Fundraising Analysis – Is This Site Viable?

On April 17, I posted what I felt was a desperate and personally humiliating fundraising appeal (see this post).

I left that post up for exactly one week.

Over that period of time, according to Google analytics, the fundraising post was visited by about 2000 unique viewers who spent an average of almost 4 minutes on the page.

I also got a couple of cryptic calls from folks suggesting job offers – none of which seem to have been realistic. The appeal was shared on Facebook or Twitter by 160 people, assumedly to countless other people.

Since then, I’ve raised $2,570 from 38 supporters. I received support via US mail from a few other individuals for maybe $150. So lets round that to a $2,700 total thus far from 40 people.

That amounts to support from about 2% of blog viewers ,or about $1.50 per page viewed. More favorably, that amounts to about $2,700 per week.

In my view, both are incredibly impressive figures.

But, are they real, in terms of sustaining my work?

Or were they just one shot handouts from friends that had nothing whatsoever to do with this blog?

I initially was overwhelmed by the support, because my initial fundraising goal was $1,000, designed merely to pay immediate expenses for a year of my blog server and internet service.

My goal shifted, to see if I could raise additional funds and possibly make the blog sustainable. That would take at least $45,000 per year.

Now, upon reflection, I honestly don’t know whether this is a good response or a disaster.

I note that I personally knew and had longstanding relationships with virtually every single contributor.

At the same time, there were issues and communities that I’ve spent a lot of time with and supported on this blog that contributed absolutely nothing.

I interpret that as evidence that this blog has generated zero support from readers.

Absolutely Zero.

That is not a model that is sustainable.

But, just to examine the possibilities, I went back and queried Google analytics for data on the blog’s readership over the last year.

Over the prior year, since April 29, 2014, this blog has been visited by 35,000 unique viewers, who had 70,000 sessions and read 105,000 pages, spending over 2 minutes per session.

If each visitor contributed just $2 per year, this thing could be viable.

One reader and supporter suggested that I charge subscriptions.

Previously, I’ve rejected both subscriptions and advertising  as commercialization.

But, given that I am broke and unemployed, if I want to continue, something has got to give.

Would readers be willing to pay a $10 per year subscription?

I think this blog has had a valuable impact – in terms of providing good information and informed analysis to communities and activists; in shaping news coverage; and in influencing elite opinion in Trenton political and policy circles.

Don’t get me wrong: I am incredibly grateful to those who have helped out.

But, I’m thinking of packing it in. If readers find no value, why write?

Thoughts?