It’s simple. We need donors like you.
We don’t rely on ads. We don’t have corporate owners or sponsorship. Since we began accepting tax-deductible donations, the generosity of our readers has helped us pay our talented contributors to dive into San Francisco politics, transportation, the housing crisis, and now the coronavirus pandemic, which has changed San Francisco in fundamental, unexpected ways.
The Frisc puts all its efforts into facts, context, and analysis to help you navigate our city’s changes and crises. But we need your help.
MEMBERSHIP AND THE GOODIES YOU GET
Become a member by making your pledge monthly; it doesn’t matter how much. Simply check this box after you click to donate:
If you make a monthly donation of any amount, we’ll send you a gift — either a T-shirt with our fancy logo or a warm beanie — and invite you to a special event in 2021. Fingers crossed that it’ll be in person, not virtual.
If you prefer to give a one-time donation, that’s great, thank you! We’ve got swag for that too, and for $100 or more, we’ll send you either a shirt or a beanie.
If you still need more information, this FAQ might help:
I see that you’re an affiliate of Independent Arts & Media. What’s that?
Independent Arts & Media is our fiscal sponsor. Through its nonprofit 501(c)3 status, we’re able to ask folks like you for donations that you can claim as tax-deductible. IAM sends you a note acknowledging this and everything.
So where does all the money go?
In a nutshell: mainly to our writers and reporters. Here is a list of our contributors to date. The Frisc was founded to cover San Francisco and its rapid changes. Everything we cover — homelessness, criminal justice, transportation, small business, and more — is through the lens of the pandemic and its effects. The more you donate, the more we can pay contributors to explain and help shape our uncertain future.
Well, what impact have you had?
Once COVID-19 hit, The Frisc was the first outlet to raise the alarm on the lack of a cohesive plan to move homeless people into hotels.
A Frisc special report analyzed city crime records to rebut the argument that SF’s specialized “Navigation Center” shelters attract more crime when they open. This will be an important point if angry neighbors protest new shelters around town as the city resumes its longterm homelessness strategy.
In four short years we have become a venue for thought leadership on SF’s twin crises of housing and homelessness. When a respected urban planning researcher saw his well-known study being distorted to score political points in California, he published a rebuttal in The Frisc.
We have also brought to the fore issues of race and class affecting our city’s public schools, and have put a spotlight on local and bureaucratic obstacles to better transit and safer streets. As one post put it, “it’s the bureaucracy, stupid.”
What are your politics?
The Frisc is independent and nonpartisan. We don’t endorse officials, candidates, or ballot measures. We do believe in a diverse, dense, thriving, affordable city, where people get to work and school safely, start businesses fearlessly, and live their lives with dignity and respect. Before COVID, San Francisco was falling short of those goals. With the pandemic, those goals are in deep jeopardy. Help us keep fighting for a better city.
OK, but really, why should I donate?
You are a concerned citizen of San Francisco, or you’re outside looking in, trying to make sense of our changes and the crises. We want to help you understand more, engage more, and help shape a better place for each other.
There aren’t many publications devoted 100 percent to San Francisco. Since we launched in 2017, we’ve covered the city’s most pressing issues — housing, homelessness, street safety, schools, and so on. Everything we do focuses on the bigger civic picture, celebrating all that we share in this unique town.
Still have questions? Email thefrisc@gmail.com and ask us anything.
Most important, please support us. Thank you!
