Borderless Magazine is a non-profit online magazine that focuses on producing journalism for the numerous immigrant communities across Chicago. The publication’s main goal during the Accelerator was to expand its field canvasser program to create more in-person contacts with people in the community and simultaneously grow their subscriber base.
Through the Accelerator, Borderless Magazine went from having a relatively small field canvassing program, to a more robust and structured field canvassing team that expanded outreach to community members.
resource guides distributed
increase in digital subscribers over the course of the Accelerator.
During the program, Borderless Magazine experienced several wins: they attended 45 events across Chicago, distributing resource guides and growing their subscriber base. The Accelerator helped the publication fine tune its canvassing practices to a) make these events as productive as possible and b) figure out how to create content best tailored to people’s needs and interests.
The Accelerator enabled Borderless Magazine to expand their audience and gather a stronger sense of what types of stories are most valuable to them. Equipped with this information and experience, Borderless Magazine aims to continue expanding its canvassing program to function year round and invest further in newsletter ads.
We were able to formalize the program and create a sustainable structure, and we’ve gained actionable strategies to help us keep track of data and progress. The program also connected us with like-minded organizations and journalism experts who understand the unique challenges of nonprofit news.
Diane Bou Khalil, marketing and engagement manager