Will you help us raise $5,000 by the end of August so that we can start off the new school year right?
It’s been a busy summer! Thanks to a grant from Canada Summer Jobs, we were able to hire three paid full-time temporary staff (the first paid staff we’ve ever had!), we launched a pitch list, onboarded 15 new incredible volunteer writers and editors, published 35 new articles on topics ranging from abortion rights to the treatment of Afghan refugees in Japan. But it’s also been challenging, which is the name of the game in non-profit journalism.
We are constantly competing with massive news organizations with deeper pockets, and as a volunteer-based publication, we’re doing this work while balancing school, work, family obligations, and more. We also recently had a pretty important grant fall through, meaning we’ll need to scramble a bit to cover our operating expenses. Regardless, we are committed to our mandate of highlighting underreported stories and giving a platform to young, progressive journalists. However, the reality is we cannot sustain it on our own.
For the rest of the summer, we’re on a mission to fundraise $5,000 so that we can begin the school year strong and cover our basic costs. We have some exciting plans for the fall (which will include some new series and more artwork), but we need your help to make it happen.
The work we do at Spheres of Influence is important. We are Canada’s only youth-led global affairs publication, and have provided opportunities for over 80 people to gain meaningful experience in journalism, research, editing, design, marketing, leadership, and so much more. We’ve helped people get into grad school, land their dream jobs, and decide on new career paths. We fill an important niche in a monopolized media landscape that often neglects progressive voices and aspiring journalists.
Our work is powered by readers who believe in what we do. If you’ve learned a thing or two from our work, help us keep making it!
Sincerely,
Dorothy Settles
Co-Founder and President
