Most of us are used to picking up free newspapers like Flag Live! and the Lumberjack around town. We pick such papers up without thinking much about the fact that they are free. We may even take these papers for granted. If we think about free papers at all, we may assume that the cost of producing them is paid for by advertising.

However, here at Flagstaff Tea Party, we do not want to rely exclusively on advertising. To be sure, advertising is already an important source of revenue for Flagstaff Tea Party, and we are constantly looking for new advertisers. But we made a decision early on that we were not going to create just another “advertising vehicle.” We did not want to be just another bland newspaper that rarely publishes any views that could conceivably offend potential advertisers or their customers. 

In fact, we knew that we were going to upset some potential advertisers, especially some of the Big Box stores. But we did not want their advertising dollars. Our advertising policy, which appears on Page 2, prohibits these types of businesses from advertising in Flagstaff Tea Party. Our hope is to be interesting, thought provoking, and at times, controversial. We value our readers even more than we value our advertisers.

Because we have intentionally turned our backs on some of the most lucrative advertising accounts in town, we cannot hope to survive without the generous financial backing of our readers. And because we have set ourselves up as a nonprofit organization, we are required to obtain two-thirds of our revenue from sources other than advertising. This requirement, imposed by the IRS, helps to demonstrate that we are providing a valuable public service.

This is not the only requirement imposed on us by the IRS. As a nonprofit organization with a 501(c)(3) classification, Flagstaff Tea Party is prohibited from favoring specific political parties or candidates. However, this does not prevent us from covering politics or politicians, so long as we do so in a fair and unbiased manner. And when it comes the issues that face Flagstaff, the IRS allows us to take sides on specific issues if we wish. We are even allowed to devote a fair amount of time and energy to promoting specific legislation.

Another requirement imposed on us by the IRS is that we operate with the active involvement of a board of directors. We currently have five community residents on our board. The board helps to decide policy and determine the general direction of Flagstaff Tea Party. In addition to our board of directors, we also have an advisory board. The advisory board, which is not required by the IRS, is comprised of seven community members. These advisors sit in on meetings of the board of directors, comment on proposed policy changes, but do not vote with the board of directors.

Many people do not understand what a nonprofit organization is. I still have a lot to learn about nonprofit organizations. Many books have been written explaining the various forms of nonprofit organizations, and how they are organized and regulated. In a nutshell, a nonprofit organization is a publicly supported organization established to serve the public interest. A nonprofit organization can in fact make a profit of sorts. Nonprofits are allowed to bring in more money than they actually need to cover operating expenses. However, the difference between a nonprofit and a for-profit organization is that a nonprofit cannot distribute profits to owners or shareholders. If Flagstaff Tea Party ever brings in more money than it needs to cover operating expenses and the salaries of its staff, the extra money must be used to strengthen the organization and advance its purposes. If the organization makes money, the individuals who run it don’t get a bonus – the bonus goes to the community that is served by the organization.

As a person who lived in a tent in the woods near Flagstaff for six years, I know how hard it is to make a living in Flagstaff. I know how hard it is to afford decent housing. I know that many Flagstaff residents can scarcely afford three square meals a day, let alone the cost of a subscription to Flagstaff Tea Party. But I also know that if things are ever going to get better for the downtrodden residents of Flagstaff, it will be because of nonprofit organizations like Flagstaff Tea Party – organizations dedicated to serving the public interest. 

Here at Flagstaff Tea Party, we want to talk about solutions to Flagstaff’s problems. If we as a community can’t even talk about our problems, how can we ever hope to fix them? We set out not to create a negative publication filled with complaints, but rather, to create a positive publication filled with solutions.

But if we are going to do anything, we will need the help of a large number of Flagstaff residents, including you. Maybe you can’t afford to make a donation to Flagstaff Tea Party. Then again, maybe you can’t afford not to. We can’t promise that we will bring rents down, bring wages up, get you a better job, or otherwise make Flagstaff a more livable place. But if we as a community can’t pull together to find solutions, where will the solutions come from?