Starting in October, The Andover Beacon is launching a new annual fundraising campaign. The current level of community support for the Beacon – about 200 households, out of Andover’s 1,000 households – is simply not enough to make the Beacon a sustainable community project over the long haul.

Advertising currently accounts for about 75% of the Beacon’s annual revenue; the other 25% comes from donations from the community, and from subscriptions from out-of-towners. After nine years of struggling to sell more ads every month in order to balance the books, it’s become very clear that a small community newspaper like the Beacon simply can’t expect to drive ad sales much higher than they already are.

Only about 20% of Andover households donate to the Beacon, yet 100% of Andover households receive the printed Beacon at no charge every month, and 100% of Andover households can access AndoverBeacon.com at no charge, anywhere and anytime they can get to a Web connection.

Increasing that 20% to about 65% would be enough to put the Beacon on a firm financial footing for the forseeable future. And given that advertising revenues have proved stubbornly resistant to increasing, the only choice left is to increase donations.

So that’s the ultimate goal that the Beacon’s Board of Directors has set: Increase community donations to the point where about 650 Andover households donate every year.

Round Tuit … and more!

The “Get a Round Tuit” fundraising campaign will continue as always in the Beacon, with an annual donation envelope included in the February issue every year, and a Round Tuit postcard reminder mailed to every Andover address in April. For people who make their annual donation to the Beacon based on the envelope or the postcard, that’s the end of the story – no one will contact them in October.

But “Get a Round Tuit” only brings in donations from about 200 households each year – and the Beacon can’t continue if we can’t get that number closer to 650! To close the gap, we’ll be running a canvassing campaign each October from now on. Volunteer canvassers will select some of their Andover friends and neighbors who haven’t donated yet this year and contact them (by phone, by e-mail, or in person) to remind them that the Beacon needs their financial support every year. The slogan for the October canvassing campaign: “It’s Up to All of Us to Help Keep the Beacon Going!”

So if you’ve already donated to the Beacon this year, thank you! You’ve done your part to help keep the Beacon going, and our canvassers won’t be contacting you in October.

If you haven’t donated to the Beacon yet this year, please do so today! Or wait until October, when one of your friends or neighbors will ask you to do your part to help keep the Beacon going. Either way, your help is very important.

Donation Levels

When you donate to the Beacon, your money works very hard to help keep The Andover Beacon going. The table on the below shows some examples of exactly how your donation could make a difference.

No matter what level of donation makes sense for you, every dollar is greatly appreciated! To contribute, please make your check payable to The Andover Beacon and send it to PO Box 149, Andover 03216. To donate by credit card or Paypal online, visit AndoverBeacon.com or scan the gizmo above with your smartphone.

Community Publishing of Andover, Inc., the company that publishes the Beacon, is a New Hampshire charitable non-profit and is registered with the Charitable Trusts Division of the New Hampshire Department of Justice (reg. no. 15613). It has also been granted 501(c)(3) public charity status by the IRS, and therefore voluntary donations to the Beacon are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.