Dear friends and fans of 48° North,
Since 48° North became a nonprofit publication by joining the Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) in 2018, the magazine and website have improved and expanded, and we hope you are appreciating this new era. In these five years, we haven’t asked our audience for donations, but today we are asking for the support of our loyal readers.
First, a little history. When the leadership teams at 48° North and the NWMC considered joining forces, legacy was central to the discussion. We were committed to carrying on 48° North’s four-decade tradition as a generous supporter of and collaborator with the communities of people passionate about sailing, cruising, and other waterborne activities around the Pacific Northwest; services offered for free thanks to the partnership of advertisers who put their trust in this magazine and those who enjoy it each month.
Recognizing evolutions of modern media, we analyzed an array of business models to help sustain and strengthen 48° North’s services to our existing communities, while hopefully broadening those communities and better serving the NWMC’s mission: to engage and educate people of all generations in traditional and contemporary maritime life, in a spirit of adventure and discovery. We contemplated subscription and digital pay-wall models, but resolved that the approach that best honored the goals of the publication and organization was to keep the education, information, inspiration, entertainment, and community connection found in the pages of every 48° North available to anyone for free, in print and online. Alternatively, and since we have the ability and infrastructure to ask for donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, reader support became part of our long-term plan. Moreover, we unanimously hypothesized (hoped!) that many readers who love 48° North might feel better about making a charitable gift than paying for issues of the magazine.
It is with these deeply held beliefs front-of-mind that we ask for your help. You get 48° North for free; and if you value our work, and you’re able to, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.
Whether you pick up a magazine in print, visit 48north.com to check out the daily posts or the SARC, or subscribe to our weekly emails highlighting fresh stories, please give. If you believe in this community of PNW boat folk and the ways that 48° North contributes to the people, businesses, organizations, and initiatives that facilitate a rich variety of on-water pursuits in the Pacific Northwest, we hope you’ll support us. And if you recognize that 48° North is part of a unique nonprofit ecosystem, and that success for our publication helps fuel far-reaching strategies serving the common good—addressing maritime workforce shortages and tirelessly expanding educational opportunities; forging and reinforcing rising-tide connections on the water and ashore; and inviting all people to experience the joy, adventure, and wonder of the best teacher we know, the sea—we encourage you to show your support with a donation.
If everyone who reads 48° North for free gave even a few dollars, it would stoke these fires of learning and fun, of transformative maritime experiences, and of rewards and relationships that last a lifetime. If some were able to give $100 or $1,000 or more, that would be even more impactful. Your support provides a beautiful ‘weather window’ for the good ship 48° North to continue its passage towards even brighter horizons.
With gratitude,
Joe Cline
www.48north.com/donate. Or send checks to:
48° North c/o NWMC, 431 Water Steet, Port Townsend, WA 98368
