We promised we would not give up and we haven’t. In fact, we have some great news: Following the negotiation of an asset transfer agreement with the former owners of Isthmus, we filed our application for nonprofit status with the Internal Revenue Service.
It could take one, two or several months to receive our official nonprofit designation, but luckily we are able to immediately accept tax-deductible contributions under our new name, Isthmus Community Media. And the timing could not be better.
As we head into the holiday season, we hope you will include us in your end-of-year giving plans. If you are a reader who is not yet a financial supporter, please take this opportunity to join the growing community of Isthmus supporters. If you are a one-time donor, please consider signing up for monthly contributions. If you are already a monthly contributor, please consider increasing that amount, even by a couple of dollars. This is a team effort and every dollar counts.
As we were packing up the Isthmus office the other day in preparation for moving, staff writer Dylan Brogan and I came across photos from more than 40 years of Isthmus history, newspaper clips and other nostalgic items that reminded us of why we did not simply walk away when Isthmus was on the brink of shutting down.
Among the memorabilia we found was a plaque from the U.S. House of Representatives in honor of Isthmus’ 25th anniversary, dated April 24, 2001. Tammy Baldwin, then a representative, introduced a resolution into the Congressional Record celebrating Isthmus as a “unique institution in Madison, Wisconsin.”
“Those of us who live in, and work in, and love Madison consider our weekly copy of Isthmus as much a part of our city’s life and character as our renowned farmers’ market or the statue atop our state capitol’s dome.”
It is hard to believe that it has been eight months since Isthmus was last in print. We have worked hard to offer online the kind of trusted journalism you have come to expect from us and have continued to produce newsletters that we send straight to your inbox. So far, it’s been a labor of love, but we will need your support to rebuild this organization, hire staff and strategize a return to print. We hope we can count on you to help support this Madison institution and vital source of local news.
