I need to interrupt our regularly scheduled programming with a quick note about finances.
I’ll be blunt: BikePortland as we know it today cannot continue to thrive unless more readers step up more often with financial support.
2015 is a huge year for us. Not only does it mark a full decade of our existence, it’s also a make-or-break year for our future. As many of you loyal BikePortlanders who’ve been reading since the start know, this site has grown and changed a lot in the past ten years. At first it was just a side thing, then I decided to take a huge risk and pour all of my professional and personal energy into it. Did that risk pay off? Is BikePortland a success? Yes and no.
In many ways BikePortland is an unqualified success. But in one very important way, it’s not. Let me put it this way: The business side of things has not grown and matured at the same rate as the product side of things. With my focus solely on the creation of great stories and building a community media outlet we can all be proud of, I have neglected the financial side of things.
To keep this dream alive my family and I have made financial sacrifices that I can no longer continue to make. Sorry if that sounds doom-and-gloom but reality is sometimes like that.
The great news is that we have a plan. That plan includes you. We’re not ready to reveal all of it just yet, but in the coming weeks rest assured that the way you read, interact, and support BikePortland will change.
To help us see that plan through and embark on these changes we need your support now more than ever.
If you think what we do here matters; if you think Portland is a better place because of our in-depth coverage of important issues; if you think BikePortland should ride into the next 10 years with the same fresh legs and optimistic ambition we started with 10 years ago, then please consider making a financial contribution today.
You can make a contribution online with a credit card via our secure form or send us a check. All the details are on our Support Page.
Thanks for helping us do what we do… And stay tuned for the announcement of our big 10th Birthday Party!