A gap between periods of support from critical funders has left us more vulnerable than ever. We needed to raise $10,000 by April to help us maintain operations, so we launched our first BSR Readers Decide campaign. Our readers stepped up! Now the campaign continues through March 31, 2026 in the hope of raising a total of $15,000.
BSR’s coverage has always been up to our readers. So we ask you directly today: do you enjoy our journalism? Do you want our coverage to continue at its current level? If so, our future is up to you. Support us today with a one-time donation of any size that ensures we can keep publishing through this summer—and keep our writers paid.
If you give $60 or more (either in $5/month automatic payments, or a one-time gift), you’ll join the Friends of BSR, receiving free or deeply discounted admission to BSR events, invitations to our writers’ meetups, and special discounts and giveaways throughout the year. If you give $240 or more (either $20/month automatic payments, or a one-time gift), you’ll join the Local Media Champions, who get all the benefits of Friends, plus exclusive meetups with the editors, early access to special BSR content, and the pride of powering the independent journalism Philly’s cultural scene deserves.
BSR is a small nonprofit with very little overhead. Our fully remote, part-time team works hard every week to bring you the arts coverage you enjoy. The vast majority of our budget directly funds our freelance writers’ pay. And much of our budget comes from individual readers like you, who continue to ensure our financial and journalistic independence.
The vast majority of this campaign has been powered by small donors. These gifts added up quickly: with an average donation size of just $40, we raised $10,000 in less than three weeks. This is a record for our organization, and a much-needed boost for our passionate but under-funded team. Now that our spring coverage is safe, readers who want to join this campaign before it ends on March 31 can help secure our summer coverage.
Our donors are an important part of the BSR community, and we like to foster an ongoing connection that honors your support of our work long after you hit the donate button. So you decide! If you want to keep our coverage going, chip in to power our writers and editors today, and tell your network about this opportunity to ensure the survival of Philly arts journalism.
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1st Carise Mitch $64.26 raised 1 donation
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2nd Deana Stuart $60 raised 1 donation
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