My beloved Daily Kos is requesting subscriptions and donations to fund and promote the progressive cause and our torch-bearers. This is fair and commonplace. But I have a proposal for Kos and the community, one which I think will generate even more funds, and more benefits to members, and possibly more clout.
Mind you, I come to Daily Kos for emotional and intellectual benefits. This is an incredibly empathetic and knowledgeable community. But is this all we have to offer?
Several other non-profit organizations, seeking to promote themselves and their objectives, have found additional ways to feather their nests. For example, the American Automobile Association (AAA) now offers travel service and various kinds of insurance. AARP offers travel services, life insurance, long term care insurance, Medicare supplement insurance, and auto insurance. Both offer a host of discounts, as well.
Some of these offers might not fit with the mission of Daily Kos, but I ask you to consider the model: a not-for-profit using businesses to generate funds. To some extent this has already been done with ad space on Daily Kos. But I believe we have more to offer.
At my stage in life, I am chiefly interested in financial products. I would apply for a Daily Kos credit card, Visa or Mastercard, as long as the rates and fees were comparatively low. I might even invest in a DK Mutual Fund, if approved by our incredible cadre of economists. Of course, these financial entities would have to pass political criteria as well as economic criteria, but this should be reasonably feasible.
Additional DK offers might include: insurance for legal representation; a publishing house (including for Daily Kos diary collections -- I would like the history collections); and mobile service through CREDO. There could be others I haven't thought of. Other Kossacks may have their personal interests, which I will rely upon them to convey.
The beauty of this is that we could benefit both as a community and individually. There will be a concern, of course, about our investments in the status quo, and this is a valid concern. I hope that we can find corporations with whom to affiliate which reflect our ideals as Progressives. Alternatively, I believe it is within our capacities to form corporations, if necessary.