The numbers are in from our first full month of publishing the Kent Good Times Dispatch and they have exceeded our wildest expectations.
Our website was opened 2,400 times in the past month, garnering 6,000 article views. The average reader peruses two articles per visit, with the most popular categories being Local News and Political reporting.
A good start, but there is plenty of room for improvement. In the near future expect to see advertising, an expanded Calendar of Events and improvements in layout and readability. We also hope to expand our coverage of events and eventually to produce a print edition.
But the newspaper is running on a shoestring, with $20,000 in the bank and a very large insurance payment due. Our editor is working many more hours each week than the seven and a half she is paid for. The Board of Directors augments her time occasionally with volunteer help, but we want to hire her full time and add a layout person and business manager. To do this, we need YOU!
We can’t improve, or even continue at our current pace, as the shoestring is getting very short. Which is why we are asking you to help. Through the end of December donations of any amount up to $1,000 will be matched, dollar for dollar, through a $26,000 Matching grant from the Institute for Nonprofit News. We hope to raise a minimum of $6,000 by the end of Giving Tuesday (November 28). The matching funds would boost that to $12,000.
Donating is easy. Find the DONATE tab at the top of the page, click it and select how you want to donate (for many, a monthly donation is the easiest way to make an impact).
Or mail a check to Kent News, Inc., PO Box 532, Kent, CT 06757.
KNI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation; donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law.
Like what you’re reading? Fill out the subscription form on the right side of the page and get an email notice every Thursday morning reminding you that the new edition is out.
Kent News, Inc. is a non-partisan, nonprofit news and information source committed to building community and enhancing the lives of our residents, businesses, and organizations by providing trusted local information and covering topics of interest to the Kent Community.
