Tico Times readers donate $8,000

The Tico Times’ month-long fundraising campaign through the international crowd-funding platform Indiegogo ended this week.

The funding goal was set at $10,000, a modest sum that would only be able to sustain the digital paper into the near future while other business plans are formulated. Thanks to more than 100 generous donors, the online newspaper raised $8,016 in a single month of fundraising.

Twenty-four donors pledged $100 each, contributing nearly a third of the total amount raised. The $100 category received more donations than any other. Caitlin Randall and an anonymous donor each pledged $500 to the fundraiser, while Barry Schwartz, head of the Do The Right Thing Foundation, wrote a $500 check to The Tico Times to keep the paper moving forward.

The outpouring of support from Tico Times readers in Costa Rica and abroad has made the paper’s volunteer staff proud to be a part of this storied institution. The Indiegogo page (www.indiegogo.com/ticotimes) was full of encouraging comments that left staff nearly speechless as they read through the 60 remarks.

One donor, Anthony L., wrote: “The Tico Times has been a valuable resource for many decades in Costa Rica and beyond. It has trained generations of journalists, and during periods when there were only right-wing ideological voices in the Costa Rican Spanish media, the Tico Times stood firm for good, honest journalism.”

As announced at the start of the campaign, with the funds, The Tico Times plans to continue being a bastion of quality journalism in Central America for as long as it  can. Running a newspaper – even a digital one – isn’t cheap, and the money will go towards keeping the lights on and covering basic operating costs while the paper makes the transition to online-only.

The print edition’s past debts are being met via other financial arrangements. Without our readers’ donations, it would have been impossible to continue publishing.

A detailed accounting of how the donations are being used will be provided to all donors who request it.

The paper’s situation is not unique to the media world. Like numerous other institutions, The Tico Times is looking for ways to continue providing readers with quality journalism. For now, it has been the paper’s readers who have come to the rescue.

Although The Tico Times did not raise the entire sum that was set as a goal, the fact that loyal readers provided more than $8,000 dollars in a little more than 30 days is phenomenal.

The Tico Times is immensely thankful. As it moves move into its digital chapter, the encouragement will serve as a constant reminder of the devoted community the paper serves. Our deepest thanks to everyone who has helped us push forward in our mission to continue providing you with the best possible journalism.