Are You In This Fight?

I had an exchange with someone in the comment box today about how exhausting the slog is right now. I know you know what I mean. Every day, you’re out there fighting for your faith. Every day, you’re reading the stories that make you want to tear your hair out, but you still share them with your family and friends, hoping you can convince the ones who haven’t woken up to get on board, hoping to provide encouragement and information to those already wide awake.

It’s an uphill battle, it’s often thankless, and you wonder sometimes if it’s really possible to ever get a “win”.

Here at 1P5, we put our shoulder to the task each day. We bring you not just the stories that matter to you, but the analysis that helps decode what’s really going on behind the scenes. Often, we take risks, going out on a limb for stories that we know nobody else will report, because the truth matters, and we can’t stand to see it hidden.

This doesn’t always make us a lot of allies. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen people say they refuse to read a story from 1P5, dismissing what we have to offer before they even give us a chance. I’m sure you’ve experienced this too. The truth can make people very uncomfortable. It’s often easier for people to shoot the messenger than to deal with the message. It’s a good thing we aren’t in this for the accolades, because except for all of you, we don’t have a lot of friends.

And you shall be hated by all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall persevere unto the end, he shall be saved.  – Mt. 10:22

You read 1P5 because you’re not content to stay asleep. You share our stories because you believe that Catholics have the right — and even the obligation — to know what’s going on in the Church. You come back day after day because you take seriously your duty, imprinted upon you at confirmation, to be a soldier for Christ. And because of you, we’ve served 14 million pages of news and analysis to millions of readers around the world since we opened up shop just less than three years ago. We are the most widely-read traditionally-focused Catholic publication online. We are a voice that cannot be ignored, not at home, and not in Rome. They have gotten the message. They know that we are watching them, and that we won’t be dissuaded from defending Our Lord and His Holy Church.

And now, we need you to help keep that going. 

Over the course of this summer, our fundraising efforts have fallen consistently short of the mark. As it stands, we’ve brought in just $3,400 of our monthly $20,000 goal. In fact, we have yet to hit 100% of our monthly goal yet in 2017. We only have 13 days left in the month. We need to make up our shortfall, or we’re going to be in real trouble.

I’ll be completely up front with you: running 1P5 is my full-time job. I support a family of 10 people with this work. It is essential for me to be able to make ends meet so that I can continue to devote all my working (and sometimes, nearly all my waking) hours to this effort. Our staff has expanded to include Drew Belsky, our incredibly talented associate editor, who helps me to manage all of the incoming submissions and works with our many writers who contribute pieces you won’t find anywhere else. We do what we can to keep costs manageable. We work from home instead of having a fancy office. I manage all the technical and design and marketing tasks myself. I answer my own emails (usually late, but I try.) We also micro-fundraise, asking for manageable amounts on a monthly basis, rather than big quarterly goals like other publications. I know how hard it is to support a family and pay all the seemingly never-ending bills. I know that’s why the majority of our donors are only able to give a little each month. We have been incredibly blessed to receive a handful of large individual donations — sometimes by anonymous donors whom we wish we could thank — but the truth is, the majority of what we do here has been built and funded by people who give what little they can. Often, these are donations of $5, $10, or $20. Some give more. And the beauty of being 100% reader-funded is that we’re able to bring you stories most other outlets won’t touch, for fear of upsetting donors or damaging their relationships with powerful figures in the Church.

So today, I’m asking you: will you join us in this fight?

Before I go, I wanted to share one thing with you. There was a person earlier this week who made a donation of just 1 cent. They sent a message along with their donation that said, “I can’t afford any more than this, but as I know from personal experience, Every cent helps.” And you know what? They’re absolutely right. If every person who has visited 1P5 in the past 30 days gave just 25 cents, we’d go over our goal by $10,000. 

The point is: we’re all in this together, and no amount is too small, because we have strength in numbers.

Thank you to all of you who have given so much. And thank you to all of us who will continue to give. I say it so often it may sound like a cliche, but it’s true: we cannot do this without you. If you’d like to join us, just click the button below. You can make a tax-deductible donation without ever leaving this page.

Be assured of our prayers, and remember, we have Masses offered for donors twice a month.

In Christ,
Steve Skojec
Publisher & Executive Director
OnePeterFive