Covered in 2023
#
ARTICLES ON THE SUBJECT # SUBJECT 194 193
Opinion
182
Events
183
2023 Annual Report:
169
For 15 years, The Sopris Sun has existed as a hyperlocal nonprofit news source serving the Roaring Fork Valley. Like Mt. Sopris herself, we watch over the communities that comprise our paradisiacal home. The Sopris Sun was founded in February 2009, just six weeks after a news conglomerate folded Carbondale’s weekly paper on Christmas Eve. We were among the first nonprofit newspapers in the country, and a rural voice no less. From school athletics to endangered species, our focus is broad yet narrow — anything and everything that touches these valleys. Thanks to our community-access nonprofit model, our readers form an important part of meeting The Sopris Sun’s mission: to inform, inspire and build community by fostering diverse and independent journalism. Through letters to the editor, story pitches, guest columns, fiction submissions, one-off photos and more, this interactive newspaper is brought to life by its growing readership. With community as our compass, we lovingly compile a fresh issue every week, replete with all original stories written specifically for our diverse audience. We respond actively to feedback and strive to present a well-rounded reflection of all the facets that define this unique place. In 2023, The Sopris Sun sustained recent innovations including a youth journalism program for local high school students and original Spanish-language news bolstering the El Sol del Valle regional collaboration. We also launched a new website to improve the presentation of this content in both languages. According to an inventory of topics covered in 2023, “arts and culture” rose to the top with nearly 200 mentions (four per week on average) — and that’s not counting our weekly events calendar. Next was “environment and sustainability,” themes we know are cherished by the people who live here.
Last year, The Sopris Sun was rewarded for its comprehensive community coverage with a competitive grant from the state’s Department of Local Affairs for $100,000 dedicated to improving nonprofit infrastructure. Much of that gift will help us in 2024 toward strengthening El Sol del Valle with a rebranded identity and dedicated mission: to provide a reliable, increasing source of Spanish-language information that supports and grows the health, impact and well-being of the rapidly growing and diverse Latino/a/x community from Parachute to Aspen. Building off the success of a partnership with the Aspen Daily News, El Sol del Valle will be printed as a standalone by The Sopris Sun while both English-language newspapers sunset the inclusion of a Spanish-language insert within their pages. This shift is reflective of extensive listening sessions and the inauguration of a Spanish-language community advisory board. We face exciting new challenges with El Sol del Valle production, printing and distribution falling wholly under our purview. It will add substantially to our budget but also magnify our impact, especially in the Colorado River Valley where more of El Sol del Valle’s editorial coverage will be focused. The Sopris Sun considers access to quality journalism essential to public health and a functioning democracy. At a time when for-profit news media struggles to remain viable nationally, we are proud to pioneer a new model for local journalism — for and by the community it serves — and we can’t do it alone.
194
Events
Environment & Sustainability
182
183
Total: $559,422
2022
Total: $544,986
Total: $528,730
2022 Total: $456,729
Total
Total
Staff
Advertising
$405,972 $394,052
Grants
Admin & Rent $66,069 $66,170
$120,460 $57,304
Donations
Distribution
$16,600
100k
$305,759 $316,043
Printing & Web $70,781 $68,164
0k
2023
$102,511
$83,382 200k
300k
400k
500k
600k
0k
100k
200k
300k
400k
500k
600k
89 78
132
130
127
118
102
To sponsor or advertise as a business, email adsales@soprissun.com or call 970-510-0246.
Scan to donate
County Government
99
or you can mail a check to: P.O. Box 399, Carbondale, CO 81623.
Animals
Downvalley Elsewhere
Agriculture/Gardening/Ranching
46
Upvalley
45
Housing
Families/Child Care CMC
38
Carbondale Arts
34
History
37
Obituaries Libraries
32
The Sopris Sun
30
Adult Athletics/Parks & Rec.
27
Immigration
29
Business
Transportation
Crystal Valley
31
K-12 Education
Latinos
48
33
Local Government
Hard/Breaking News/Crime
School Athletics
46
169
Business
52 50
We hope you will support us by making a one-time or recurring donation, sponsoring the newspaper as a business or volunteering your time and talents.
REVENUE 2023 vs 2022
County Government
54
State & Federal Government
Health/Safety
99
102
57
Outdoors & Recreation
K-12 Education
Fiction/Comic/Puzzle
60
Nonprofits
State/Federal Government
103
72
Join us!
2023
Local Government
77
To donate to The Sopris Sun, visit www.soprissun.com/donate
EXPENSES 2023 vs 2022
127 114
Arts & Culture
Nonprofits (general)
Outdoors/Recreation
118
“Events,” “nonprofits” and “outdoors & recreation” followed, with “state/federal” and “local government” trailing close behind. “K-12 education,” “business” and “county government” also fell within the top 10 categories.
Environment/Sustainability
132 130
The Sopris Sun sees it all. How lucky are we?
Arts & Culture
24
Elections
Senior Citizens KDNK
21
Thunder River Theatre
14
5Point
16 12
Indigenous Peoples TACAW
11
LGBTQ+
7
VOICES
9 6
Homelessness Disabled
6
Book Review
5
Veterans
5
Carbondale Clay Center
Thursday, June 20 (TONIGHT!)
The Sopris Sun will host a community pizza potluck party at the community oven behind the Third Street Center from 5 to 8pm (please RSVP to todd@soprissun.com).
Saturday, June 29
El Sol del Valle will celebrate its relaunch at the Glenwood Springs Branch Library on from 4 to 8pm, unveiling a new logo that distinguishes it from The Sopris Sun.
Both events are free and open to all.