It seems like we are always asking for money in one form or another. It’s the nature of non-profits. It was suggested to me that it might be better to lay out how much money is needed and what we are getting on a regular basis as well as what that money pays for, so readers and supporters can understand our needs. So this is what we spend and what we need.
We have just under $3000 in monthly ongoing expenses right now. You can do the math on that. With expenses for events and one-time costs, in a typical year, we are about twice that on average, but this is just basic operating expenses.
Of that, payrolls takes up just over half. That’s about $1200 month for me, the executive director, and we are in the process of adding a part-time school board reporter for another $400 – more on that later.
The rest of the ongoing cost is server and upkeep of the website which runs about $500 a month. We have an insurance policy and then rent and miscellaneous payments which makes up the remainder.
Right now, every month, I have to find about $1400 to $1800 in additional money contributions on top of the money we are already getting automatically due to recurring monthly donations and some recurring advertising. Most of the advertising you see on the site is paid for in six to twelve month increments, so that ends up being one-time money rather than recurring monthly expenses.
The blue section of the chart is what we get presently. You will see that we have since September 1 transferred most of the money that we had received prior to this month on Your Patriot. However, there is about $300 to $400 that we have still not had renewed and that is added to the green area – which is what we need.
So, on a site that generates over 4000 unique visits on a typical day and far more than that on a great day, if we got a relatively small percentage of those people to plop down just $10 a month, the cost of a meal, we would not be having this conversation.
I would really like to hire an additional part-time office assistant and a court watch reporter, but that would mean we would have to generate $5000 per month reliably rather than $3000, and we aren’t there at the moment, but you can help us achieve that if you read the Vanguard and support what we do to get the news out.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP?
Ending at 10 am today is an eBay auction. Right now you have to top $200 by 10 am to win the photo. Proceeds go to the Vanguard.
Back at our event on September 2, the Vanguard had an auction for four photos taken by David Greenwald, the executive director, printed on stunning 5k ultra high definition display.
We have now placed a photo on eBay. It is the 18-inch photo taken at the corner of Pole Line and Covell, in June at sunset, of the spectacular sunflowers. Starting bid will be $200. Proceeds from the sale will go to fund the operations of the Vanguard.
The auction ends at 10 am on Sunday, September 27.
Tomorrow we will have additional items and allow people to purchase them for a Vanguard donation.
Recurring Monthly Payments
- Here’s how you, the reader can help. What we need are about 150 of our readers to make a $10 monthly donation. It is easy and quick. Click here and make sure you are logging on from a desktop or laptop rather than a mobile device: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=VP8S7PZGL7KXG
Those who become subscribers will automatically be logged in to receive our morning newsletter that contains an update to all of the stories. If you are already a supporter, we thank you! Can you think of 3 to 5 friends or family members who can help support the Vanguard for just $10 per month? Talk to them or send them an email. Let them know how valuable a service we provide to the community and the Greater Sacramento Region to bring news that is not discussed in many other venues. It’s amazing how many “word of mouth” supporters we have received.
- We also need those people who had been previous subscribers to renew their subscriptions using PayPal if they haven’t already. Just click on the link, or call or email us if you need help walking through the process.
As mentioned earlier we are in a process to hire a part-time school board reporter. The position will pay $400 per month. We are taking applications until October 9 at 5 pm and then we will have an interview process. If you are interested in applying or learning more click here.
In addition, we are crowd sourcing the funding, so if you would specifically like your recurring donation to fund this position, click here and then let us know your preference.
Finally, our big fundraiser this fall is the Court Watch Dinner on November 14.
Vanguard Court Watch Annual Dinner: Preventing Wrongful Convictions
This is the Vanguard Court Watch’s fifth annual dinner. This year we will be at the Galleria in West Sacramento, 1100 West Capitol in West Sacramento. It features three speakers plus a panel discussion focusing on Wrongful Convictions. We are accepting both ticket sales and sponsorships now. Money goes to fund our court watch program. Click here to purchase your tickets today.
Speakers:
Justin Brooks, California Innocence Project
Rick Walker, Exonerated Inmate, Board Member NCIP
Advocates For Ajay, Advocates for Wrongfully Convicted Yolo County Man
Doors open at 5 pm. Speakers at 5:30. Panel discussion at 6:30. Question and answer to follow.
Tickets $50 in advance, $55 at the door.
Sponsorships start at $100. Tables for $350 (eight seats).
very tight margins for the vanguard, everyone reading this ought to consider becoming a subscriber
does anyone care if david can no longer afford to keep this up?
#crickets#