''The Contributor'' is a bi-weekly street newspaper published in
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
, United States. The publication's content focuses on primarily social justice issues as they are framed by politics, music, art, culture, sports,
homelessness and
poverty. It is written by local journalists as well as people experiencing homelessness or working within the homeless community. The magazine's editors are Amanda Haggard and Linda Bailey.
As an organization, The Contributor is a nonprofit social enterprise providing economic opportunity with dignity to people experiencing or who have experienced homelessness and poverty. Every two weeks, a new issue of The Contributor is published and sold by over 150 vendors in Middle Tennessee. By signing a contract and attending training, Contributor vendors become independent micro-business men and women who invest in their own micro-businesses by purchasing papers for $.50 and selling them for $2.00 plus tips to the public. They become Contributors to the economy, to their own quality of life, and to the community. The organization's executive director is Cathy Jennings.
History
''The Contributor'' was established as a newspaper in 2007 by a core group of volunteers. The first issue was published in November of that year and had a circulation of about 800 copies. The paper publishes consistently on a twice monthly basis and expanded its circulation and vendor network to become the one of the highest-circulating street newspaper of its kind in
North America
In 2010, ''The Contributor'' received
501(c)(3) status, becoming an independent
non-profit organization
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
. One of the founders of ''The Contributor,'' Tasha French, received the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their hom ...
Community Quarterback award for their volunteer efforts with the paper.
The award came with a $10,000 grant.
Since 2009, more than 3,200 different vendors have purchased $2,300,000 worth of The Contributor and sold over 6 million copies, generating over $15,000,000 in legitimate income for themselves. With verified paper purchases, income can be extrapolated to apply for subsidized or traditional housing. As a result, over 70% of the vendors who have vended with us for six months or more have obtained housing. ''The Contributor'' is one of many
street publications in the United States. Others include
Real Change
''Real Change'' is a weekly progressive street newspaper based in Seattle, Washington, USA written by professional staff and sold by self-employed vendors, many of whom are homeless. The paper provides them with an alternative to panhandling ...
in
Seattle, Washington
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest region ...
and
Spare Change News in
Boston, Massachusetts. Many of these vendors have moved onto other more traditional employment.
Affiliations
''The Contributor'' is a member of the
North American Street Newspaper Association and the
International Network of Street Papers
The International Network of Street Papers (INSP) is a Glasgow, Scotland, based trade organization founded in 1994 for over 100 street newspapers from 35 countries. INSP organises a yearly conference and provides technical assistance and a wire ...
.
See also
*
List of street newspapers
This is a list of notable street newspapers. A street newspaper is a newspaper or magazine sold by homeless or poor individuals and produced mainly to support these populations. Most such newspapers primarily provide coverage about homeless ...
References
External links
The Contributor home page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Contributor, The
Street newspapers
Newspapers published in Tennessee
Publications established in 2007
Mass media in Nashville, Tennessee