While results are still being tabulated, it appears that the 2008 People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo fund drive has been completed successfully, marking, despite some objective difficulties, our best fundraising year to date.

Earlier in 2008, we announced a goal of $200,000, and as of now, receipts show that we are less than $5,000 short of our goal, with some money yet to be counted.

2008 was a harder year than most in which to raise funds. The economic crisis has caused many people’s disposable income — already sparse after 30 years of extreme right rule — to dry up. At the same time, we had to raise the rates we charge for bundles of the paper by 100 percent, and become much more strict in collecting payments.

In the midst of all this, our newspaper experienced its worst mailing crisis in decades (now solved, we believe!), in which subscription copies to our readers were delayed for weeks or months, and sometimes didn’t show up at all.

And our supporters are some of the most involved people in American political life, so our most active readers/supporters spent much of their time engaged in the 2008 elections that resulted in a stunning victory for the people’s movement. This is what we’re all about, but it did make it harder to spend time raising money.

What does all this mean?

In the context of a terrible financial crisis and an election that took more energy than any in recent years, our readers and supporters brought in more money, through increased payments for bulk orders and the annual fund drive, than at any point since at least the early 1990s.

The entire editorial board and staff, as well as all of our volunteers, are convinced that as the movement for peace, jobs, democracy and equality continues to strengthen and grow, so will the People’s Weekly World/Nuestro Mundo, both in terms of readers and in terms of finances.

To contribute to the PWW’s 2009 fund raising activities (it’s never too early!) please call, write or go to pww.org.

— Dan Margolis