Dear Reader:

I write with hope and gratitude as we look ahead to a new season at Image. It’s been a momentous year, with much happening behind the scenes.

Image’s future looks bright. We are in the final stages of interviews for our next editor in chief, and our conversations with the talented pool of applicants have been tremendously energizing. We can’t wait to introduce our new editor later in September. To be among the first to know, make sure you’re subscribed to our weekly enewsletter, ImageUpdate.

We’ve continued expanding our programs, and this fall we’ll offer our largest slate of online classes yet, featuring Susanne Paola Antonetta, Bruce Beasley, Marilyn McEntyre, Sarah Stone, and Abram Van Engen. We’ve also launched InStudio, a series of video interviews with selected contributors from each issue.

If you’ve been wishing for more in-person community around our pages, you might consider starting an Image reading group in your area, as readers have done in seven cities so far. We’d love to send you a free starter kit with copies of the newest issue, discussion questions, a subscription discount, Image pens, and copies of Care and Keeping: A Guide to Image Groups, our booklet on loving and honest community discussion—plus an Image tote as a thank-you gift to you as group leader.

We are moving forward in confidence, but there is still work to do. Earlier this year, you may have heard about Image’s near closure and miraculous resurrection. In February, we acknowledged a budget crisis and set in motion a plan to wind our operations down gracefully.

What came next was beyond anything we could have imagined. A longtime supporter came forward with a proposal: an ongoing six-figure annual gift that bridges our budget gap and opens exciting new possibilities. Image was offered a new life—and we didn’t miss an issue.

Still, while this gift covers the budget gap, we must expand our base of individual donors in order to maintain and expand our operations. Last year, we increased our average gift size and our number of $1,000+ donors, but we must grow gifts in the $10,000–$25,000 range to ensure our sustainability. If this might be you, I’d love to talk, but even if you can’t give at this level, every dollar helps us reach our goals. It is critical for us to expand both the depth and breadth of our donor support.

We also need to grow our foundation and institutional giving—toward our long-term goal of 30 percent of revenue. Several universities have approached us about partnering on our programs, and we are pursuing additional leads.

Last, we need to increase the number of people who know about Image, especially subscribers and event attendees. If you have friends you’ve been meaning to tell about us, now is a great time. We’re offering a 35-percent discount on two-year subscriptions for new subscribers.

We staff have loved hearing from so many of you this year—about what Image means to you, and your joy, relief, and gratitude that we’ll survive. I am so thankful for the support of our community—and that’s not just code for money, though certainly we welcome financial gifts. Support can also mean buying a gift subscription, taking a class, or telling a talented writer about us. Our ambitious but small staff depends on these grassroots efforts to foster a thriving community.

Thank you so much for being part of this work.

Sara Arrigoni
Executive Director
sarrigoni@imagejournal.org

September 5, 2024