Dear Friends

What you’re holding in your hands is the physical manifestation of the labor of our hands. When people visit the Santa Fe Reporter headquarters on Marcy Street, my favorite part of the nickel tour is the floor-to-ceiling bookshelf stacked with our bound volumes—each weekly issue of SFR since 1974 standing at attention. I tell people that if it fell over, it could kill us. Yet, I like to think more of the tall mountain the books would make, and upon which we are standing.

I’m writing because we need help to keep standing there.

It's amazing for me, personally, to be represented in the last five books on the shelf. We're just about to build a new shelf for the next five. SFR celebrated the paper's 45th birthday this summer, and as I write this, balloons and candy from our Best of Santa Fe block party in the Railyard are still littering our desks. (That's me at the party pictured above.)

The people on our staff are proud to produce and support journalism every week to help keep the Santa Fe community connected, to hold the government accountable, to raise the volume of voices on topics like public health, housing, water and energy, and to celebrate, question and unpack arts and culture. Not only is our print edition free, but we also provide a free website that's updated daily with breaking news and other stories and our events calendar.

Local business advertising has long been the way we pay for it all.

The business model, however, is changing. But, we're not giving up. Not by a long shot.

What we're doing is opening a new way forward. If you value journalism like ours, and you want it to be here in the future, be a friend. Join Friends of the Reporter at www.sfreporter.com/friends.

We want to do more journalism, not less. We've got story ideas falling out of our pockets. There's so much to talk about: not just how Santa Fe will get roofs over your heads, but what kind of businesses and organizations will shore up the larger economy and the people behind them, how New Mexico's state leaders will solve our big problems, where you'll work and how you will get around the city in the next decade.

If you're able, help us get there. We've set a goal to raise $20,000 this year. We'll make it easy for you to give a small amount each month or a one-time sum. In return, you'll get a 15% discount at our merch store, monthly giveaways and other fun stuff. Plus, our gratitude. The first 200 people to join for $9.74 per month get a pair of passes to the CCA.

In the coming weeks, watch this spot for more letters on the same topic.

Thank you,

Julie Ann Grimm SFR editor and publisher