An Appeal for Donations

Dear Reader,

It has been just over five years since I published the first issue of the Sustainable Times.

That first issue came out in October 2004; it had 16 pages and was mainly in black and white. Distribution was at the Dane County Farmers’ Market mostly and about 50 other locations. Half a dozen local businesses had ads in the paper that paid for the printing.

Since then the paper has grown to 32 full-color pages, distribution to 350 locations in five counties, and the number of advertisers to more than a hundred in any given issue.

The Sustainable Times has established itself as the premier publication dedicated to all issues of sustainability: food, energy, building, transportation, health, local businesses, agriculture, natural resources, and many others.

Since that first issue many things have changed.

Public awareness for sustainability has grown considerably in the past five years, to the point where mainstream businesses are taking it seriously (to varying degrees) and even politicians pay at least lip service to it.

The country (and the world) has also been hit by the largest economic downturn since World War II. Where there’s a problem, there’s an opportunity, although it remains to be seen whether we will have used that opportunity to redirect our economy towards a more sustainable future.

And talking about sustainable future: The Sustainable Times needs your help.
The businesses that support the Sustainable Times through their advertising have all been hit by the economic downturn. Many have cut back on advertising, others have cashflow problems, some have gone out of business.
And yet, all things considered, my advertisers have stayed remarkably loyal, and as they support the Sustainable Times, they deserve our support.

It’s not the Costcos, Walmarts, Budweisers, Citigroups, Targets, Trader Joes, Barnes and Nobles, Toys R Us, Home Depots, Shopkos or Walgreens of this world that support our communities - it’s the local, independent businesses that do.

We’re all in this together.

When I started the Sustainable Times, I made a conscious decision to have it be a free publication for my readers.

And I want to keep it that way.

But I need a second source of revenue to complement the advertising income, so that I can grow the publication and put it on a solid financial footing.

That is why I appeal to you, my readers, for donations.

I know that there are many calls on the private purse.

But I also know from the feedback that I receive that you are a dedicated, loyal and growing group of readers, and I hope that I can count on your support.

It is now more important than ever before to work towards establishing a more sustainable society.

Please help me get the message out.

Thank you,

George Zens

P.S. Please make checks out to:

Sustainable Times

and mail them to:

P.O. Box 620644
Middleton, WI 53562-0644