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Letters to the Editor

Pacific Citizen by the Numbers … and Planned Giving (Reprise)

By March 23, 2018April 10th, 2018No Comments

Chip Larouche

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]pring is here, which means the Pacific Citizen’s 2018 Spring Campaign is in high gear! Have you sent your check in yet? I have! Sometimes, it helps to understand why something is important by looking “at the numbers.” So, let’s do that.

As of Dec. 31, 2017, there are 7,370 memberships in JACL nationally, which is down about 4 percent from 2016. The total 2017 revenue for the P.C. fell short of its target, despite the collection of an extra $17 per member who wanted to receive the newsprint version of the P.C., which brought in $35,632 — in other words, 2,096 of the memberships opted to receive the newsprint edition.

When we had 20,000 members, covering the cost to produce the P.C. was pretty easy. However, with our membership at 7,370, the P.C. “program” last year faced many challenges in raising revenue, even in these “good market” times.

Members with email addresses on file should also be receiving the electronic version of the Pacific Citizen — if you have chosen to do so — as well. If you are not, and you’d like to receive it electronically, send a note to JACL Membership Coordinator Mariko Fujimoto at mfujimoto@jacl.org.

The nice thing about the electronic version for those who don’t live in California is that you get to read the P.C. about a week before you receive the newsprint via U.S. mail, so it helps “all” JACL members read the P.C. at about the same time.

The goal for the Pacific Citizen’s Spring Campaign this year (and last year!) is $100,000. That would be about $14 per member. So, with that said, let me leave you with two thoughts:

  • If you think the Pacific Citizen is important to you and to JACL, please consider sending in $50 or $100 to the Spring Campaign. You can find the coupon with the address to send it to in this issue. It’s fully tax deductible to the extent of the law.
  • If you think the Spring Campaign isn’t worth your time and money, send me a note. I’d like to understand why!
  • For long-term sustainability, please consider the Pacific Citizen and JACL in your Planned Giving process like I have. This kind of “giving” is described at this link http://tinyurl.com/JACLPLAN, and Mr. Steve Okamoto, who can be reached at steveokamoto1@gmail.com, can explain how you can benefit from JACL’s charitable tax-exempt status and ensure the continued legacy of the JACL and the Pacific Citizen at the same time.

Hope to see many of you at the JACL National Convention this year, which will be held in Philadelphia from July 18-21. Full convention details will be coming out soon on the JACL website and in the P.C. and online.

Very Respectfully,

Chip Larouche, PNWDC Governor and P.C. Editorial Board Member