There are four groups of people necessary for the existence of the PRT: Our Readers, for without you why publish? Our Donors, who fund about half of our annual budget, Our Advertisers, who are our other major source of revenue, and Our Volunteer Writers, without whom our expenses would be much higher, and our diversity of voices much lower.
It is during our fall fundraising campaign that we ask our Readers to become Donors, as we need to raise $20,000 before year end to meet our annual budget. We’re excited to report that, as we go to press, we are halfway through the campaign and halfway to that goal.
If you have already contributed, thank you! If you have not, and if you appreciate having the PRT in your life and our community, please will you contribute before the end of 2020? Your gifts are what keeps the PRT free to everyone in our region.
If you donate soon, your contribution will be matched by the national NewsMatch program for newsrooms, and thus will have a double impact. (See last month’s PRT for more information about NewsMatch)
This year, we are asking donors to consider becoming monthly donors. We started our monthly giving program in 2018 and named it The Press Core because those donors who give each month provide us key ongoing operating expenses, and thus become the “core” of our organization (plus it was a fun play on the term Press Corps). We now have 57 Press Core members who receive extra thanks with gifts and special events. For as little as $5/month you can become a member, and the great news is that if you sign up as a new member before December 31, NewsMatch will match your membership for an entire year. You enroll at $5/month and the PRT receives an additional $60 from NewsMatch, or at $25/month we receive $300. See our website for more information about Press Core
As we end 2020 and reflect on its turbulence, we are particularly grateful for the support of so many people who enable our rural community to continue having a local newspaper which helps keep us connected during challenging times. Thank you to all of you who make the PRT possible.