For open context: an announcement on the future of Pasquines

Eight years ago, Pasquines started as a blog to cover ongoing political and policy issues that affected Puerto Rico vis-à-vis the federal government, and since then it has grown to become a nonprofit news organization that covers all of the United States unincorporated territories. It also serves as a training program for aspiring journalists from across the world, helping develop their skills as they begin their careers.

Today, we’re excited to announce we have partnered with the Open Collective Foundation as one of their collective initiatives. This means, that effective immediately, donations to Pasquines are tax-deductible for federal income tax in the United States (and its territories) through the IRS.

Open Collective is a platform where communities can collect and disburse money transparently, to sustain and grow their projects, developed by the Open Collective Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to “mission is to provide a simple, open, lightweight path for charitable initiatives and communities to operate through a 501(c)(3) entity.” Their focus is on nonprofit initiatives that increase access to educational resources and training with an emphasis on open source technology; create a positive social impact; and develop tools to improve civic participation.

With Pasquines’ mission being to “end the insularity between the United States and its territories, and to inspire the inclusion of these citizens in all critical considerations,” we saw an opportunity to take our efforts to the next level, and we wouldn’t have been able to be here without you, our readers, the many participants of our internship and volunteering programs, and our generous Patreon supporters. Expanding our donor base will enable us to expand our coverage efforts of everything involving the US territories, while also helping us train more future journalists with better tools and resources.

We invite you to make a tax-deductible contribution today and join our community on the Open Collective platform, where we will be posting regular updates on our progress and financial status as we grow. Whether it be $5, $10, or 50 every month, or a one-time contribution, your support makes a difference in our efforts to ensure the US territories are not ignored. You can also start conversations on our efforts with other supporters, as we post updates on our progress.

If you have any questions, please check out Open Collective’s frequently asked questions page for answers to the most common questions. You can also reach out to us for questions specific to Pasquines.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us in our efforts to cover the context of islands.