To a writer, there's no such thing as a free subscriber. All of you devote some portion of your most precious resource––your time––to reading my posts and often commenting on them. I am truly grateful for your attention, and it’s more than enough for me. It’s why I write.
That said, I want to be supportive of Substack, whose revenue model is based on paid subscriptions. So, here’s my solution.
I now offer a paid option, but there will be no difference in content or access between paid and free.
As well, all paid subscription revenues will be donated by me to The Robin Hood Foundation, a leading poverty fighting organization in New York City. Robin Hood has a thirty year history of doing innovative and highly impactful work, helping hundreds of not-for-profit organizations with both funding and advice.
The standard paid option on Substack is $5 per month or $50 per year. I asked my friends at Robin Hood what those sums might mean in terms of help. (They added the impact of a few larger sums, because why not?)
$5 provides three meals at a food bank
$50 covers 17 subway rides enabling a mom in shelter to take the subway to find housing and employment
$100 pays for 1,000 diapers for a baby in shelter
$300 will provide health care to an uninsured New Yorker
The Board of Robin Hood covers all administrative costs, so all contributions are purely incremental in terms of aid. Similarly, I will cover any fees charged by Substack.
If the spirit moves you, click the button below to review your contribution options.
Here’s a link to Robin Hood
https://www.robinhood.org
And if you have any questions for me, feel free to email me at robertsdavidn@gmail.com
This is incredibly kind and generous. I never really thought that if you don't offer a paid option that Substack doesn't get paid for providing this great platform for us to use. I only realized it when Margaret Atwood sent out her brilliant post last week. I love that you are also doing this and providing funds to a very worthy charity. Bravo.
What a lovely and generous concept.