A $5,000 Sustainability Grant is designed to help The Lansing Journal find 50 new Monthly Supporters
LANSING, Ill. (December 11, 2023) – The Lansing Journal has received a unique matching gift opportunity, and the community newspaper is asking for community help in order to take full advantage of it.
A Sustainability Grant of $5,000 has been set aside to award The Lansing Journal $100 for each new Monthly Supporter (up to 50) who signs up before the end of the year.
Why monthly?
The grant recognizes that monthly support is key to sustainability as a community newspaper. Monthly gifts allow a news business to plan more confidently because they provide a predictable base of income.
Also important for the small staff of The Lansing Journal, monthly gifts — particularly those given online — have a lower administrative cost. They are easier to record and acknowledge, and their long-term value exceeds the time investment. Monthly gifts allow a small team to focus on their core business rather than bookkeeping.
Why 50?
According to studies shared by LION (Local Independent Online News) Publishers, one metric of health for a news organization is the percentage of subscribers who are also regular supporters. When at least 10% of subscribers are also monthly supporters, those readers show more commitment to the work in general. They read more articles and take action on what they read.
An organization the size of The Lansing Journal should have about 350 monthly supporters to be considered healthy or sustainable. The Lansing Journal is currently between 260 and 275 (some households include more than one giver), or slightly over 8%. Adding 50 new monthly supporters before the end of the year would put the community newspaper just shy of the 10% overall sustainability goal.
Signing up
The stipulations of the grant do not specify what size gift qualifies for the match. It is not the dollar amount that is being tracked; it’s the monthly commitment. The $100 will be given for each new Monthly Supporter who signs up in December.
A special giving form has been set up to track new Monthly Supporters and count them toward the goal of 50, which will ultimately result in an extra $5,000 for The Lansing Journal. Readers are encouraged to sign up below:
Be One of the 50 Monthly Supporters The Lansing Journal Needs
An alternate option
Whether or not a matching gift is available, The Lansing Journal depends on reader support in order to keep reporting. You can use the button below to choose a giving level that works for you, and make it a monthly gift if you can:
