Update: Our member drive finished up with 54 new or upgraded members. Thank you!
West St. Paul Reader delivers neighborhood news supported by neighbors. For our 2023 member drive, we need your help to expand our coverage.
- We hit 50 new members (thank you!), so we’re adding coverage of ISD 197 school board meetings, starting now.
Why support our member drive?
- Inform your community: Our coverage is free to everyone, with no paywalls.
- Member benefits: Locally commissioned thank you postcard, weekly members-only updates, and an invite to our members-only party on November 19.
- Rewards: Each new member will get prizes worth at least $125.
Join now: You can become a member through Patreon. Membership starts at just $3 per month or pay annually and save 5%.
Goal
40 new or upgraded members by November 19.Add coverage of ISD 197 school board meetings, starting in February 2024.Done.Stretch goal: 50 new or upgraded members and we’ll cover school board starting now.Done.- We’ve hit our goals, but every additional amount helps. Plus, great rewards (see below).
The goal: Since 2021 we’ve talked about covering ISD 197 school board meetings, just like we cover West St. Paul City Council. But with your help we hit the goal and will start covering school board.
Why school board meetings: We started with City Council coverage, and ISD 197 school board meetings are the next step to informing this community. People have complained about not knowing what’s happening at school board—our coverage will inform the community about all school board debates and decisions. Lear more about our effort to cover school board meetings.
“Thankful to the West St. Paul Reader for their local coverage! Consider becoming a member now, during their drive, and support local news in your city! My favorite parts of membership have included postcards by local artists and early access to some stories.”
WSP City Council Member Lisa Eng-Sarne
Rewards
We have huge rewards for new members, worth more than a total of $6,000. Every new or upgraded member will get a prize pack valued at more than $125, including*:
- West St. Paul buttons & stickers! (Big thanks to Andrew Baussan and Travis Olson for the slick designs.)
- First 50 get a $100 gift card to Block Portrait Studios.
- First 40 get a $5 coupon to Clothesline Laundromat.
- Everyone gets a gift card*: We have 60 gift cards from local businesses, ranging in value from $10 to $75, worth more than $1,200 total. We’ll make sure everyone gets one, handing out some as bonuses and doing a random drawing for any extras. (Participating businesses include 5-8 Grill & Tap, Amore Coffee, Beirut Restaurant, Culver’s, FoodSmith, Inver Grove Ford, Pace’s Automotive, Sports Clips, Turbo Tim’s Anything Automotive, and WSP Chiropractic.)
Regular benefits: 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.
Party: Plus, we’re throwing a members-only party at the end of the member drive. Want an invite? Gotta be a member.
“Give the West St. Paul Reader your donations! They do a great job doing research and helping people understand the realities (and not just perception) of the events in our city!”
Lance LaRue
What We Offer
Neighborhood news is a huge benefit to the community, but here are specific things we offer:
- Informing the community: Much of this work is about informing the community. We’ve broken stories countless times and shared local news stories other outlets won’t cover. Learn more
- Election coverage: In-depth coverage of local campaigns that otherwise get little if any attention. Since 2019, we’ve covered 7 elections with 6 voter’s guides, 63 candidates, and 67 candidate questions. Learn more
- Local government coverage: City Council meetings are the lifeblood of a community and we make them accessible. Since 2019, we’ve shared 105 City Council recaps and 87 previews. Learn more
- History: We love digging into local history. We’ve shared 81 history stories and 31 Then & Now pieces. Learn more
- Contributors: We hired contributors 15 times in 2023, and 14 of those times we were giving a student opportunity and experience. Learn more
- Local postcards: Since 2019, we’ve commissioned local artists to create postcards 11 times, highlighting West St. Paul and supporting local creatives. Learn more
“The West St. Paul Reader is the most amazing source of hyper local news. I especially value the voting guide that comes out every election cycle for the local races that aren’t otherwise covered in media. Consider becoming a member yourself.”
Jessica Mager
Events
We’re planning two events throughout our member drive to connect with the community:
- Community Q&A: Tuesday, November 14 we’re hosting a Community Q&A with West St. Paul City Manager Nate Burkett and ISD 197 Superintendent Peter Olson-Skog to answer community questions. It’s starts at 6 p.m. at Amore Coffee.
- Members-Only Party: Sunday, November 19 at FoodSmith. Want an invite? Join now.
“What a unique and special gift we have in WSP to be able to look to a balanced and reliable source of ultra-local news! Going to go become a member right now!”
Lara Winter
FAQ
- How does neighborhood news even work? We explored how it works during our last member drive.
- 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 or get you any rewards. 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 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 upgrade to a higher tier. But seriously, you’re already helping so much simply by being a member. So thank you. No pressure to upgrade.
Thanks.
“Thank you West St. Paul Reader for helping get the word out!”
West St. Paul Police Department
* Disclaimer: “Everyone gets a gift card” applies to the first 50 new or upgraded members. “Prizes worth at least $125” applies to the first 40 new or upgraded members. Calculations based on face value, not actual cash value. Void where prohibited.