A Special Request (and Gift!) for Your Support

Dear Readers,

Will you consider supporting the Answer is Community with a paid subscription?

At $50/year or $6/month, it’s a modest ask. It’s less than you would spend on a nice caffeinated beverage or a treat. Certainly you treat yourself at least once each month, no? Or give such a gift to a friend?

Why do I need your support? Since I started The Answer is Community in 2020, I’ve been writing in my free time and providing everything for free. And the plan is to still keep my writing free — the work of community engagement and community renewal is just too important not to blast as broadly as possible.

The Answer is Community continues to fill a unique niche amidst a surging interest in social and civic renewal. It is inspiring minds and changing practice for those engaging with communities.

But I’m ready to level up and devote more time to writing and research. This means I need a little more justification (meaning money) to help prioritize The Answer is Community against other competing (i.e. more lucrative) demands for my time.

I don’t have the marketing mojo or extra time to drum up the sorts of exclusive perks (Live Chat! Video! AMA! ) that others on Substack are doing. Maybe I’ll give some of it a try sometime.

For now all that stuff feels a little too slick and distracting. Don’t you have enough to do? It seems a minor miracle that you’ll take even a few minutes to slow down and read what I write every few weeks. Plus, I’d rather you spend your time kicking ass with engagement or building community. Go get ‘em.

But there is one thing I can offer: drawing. Did you know I hand-draw all of my post illustrations? I intentionally draw to provide some authenticity and visual relief from all the AI-generated slop that clutters our internet experience these days.

So in exchange for your paid-subscription support, I offer a simple and tangible IRL gift: an Answer is Community T-shirt!

The T-Shirt features my hand-drawn “Hello My Name Is” tag — the unofficial logo for The Answer is Community.

Here it is, modeled on yours truly:

Grab a fabric marker and fill in your name, and you’ll always be ready for your next meeting or gathering. Or leave it blank, and use it as a tool to spark curiosity amongst people you haven’t yet met.

It’s your new essential piece of community engagement gear!

Dusty heather blue in Unisex S, M, L, or XL

To get your T-shirt, first sign up for a paid subscription (or give one as a gift). There’s some big buttons you can’t miss at the end of this post. Then drop me a note through Substack with your T-shirt size and mailing address, and I’ll send one along as soon as I can (likely within a few days).

If you are currently a paid subscriber (thank you!!!), I’m happy to send one to you retroactively. Just send me a note.

Thank you for your support.

Onward!

Eric

PS. Or, if you *really* love what I do, there’s an option to be a “Community Champion” at $240/year. That’s equivalent to about a caffeinated beverage a week. I’m skeptical anyone will do that, but I’ll send up to FOUR T-shirts to anyone who does! You can give them as gifts! Try me!