BlogPac has made some big announcements recently. This past weekend,
we brought on Mike Stark as our new director of activism. Last week,
Lane Hudson was the recipient of our first Citizen's Hero award, and quite a few more of those are to come. Over the past three weeks, we have told you that BlogPac is working on a project to bring community blogging to every state in the country (see
here,
here and
here). Specifically, one of the things that meant was paying for the website hosting costs of 50 local, community blogs, which would help alleviate the burden on some of most our essential, local, progressive activists. Today, I am happy to announce that
you have put together the resources to make it happen, and we can announce the first group of bloggers who about to receive your support:
That is a pretty impressive list of some of the best local blogs in the country. They all are a vital part of the emerging progressive media landscape, and help to build local activist scenes. Thanks to you, all of them will now find it a little easier to keep operating in the future. You can see
the criteria for the blogs we are giving grants to at the BlogPac website, and we are going to keep going until we have funded at least one blog in every state.
Your support is essential, and so is another ingredient:
ActBlue, a shining example of new infrastructure for the emerging progressive movement. ActBlue has brought visibility and credibility to the fundraising might of blogs like
Daily Kos, MyDD, Swing State Project,
Firedoglake, Crooks &
Liars, Down with Tyranny, and
America Blog, who together raised
$2.2 million in 2005-06. Even more importantly for the
movement, ActBlue has enabled local bloggers to fundraise for below-the-radar candidates, building buzz and starting the snowball effect candidates like Paul Hackett need to compete. And with their efforts and our support, last year ActBlue expanded down ballot, so we can now bring online support to every Democratic candidate for state legislative and executive office in 22 states, regardless of the candidates' insider backing or technical savvy.
ActBlue and BlogPac are working together to strengthen local blogging, and so we've teamed up in an ambitious infrastructure-building effort. We've created a
joint ActBlue-BlogPac fundraising page where you can support both groups. Our goal by February 28:
1,000 supporters who will contribute monthly to each group for the next two years
A sustained movement takes sustained commitment from its members. Join
up today by committing to
$10/month,
$25/month, or
$50/month.
I am starting to sense a turning of the tide. Very soon from now, a future awaits where,
unlike my lament from last week, progressive movement money no longer flows in only one direction. Progressive movement money will be used not only to win elections, but to make sure that the ideas and people behind the movement are more self-sustaining.
Over time, as per your suggestions, we can use the infrastructure page to add more progressive movement organizations, and build this movement from the ground up. We will also continue to listen to your suggestions on new projects to support, as well as progressive activists who need help and recognition. Because BlogPac can't support any person, idea, or organization without your efforts, we won't engage in any project that does not have your backing. As we promised when we re-launched BlogPac back in June, we will be for the progressive movement, by the progressive movement. We can only change this country if we do it together.
Build progressive infrastructure. Join the movement today.
