2022 Member Drive to Support Neighborhood News

Update: Our 2022 Member Drive ended on December 15. Thanks so much to the 37 new and upgraded members. And thanks to all our members for supporting neighborhood news.

West St. Paul Reader delivers neighborhood news supported by neighbors.

• Our coverage is free to everyone, with no paywalls.
• But we rely on members to make it happen.
• Membership starts at just $3 per month or pay annually and save 5%.

For 30 days we’re doing a member drive to help build support.

• Goal: 25 new or upgraded members by December 15. We hit the initial goal on November 28. Thank you!
• Ongoing goal: 200 total members and we’ll unveil a new postcard and send it out to all members. We also hit the ongoing goal on November 28.
• New ongoing goal: 225 total members and we’ll commission another local postcard and send it to all existing members.
• Stretch goal: Reach 250 total members, at which point we’ll add coverage of school board meetings. (We started the drive at 179 members, so yeah, it’s a big stretch!)

Rewards

Every new or upgraded member will get a prize pack of West St. Paul items valued at more than $30, including:

• Robert Street Boardwalk print (learn more)
• West St. Paul Reader yo-yo (learn more)
• Best St. Paul sticker
• Other West St. Paul swag

This is in addition to the everyday benefits of membership, which include a hand-written thank you postcard created by a local artist, weekly member-only updates, and a discount in our store.

Plus, we’re throwing a members-only party at the end of the member drive. Want an invite? Gotta be a member.

Bonus Reward: Studio Tour

At the end of our member drive, all members at the Super Neighbor level ($20 per month) plus one friend will be invited to a studio tour with local artist Carolyn Swiszcz. You’ll see where the artist works, watch a demonstration of her printmaking technique, get a glimpse of her work in progress, and more. The event will be scheduled in January/February, depending on capacity.

(Photo by Wilson Webb)

What We Offer

Neighborhood news is a huge benefit to the community, but here are three specific things we offer:

• Election coverage: In-depth coverage of local campaigns that otherwise get little if any attention.
• City Council recaps & previews: These meetings are the lifeblood of a community and we make them accessible.
• Local postcards: We commission local artists to create postcards, highlighting West St. Paul and supporting local creatives.

Events

We’re planning several events throughout our member drive to connect with the community and share our work:

• Community Q&A With City Manager Nate Burkett: Monday, November 21 at 6 p.m. at Amore Coffee
• Author Talk With West St. Paul’s Jackie Polzin: Thursday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Wentworth Library
• Artist Talk With West St. Paul’s Carolyn Swiszcz: Sunday, December 11 at 3 p.m. at Wentworth Library
• Members-Only Party: Sunday, December 18 at FoodSmith

FAQ

• How does neighborhood news even work? We answered that question in more detail.
• Why does ongoing monthly or annual support matter? That ongoing support means we can plan for and count on it. We can hire writers and photographers knowing that we have steady support. It means we can plan for the future and stick around for the long haul.
• What if I want to give one-time support? We really appreciate that (and here are details for how to do it). Unfortunately, it won’t help us toward our member drive goal. But we’ll take all the support we can get. Thanks!
• I’m having trouble with Patreon—help!: No problem, reach out and we can help. We’ve been known to meet folks at Amore Coffee (or some other public location) to troubleshoot any issues.
• What’s the ongoing goal? We’ve had goals at regular thresholds where we commission a local artist to create a new postcard and send it out to all members. We’ve had the 200-member goal for a while, and our hope is we can hit it with this member drive, kind of a two-for-one.
• What’s the stretch goal? Last year we made a goal of 250 members and promised that if we hit the goal, we’d add regular school board coverage. If we manage to get 25 members, we’ll push for that 250-member goal. It’s a big ask (75 members at the start of this member drive), so it’s definitely a stretch to reach it. But anything is possible, right?
• What if I’m already a member? How can I help? First, thank you. Our existing members have carried us this far and we’re incredibly grateful. The biggest thing you can do is tell your friends and neighbors. Encourage them to become members. Then join us at our members-only party for a high five! If you really want to be a part of the member drive and/or get some of those sweet rewards, you can upgrade your membership. Simply log in to Patreon and increase your monthly or annual payment. You don’t have to change tiers, just increase the amount. But seriously, you’re already helping so much simply by being a member. So thank you. No pressure to upgrade.