Help out Tone Madison, and I’ll match you up to $700

A challenge from Editor-in-Chief and Publisher Scott Gordon.

Photo by Jennifer Bastian.

Because you, our readers, make our work possible by signing up as Tone Madison Sustainers, I want to do all I can to keep that support going when I’m able. I am offering a $700 match from my own pocket. I had a bunch of backed-up unemployment come through recently. It’s a relief—I don’t pay myself to run Tone Madison yet, and I’ve lost some other income during the pandemic. But I don’t need all this.

I will put up $25 for each person who signs up to become a new Tone Madison Sustainer at the $10 per month level or higher, up to $500. For every current Sustainer who increases their monthly give, I will throw in $10, up to $200. 

Donate here or click the circular button in the lower right-hand corner of your window.

What does an extra $700 upfront and 20 new Sustainers do for Tone Madison? Raising money means we can pay our writers a little better for more work. It means we can plan more confidently for our future in an incredibly precarious time for small, independent publications. Journalists like Alice Herman, Emilio Leanza, Steven Spoerl, Sannidhi Shukla, Dayna Long, Jess Haven, John McCracken, Mia Sato, Hayley Sperling, and Grant Phipps have been absolutely above-and-beyond this past month, providing commentary and reporting that cuts through the canned narratives and gives you a deeper perspective on culture and politics in Madison. The work’s always hard, and at a few points lately it’s been just plain dangerous. 

Tone Madison journalists and guest columnists have been on the ground witnessing Madison police and National Guard troops assault protestors. They’ve examined the fraught politics of all that new art on State Street. They’ve thought deeply about how the recent protests challenge Madison’s political culture and called out other media outlets when appropriate. And we’re still writing about local bands, multimedia art, film, and even a beloved karaoke bar. 

I have mixed feelings about asking right now. There are many other great causes happening in Madison that need your immediate support. Besides all of the pressing needs of the community, our economic system is failing us terribly and I realize that many of you are feeling the pressure too. We have always strived to be honest and transparent with our audience. Simply put, Sustainers are our biggest source of income. Independent media is in peril. We need you. 

P.S.: If you’re still giving via PayPal or Patreon, please cancel your giving on there at your earliest convenience and switch over to our new donation system, which you can access via tonemadison.com/donate or via the circular button in the lower right-hand corner of your window. (PayPal instructions here, Patreon instructions here.) If you’re currently a Sustainer, please consider filling out our feedback survey so that we can learn a bit more about you and serve you better.