And with your help, we’ll keep coming back every month

By Dan Frazier
Tea Party Editor

This month, Flagstaff Tea Party dodged the bullet, but not by much. As I explained last month, FTP has been operating mostly on enthusiasm and perspiration lately. Unfortunately, we can’t pay our bills with enthusiasm or perspiration. It takes about $10,000 a month to fully fund FTP’s operations. Though FTP’s monthly revenue has been slowly rising, in recent months, FTP has had only enough revenue to cover 50 to 60 percent of its monthly expenses, which means that often my wife and I do not get paid. In our May edition we announced that if we were not able to dramatically increase our revenue by May 17, we would have to stop publishing.

Following our appeal for emergency donations, FTP began to receive a steady stream of donations from people all over Flagstaff. It was heartening to see this outpouring of support, especially after the difficult and turbulent months we have experienced recently.

But as the days passed, it became clear that the response was not the flood we had hoped for. Faced with the reality that we might have to stop publishing, my wife and I grew increasingly concerned. Lisa and I had put more than two years of our lives into this rare experiment in nonprofit community journalism. More importantly, we knew FTP was making a positive difference in Flagstaff. We had published dozens of important stories that would never have been published were it not for FTP. And we knew that there were dozens more stories that needed to be published.

Flagstaff needs an alternative newspaper where ordinary residents can speak out on controversial topics. It needs a newspaper where the voices of downtrodden workers come before the voices of corporate CEOs. It needs a newspaper where those who speak for the plants and the animals come before those who speak for the bottom line. It needs a newspaper where local business owners can speak out against the corporate welfare that aids their larger competitors at the expense of existing small businesses. It needs a newspaper where greed, corruption and dishonesty can be exposed. In short, Flagstaff needs a newspaper where the truth can be told.

No matter what happened, Lisa and I were determined to see FTP continue in some way, shape or form. We talked about how FTP might be transformed from a monthly newspaper to a Web-based news service. FTP already has an elaborate Web site (www.FlagTeaParty.org). Moving to the Web would reduce expenses, but would also reduce the size of FTP’s local audience. However, using the Web site, FTP could at least continue to sponsor Flagstaff Neighborly Notes and promote the book FTP recently published, Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains. And of course, we could continue to make public stories that would never be told by the mainstream press.

We were not alone in our belief that FTP was providing a valuable service to Flagstaff. People began coming out of the woodwork offering to volunteer their time, their skills and their energy. All of this was encouraging.

When May 17 finally came, and we tallied up how much money FTP had brought in, it was more than we expected. Between May 1 and May 17, revenue from all sources was about $7,500. It was not the $10,000 FTP really needs each month, but it was enough to make May the best month FTP had ever had — and the month was not even two-thirds over. If the pace of donations continued, we would, for the first time, come very close to meeting our monthly revenue goals.

At the May 17 board meeting, after two and a half hours of discussion, the board voted unanimously to publish a June edition. We thank everyone who pitched in to help make this decision possible

Will Flagstaff Tea Party publish a July edition? That’s up to you. FTP depends on the tax-deductible donations of its readers to keep going. Advertising covers less than half of FTP’s expenses. We know that many Flagstaff residents don’t have much money to spare. But it wouldn’t take much money from you to keep FTP afloat if your friends and neighbors pitched in just a little. If everyone who regularly reads the Daily Sun chipped in just $5 once a year to help FTP, we would meet our fund-raising goals.

Or, to put it another way, if 1,600 people donated $35 a year, FTP could meet its fund-raising goals. FTP currently has just over 400 members. We have managed to survive thanks in large part to the generosity of those individuals who have donated more than $35. What we need now are more people who can make larger donations of, say, $100, $500 or even $1,000. Those who can’t afford to give larger amounts can help a lot by becoming a sustainer and donating a small amount each month.

Of course, with your donation of $35 or more, you can have FTP delivered by mail 11 times a year (if you wish). And with your donation of $20 or more, you will become a member of FTP and will be able to enjoy discounts at various local merchants, as well as discounts on advertising in the pages of FTP. Plus, you will be able to get periodic e-mail alerting you to breaking news in the activist community as well as monthly reports on board meetings. Of course, the greatest benefit of becoming a member is the satisfaction that comes with knowing you are supporting a worthy cause.

Becoming a member is as easy as clipping out the coupon on the back cover and mailing it in. Or, you can make a donation with just a few clicks of the mouse by visiting www.FlagTeaParty.org. Please, do it now while you are thinking about it. FTP is counting on you!