Monday, January 20, 2014

BC takes the crowdfunding plunge

Readers,

After a months-long hiatus during which I did a lot of soul searching, took a lot of meetings, and explored various options for this website's future, I've decided to go the crowdfunding route and launch a fundraising campaign through Indiegogo. The details of the campaign are below. And please, if you can't provide a monetary contribution at this time, please share this link with your friends, family, business associates, and anyone else you think would be interested.

The link for the campaign is (or just click on the widget to the right):
http://igg.me/at/building-cincinnati/x/5970029


What You'll Get

Building Cincinnati covers news relevant to the built environment in the region's urban core, including the City of Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky's river cities, and the region's first suburbs.
Among the content you will find:
  • Coverage of development projects, including renderings, groundbreakings, ribbon-cuttings, and dedications;
  • Photo updates of construction projects and urban photography essays;
  • Coverage of transportation projects, including highway, transit, freight, and port activity;
  • Coverage of public meetings, such as City and community councils, the Cincinnati City Planning Commission and the Historic Conservation Board;
  • Commentary and opinion from people working in relevant disciplines;
  • Requests for proposals (RFP), requests for qualifications (RFQ), and invitations to bid (ITB);
  • Events and exhibits related to architecture and the built environment; and
  • Access to exclusive real estate listing information and market trends.
When launched this spring, Building Cincinnati will be a subscription service priced at $8 a month.

Between five and ten articles a month will be available for non-subscribers, free of charge. To view the products offered as perks, please visit: http://www.cafepress.com/buildcincy

What I'll Get

Funding raised through this campaign will go to:
  • A redesigned website, content management system, and web hosting;
  • LLC filing materials and a state filing fee;
  • Photo hosting
  • An upgraded cell phone and plan for live tweeting, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, and instant updates;
  • A new camera to replace my six-year-old dinosaur with numerous "dead spots";
  • A new voice recorder and microphone;
  • Membership in the Online News Association;
  • Payment to freelance contributors;
  • Future sponsorships;
  • Business cards, travel expenses, and other incidentals;
  • Taxes; and
  • Indiegogo fees and gifts.
Any remaining funds will be used to support me while I perform the arduous task of transferring every page from Blogger to my new host/CMS, fix all of the broken links, and test everything out before going live.  It will also help me through the first couple of months after launch, due to all of the free months of subscriptions racked up by you contributors!

The Impact

A September 2013 survey revealed that 34 percent of Building Cincinnati readers use the website for professional purposes.

These readers come from a variety of disciplines, including:
  • State and local politicians;
  • Urban planners and engineers;
  • Architects;
  • Residential and commercial developers;
  • Residential and commercial real estate agents;
  • Contractors and members of the building trades;
  • Funders;
  • Community development corporations;
  • Peers in print journalism, radio, and television;
  • Environmental and sustainability organizations;
  • Transportation advocacy groups;
  • Arts groups;
  • Affordable/fair housing advocacy and development organizations;
  • Chambers of commerce and business associations;
  • Preservation advocates; and
  • CONCERNED CITIZENS LIKE YOU!

Other Ways You Can Help

If you can't contribute at this time, I completely understand.  But you can still help!  If you have a few seconds, please feel free to share this campaign with the people you think might be interested in this service.

Building Cincinnati has long been a labor of love.  Now is the time to make it financially viable.  I thank you for your readership and your contribution.

Kevin LeMasterEditor and PublisherBuilding Cincinnati