A Humbling Experience

by: Chris Bowers

Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:20

I am deeply humbled to report that, about an hour ago, the Open Left fundraiser passed not just our original goal of $6,000, but has also passed $16,000.

This is a transformative event for Open Left. As recently as last week, I was seriously worried we would have to shut down the site. I hadn't been able to pay myself in four months, and was worried about paying my June rent. Paul Rosenberg will be able to start drawing a regular salary now for his voluminous writing. Progressive Strategies can do the same. We should be financially secure through the end of the year.

Over 240 of you made this happen. Thank you to everyone who donated and gave verbal support. I will be sending personal thank you over the weekend. For now, please accept this general thanks. A special thanks goes out to SEIU, Firedoglake, Debra Cooper, and Michael Kieschnick.

It is times like these that the idea of a progressive community really hits home. Without our support for each other, all of our efforts would collapse. And because of this, please consider giving money to two other fundraisers taking place right now: Drinking Liberally and Marcy Wheeler. Also, don't forget to sign up with SEIU for the health care fight. All of these organizations deserve your help it every bit as much as we do, if not more. I will be doing so myself.

It is good to know who you work for. Over the past forty-eight hours, you guys could not have made it more clear. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will do my best to live up to your support.

Chris Bowers :: A Humbling Experience

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A Humbling Experience | 14 comments

You're welcome, but the part about having thought about shutting down the site concerns me (4.00 / 9)

Would you please not get so close to the edge, next time, before you offer the community an opportunity to show their gratitude? For that matter, why don't you extend the drive, and try to get enough $$ to cover another 6 - 12 months?

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by: metamars @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 16:40:22 PM CDT

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Agreed. (4.00 / 4)

Do a fundraiser every 6 months, shoot for a goal of 5000.

Oh- and add another donor to your total. Sorry I came in late.

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by: bluethunder @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:15:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

fundraising (4.00 / 5)

Just read this at Hullabaloo:

Come Together

by digby

"Here's some excellent progressive synergy in action. The SEIU has pledged to donate one thousand dollars to Open Left and contribute another dollar for every person who signs up with them to join in the fight to pass health care for all Americans --- including a public plan.

This one is win, win. Go sign up with SEIU and help Open Left in the process.

Huzzah to SEIU for stepping up to help an excellent blog."

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/

Keep that till open a while longer!

by: susanCO @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:04:29 PM CDT

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You should do these more often... (4.00 / 6)

Honestly, I think most of your readers would be glad to chip in a bit once in awhile... Maybe it'd be a little less at a time, but it'd be more frequent. You shouldn't have to go 4 months without paying yourself for the work you do... You gotta eat too. ;)

by: leshrac55 @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:09:32 PM CDT

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Just to further things ... (4.00 / 3)

some of us here can't afford to contribute right now :-( due to the economy obviously ... but you can't shut down .. It might be up to 6 months before I put something in the kitty ... but I'll throw something in when I can .. and I appreciate all the hard work

by: Calvin Jones and the 13th Apostle @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:12:05 PM CDT

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Great news, Chris. (4.00 / 1)

You can sleep easy tonight, knowing it's all going to be okay.

by: Tom Wells @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:18:17 PM CDT

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What Chris said (4.00 / 1)

The outpouring of support has been amazing. Thanks everyone for digging deep.

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by: Adam Bink @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 17:23:58 PM CDT

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is there... (4.00 / 2)

...an email address to send dollars through my merchant account on paypal... keyboard characters on the top row that require the 'shift' key not working....my computer keyboard almost dead as well....

by: mariann @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 18:30:46 PM CDT

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If you just ask (4.00 / 3)

you'd be suprised at how many people will answer.

Honestly. Do this more often. Figure out what a stable model would be so that you could do this full time without having to do slave labor. Come up with the numbers and show how they will help make OpenLeft a model for financially sustainable progressive media and I have a feeling you'd get a lot more then 16k.

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by: Populista @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 22:47:01 PM CDT

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Been away a couple of days (0.00 / 0)

This is just fantastic news. And folks are right... do not allow yourself to get so close to the edge like that without asking for support, please.

Spent to many years running my own small endeavors... I know how it feels. You are very fortunate to be working with an open model and established bunch of readers who can always (at least) keep you out of the fetal blogging position.

Anyway... hooray everyone!

by: Eureka Springs AR @ Fri May 29, 2009 at 23:58:47 PM CDT

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While I appreciate the sentiment about (4.00 / 1)

being humbled, there is another lesson here. This community, the work being done here, natters a great deal to a lot of people.

So the lesson is - go big, be bold.

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by: David Kaib @ Sat May 30, 2009 at 00:11:32 AM CDT

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geezus krist, don't come that close to shut down again, dood. (0.00 / 0)

begging for $ is simply the way of the world these days. like others have said, make this regular. no one expects you to starve.

by: chicago dyke @ Sat May 30, 2009 at 05:15:20 AM CDT

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agreed... (4.00 / 2)

with all the other posts. Set up something so we can give on a continual basis. I will and obviously others will too.

Just like any business, having more consistent and diverse revenue streams will allow you to focus on the important work you're leading.

I must say, I wept this morning upon reading this update. Remembering how bad things were in 2004 and how far the progressive community has come since then. I was so depressed and now I really see possibilities for our future.

Just shows how sometimes we need to hit rock bottom to really build anew. I am proud to participate in this community with all of you caring, involved people.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. -- Martin Luther King, Jr

by: passionateprogressive @ Sat May 30, 2009 at 08:34:00 AM CDT

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Humility is empowering (0.00 / 0)

Sounds wrong, but it's right.

"It sounds wrong...
...but its right."

by: SpitBall @ Mon Jun 01, 2009 at 11:16:14 AM CDT

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A Humbling Experience | 14 comments

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