The
game rules of today's media environment are both a threat to democracy and a gale force headwind against any real social change. Changing that is not only our duty as citizens, but a great business opportunity.
Fortunately, we don't have to wait and hope that government or the "free" market will reclaim the media for us. Rapidly evolving, "disruptive", information technologies enable whole new media ecosystems that serve the public interest and compete aggressively with those that don't.
Napster proved that a great idea and a small amount of software can radically alter a $50B industry. Imagine what can happen with news, information, and truth.
Being formed from donations and grants, the fund is uniquely structured to fund enterprises that are too public-benefit for venture funds, and too adventurous for foundations. It is not-for-profit, and investments are driven by their contribution to media democracy, not by "return on investment" for a few investors. As a result, returns from investments are tax-free, and stay in the fund, for investment in other projects.
Media Venture Collective is:
- a grass-roots, 501(c)3, public-benefit venture fund, under the Rudolf Steiner Foundation;
- a media democracy brain trust initiated and guided by a super-group in independent media, eco-social activism, and Silicon Valley technology venture expertise;
- focused on leveraging citizen donations into strategic investments that promote media democracy, as the fulcrum for social change;
Our purpose is to pool citizen donations into working capital that is strategic, patient, flexible, low-cost, and most of all purposeful, and to develop and position the most promising projects for larger financial support, in the form of grants or investments from foundations and other sources.
Over $140,000 has been distributed so far to six projects, with an additional $50,000 committed to the Internet Bookmobile project.
Media Venture Collective has the structure, the partners, the projects, and the vision to make it happen NOW. We need your help in proving we can mobilize finanancially in proactive, constructive ways, not just reactively.
