Dear readers, for over twenty years, Works in Progress has been Olympia’s trusted source of local, independent media. Grounded in a tradition of grassroots organizing, we’ve stood steadfast in our commitment to providing outstanding coverage of local social justice issues, and giving space to topics typically ignored in the corporate media.
Now we need your help. We do not have enough funds to print next month’s paper.
Our paper is completely run by local volunteers who donate their time, writing, photography, and artistic skills. This helps us keep our costs low so we can deliver quality content free of charge to our readers.
We’ve also held our cost down by printing our paper at the most affordable printer in the area, the Shelton Mason Journal. Unfortunately that printer is shutting its doors, forcing us to move to another printer. This has resulted in a sharp, sudden increase in our printing costs by 33%. Meanwhile, without a dedicated ad rep, our income has remained completely flat for over three years. Despite that we’ve reduced the number of pages of the paper from 16 to 12, we still do not have enough funds. Currently we only take in $300 a month in ad revenue, leaving us $270 short of the money we need to print a 12 page paper every month, or $3,240 for an entire year. Ideally, we’d like to be able to print 16 pages of purely locally-produced content with a color cover, in which case we’d need $530 more a month or $6,230 more a year.
If everyone who picked up this paper donated just $10, we’d have enough money to print the paper for another year. If everyone donated $20 we’d have enough money to provide even more enriching local content, and could eventually start compensating our reporters for their work.
Without more sustaining funds, we’re in danger of losing this valuable source of information in our community. Just imagine not having completely non-corporate coverage of issues like the Olympia Food Co-Op boycott, the proposed 7-Eleven on Harrison and Division, the Port Militarization Resistance, Occupy Olympia, the Public Power Initiative, the Pacific Northwest Grand Jury Resisters or the local campaign to stop coal exports from Washington ports.
Imagine never hearing the stories of Scott Yoos, a local man unable to speak who was accused of assaulting a police officer when he was simply trying to communicate in sign language; or Martin Morales, a mentally-disabled teenager from Shelton deported to Mexico; or the firsthand account of Michael Di Marzo, a local resident who sparked a city-wide school lockdown after his umbrella was erroneously mistaken for an assault weapon.
Your support is vital to sustain and grow Works in Progress. If you’d like to contribute to this trusted, local source of independent media, donate today.
You can mail us check or visit our website at www.olywip.org to donate. But one-time donations aren’t the only way you can help. You can also subscribe to have a copy of Works in Progress delivered directly to your door each month; sign up for monthly donations; donate office space or supplies; or assist us in securing grant money.
We’re also looking for upbeat, experienced fundraisers and ad reps who can help us create a more sustainable source of revenue for our organization. And we’re always in need of more volunteers passionate about social justice and grassroots media.
Remember, good media isn’t free. If the corporations aren’t paying for it, then our community must.
—Works In Progress
Click this link below to donate through We Pay today. Thank you so much for your support!
If you’d prefer, you can mail us a check at:
Works In Progress
PO Box 295
Olympia WA 98507
Please make checks payable to Works In Progress
Thank you very much!