Krystal Pence
The Madison crew, clockwise from top left: Judith, Linda, Jason, Mark, Eric, Bob and Tommy.
For Isthmus, 2020 was about survival, 2021 was about getting back to print, and 2022 was about feeling our way through our first full year as a nonprofit media organization.
2023 has been very much about learning: learning how to build our fundraising capabilities, advertising revenues, membership program and base of donor support. Learning how to build a strong board of directors and put the expertise of directors to work. Learning how to navigate content demands with limited staff and freelancers. And more.
We have taken advantage of webinars, the expertise of friends and colleagues, and a variety of programs, some of which we had to apply for, to advance our knowledge and expertise in a number of areas. Publisher Jason Joyce and I participated in the Madworks Mission-Based Accelerator Program at StartingBlock, the co-working space and startup hub we joined in April. The program provided guidance on governance and organizational infrastructure, as well as mentorship — and a $6,500 grant. Linda Falkenstein and I recently participated in a helpful webinar on how best to write headlines to maximize our reach online. We are also now participating in Transformation Tech, a program through Google and the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, which provides coaching and webinars on digital revenue strategies; participation comes with a grant for up to $20,000.
The Isthmus board also took important steps this year to expand its impact, including by creating board subcommittees that include non-board members as well. These subcommittees are meant to buttress the work of our small staff by focusing on our core needs, like fundraising and finance. Fundraising co-chair Dan Koehn, who works in development, suggested we apply for a DaneArts grant to help cover some of the costs of our cover art, where we spotlight the work of local artists in each month’s print issue. Dan wrote a complete first draft of the application, which was enormously helpful for our already stretched staff.
We never would have applied for a public grant under private ownership but it now makes so much sense for what we do and how it fits with our mission.Working with local artists to illustrate our covers provides a visible platform for their work, has brought these artists together in community, and has proven extremely popular with our readers. It’s a win on many levels. We found out last month that we were awarded a grant of $1,758.
Finance chair Kirsten Houghton, who specializes in nonprofit accounting at SVA Certified Public Accountants, handled our taxes, and personnel chair Jill Pedigo Hall, a labor and employment attorney at von Briesen & Roper, s.c., started forging a path to provide benefits for our staff. We also got invaluable help from others. Bob Hemauer, who is on the fundraising committee, worked his contacts to arrange an advertising trade so that we were able to offer dinners to our guests at Concerts on the Square this summer — a big thank you to Casetta Kitchen for the delicious sandwiches and salads! And Eve Galanter, a stalwart Isthmus supporter, continues to spread the word about our work and solicit support for it.
Another significant step we took this year was to launch a strategic planning process. We have contracted with Jeff Burkhart, the former longtime executive director of the Literacy Network of Dane County, who founded Mission Forward and now consults with nonprofits. Our aim is to clarify our mission and vision and map out a strategy for the next three years. We are looking forward to diving into the process.
We have also just launched our year-end fundraiser and are grateful to once again be participating in the Institute for Nonprofit News’ NewsMatch program. This effort has brought in considerable revenue the last two years.
This year we are shooting to match a $13,000 challenge grant from INN as well as a $15,000 grant from the Loud Hound Foundation, which we qualified for by our dedication to “providing coverage of Wisconsin and highlighting issues that impact residents’ lives and support civic engagement.”
We are also working on some new ways to maximize these matching dollars. With a commitment of at least $3,500 from our board and more pledges from local supporters, we are also building a community match. This means that donations to Isthmus Community Media between Nov. 1-Dec. 31 will be not just doubled, but tripled. If you are interested in joining the community match, or becoming part of our growing Editor’s Club for a minimum donation of $1,000, please email me at jdavidoff@isthmus.com or Jason at jjoyce@isthmus.com.
In looking to 2024, one editorial priority will be election coverage, including the presidential primary and general election, as well as the race for Dane County executive. We will also continue to cover the housing market, development, transit changes, racial equity gap, the food scene and the arts.
In wrapping up, some thanks and kudos: Thanks to Masood Akhtar, who stepped down from the Isthmus board last month after three years of service. And thanks to Ralph Russo, one of the inaugural members of the board, for re-upping his membership for another three years.
And congratulations, once again, to Tommy Washbush, our art director, who has become a perennial winner in recent years for his illustrations and newspaper design. He recently won second place in the Association of Alternative Newsmedia’s 2023 national contest in the illustration category for his “Isthmus anniversary” cover. Freelancer Madeline Vogt won third place in the same category for her illustration of Tenney Park. And Gwendolyn Rice won second place for arts criticism for her theater reviews.
And a special thanks to the small, but very mighty team that powers through challenges big and small to keep us in print, online and just going in general: Jason, Tommy, associate editor Linda Falkenstein, calendar editor Bob Koch, staff writer Eric Murphy, advertising reps Barbara Bolan and Mark Clear, distribution manager Tim Henrekin and fall 2023 intern Krystal Pence (no relation to Mike), who skillfully and patiently wrangled the crew for the photo above.
