Funding Cursor, Inc.
Incorporated as an IRS 501(c)(3) in 2000, Cursor, Inc.'s budget has grown from virtually zero to $150,000 annually, thanks to contributions from readers and both individual and institutional funders.
The response to six fundraising drives held since May 2004, when Cursor, Inc., actively solicited reader contributions for the first time, has far exceeded expectations, with more than 1,600 readers contributing a total of $60,000. And over the last three years, other individual funders have donated $100,000, and the Schuman Center for Media & Democracy has contributed $200,000, including a $100,000 matching grant that was matched at 100 percent. Cursor, Inc. also earned $10,000 in 2005 selling advertising through Blogads. (Advertiser list )
Since 2001, when Cursor and Media Transparency became a full-time pursuit for its two principals, Rob Levine and Mike Tronnes, each site has become an important part of the progressive media landscape, carving out a niche that is recognized as unique by a core group of readers, researchers and other media outlets, that have both utilized the sites and vouched for their quality to others.
The crucial next step for Cursor, Inc. is to institutionalize the organization by putting it on solid financial footing and building on what it has accomplished by expanding the total audience -- currently between 25,000 and 30,000 per day -- and increasing the impact of its editorial product. The key to this transition is a larger and more consistent funding base.
To fully fund Cursor, Inc. we have prepared a budget of $325,000 per year, which will allow the two principals to continue devoting themselves full-time to the project, hire additional employees to generate more original research and editorial, and further market Cursor and Media Transparency, which so far has been accomplished strictly through editorial interchange with other Web sites.
The primary focus of those efforts will be Media Transparency. With movement conservatives now firmly ensconced throughout the government, Media Transparency's research is essential to understanding the role that conservative funders play in shaping public policy. And while the mainstream media -- from reporters at major dailies to producers of cable TV and talk radio programs -- is more receptive than ever to this kind of information, it must also be educated on the conservative agenda and the financial players advancing it.
Accomplishing this requires both increased marketing of Media Transparency to media outlets and individuals that cover public policy issues, as well as working individually with writers, researchers and producers. Additional funding will allow us to hire a full-time editor/writer to further amplify Media Transparency's research, including a daily critique of the mainstream media's coverage of these issues -- similar to what Media Matters does, but focused on highlighting the omissions and distortions in reporting on the conservative movement.
The most effective way to ensure that a progressive media infrastructure emerges is to fund the organizations that are already leading the way. After five years of product development, Cursor Inc. is in a position to immediately expand the influence of its already well-established and highly respected Web sites, and your funding support will help us accomplish that.