Donations to Standpoint will be matched £ for £

Readers of the Guardian are still ruminating over the "Long Read" essay by the paper's Editor-in-Chief Katharine ("Kath") Viner that appeared on November 16. After several thousand words about the paper's Manchester origins, its occasionally embarrassing history (it backed "the slave-owning south in the American civil war" and opposed the NHS) and the great C.P. Scott (just plain Editor), she cut to the chase: "The Guardian is now funded more by our readers than by our advertisers".

So the paper now imitates the not-for-profit business model of Wikipedia. However, Guardian Media Group is not a registered charity, as its 800,000 donors will discover. The chief executive, David Pemsel, pays himself more than £700,000 a year; Ms Viner contents herself with less than £400,000. Last year the paper lost more than £45 million; luckily, the group still owns assets that cover these eye-watering losses pro tem. Still, the Guardian — which never pretended to be other than a profit-making business for two centuries — is now relying on donations to survive.

Now consider Standpoint — a little Revenge to the Guardian's great Spanish galleon. A decade ago, the magazine was founded under a charitable umbrella, the Social Affairs Unit. We recognised that highbrow journalism has seldom been profitable anywhere in the world. In that time we have built a subscription, newsstand and online readership, at home and abroad. Our readers are loyal and their numbers have grown steadily; our influence is commensurate. But it was never expected that Standpoint could rely on sales and advertising to break even. It has from the outset depended on the generosity of those who share our vision that Western civilisation needs to be championed and defended.

To keep afloat, the magazine has been broadening its donor base for years. It now needs annual donations of £200,000. We still need to raise £20,000 for this year and we need to make headway with our fundraising for 2018, our tenth anniversary year. Not a penny of this will be wasted; staff, offices and all other costs have been cut to the bare minimum.

As in August, one of our supporters has offered to match all donations pound for pound — up to a total of £20,000 — we receive. Thus your support would be especially welcome at the moment.

In addition, for anyone who donates £50 or more we will set up — if they so wish — a one year UK Gift Subscription to whoever they designate. In this way, we can further spread the message of why Standpoint is essential reading.  To set this up email [email protected]

There is no other magazine like Standpoint anywhere in the world. We are confident that tens of thousands more readers will benefit from its unique range of writing, especially once the magazine's long-term future is assured. Please get in touch if you would like to contribute, or if you know someone else who would enjoy it and might be able to help.

Thank you for your unfailing generosity.

Daniel Johnson

Editor, Standpoint magazine



Standpoint is published by the Social Affairs Unit — a UK registered charity — and donations are eligible for Gift Aid.  Existing supporters are generous enough to make donations ranging from £50 to £25,000.

As in August, one of our supporters has offered to match all donations pound for pound — up to a total of £20,000. Thus your support would be especially welcome at the moment.

In addition, for anyone who donates £50 or more we will set up — if they so wish — a one year UK Gift Subscription to whoever they designate. In this way, we can further spread the message of why Standpoint is essential reading. To set this up email me: [email protected]

Donations are Gift Aidable and should be made to the Social Affairs Unit.  You can do so most conveniently by bank transfer to:

Account name: Social Affairs Unit

Sort Code: 30 - 96 - 64

Account No: 28880068

Alternatively you can send a cheque (or a CAF/other Charity Voucher) - made out to "Social Affairs Unit" to me at Standpoint at:



Standpoint

10 Greenwich Quay

London

SE8 3EY

Those wishing to donate using PayPal should email me at [email protected] and I will set up a PayPal "invoice" for them to settle.

Thanks again for your support and enthusiasm for the magazine. It is much appreciated.

Michael Mosbacher

Managing Editor, Standpoint magazine

Director, Social Affairs Unit