A surprising number of you email us asking how one5c makes money. Every time I get one of those messages, I smile for the rest of the day, because it means that someone out there values what we do. Here’s your answer:
For the first year and a half, I paid for one5c—well, my wife and I did. I scraped together some savings, left my corporate media job, and sold a project car I’d restored. That gave me some baby-food-and-day-care runway to build this community. Pretty soon I started bringing in an income by consulting for companies who wanted to green up. Then, a little more than two years ago, Fragment Media acquired one5c, and we swapped out the consulting cash for advertiser dollars and sponsorships.
No offense to our beloved underwriters and revenue team, but ads were never the end goal. one5c is solely focused on producing journalism that serves its readers—not its advertisers. That’s why, today, we’re launching our Premium Membership. It’s the best way to be a part of the one5c community.
We didn’t want to ask you to pay for anything until we felt good about what we could offer in return. I think we’re there, but we won’t stop looking for ways to add value to this membership. Here’s what we have—so far:
- You’re supporting high-quality, reader-first journalism. (I hope you consider that a benefit!)
- No ads—in the newsletter, or on one5c.com.
- Special members-only content. This includes our cheat sheets (like this guide to home energy efficiency) and product reviews (check out our fresh pick for the best water bottle). Reminder: Unlike almost every other publication, one5c does not take a commission from any of the items we recommend.
- A heaping 50% discount on Cool Beans, our sister newsletter, which has more than 100 delicious recipes (and counting!) that just happen to be good for the planet.
- Access to a members-only email address that allows you to ask our editors questions, give feedback, or just say hello.
- 🎉 BONUS! 🎉 Special discounts on some one5c-approved products. I’m calling this a bonus because we only have one discount so far—but I am working on getting more.
You can check out our Premium Membership options, which start at $10, right here. I hope you’ll consider joining one5c. Thank you in advance for supporting us.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Didn’t you ask me for money a few weeks ago? How is this different?
A: Yes, I did! That was our crowdfunding campaign, in which we offered you the opportunity to invest in our parent company, Fragment Media. This is a membership in one5c, which gets you special benefits—but no ownership stake in our company. If you expressed interest in that, you’ll receive an email with more information soon.
Q: What’s your sign?
A: I’m a Taurus, which means it’s my birthday soon. Becoming a one5c member would be the greatest present you could ever get me.
Q. If I don’t pay, can I still get the newsletter?
A: Yes, the one5c newsletter will always be free; but we will periodically link to some stories that are only available to paying members. Apologies in advance.
Q. This is too much money for me; is there a discounted membership option?
A: Unfortunately, we aren’t discounting our Premium Membership right now.