That’s progress. The challenge remains, however, to speed up the pace of collections to meet the goal by the May 22 deadline while having a weekly flow of contributions coming in.

Frank Forrestal, who helps organize the fund effort in the Los Angeles area, said 43 individuals have made pledges there amounting to $7,825 towards the local quota of $9,000. They are planning a fund event for early May and have sent out a mailing to long-term subscribers to solicit contributions to the fund.

As this issue goes to press, the Militant has received $9,475 from contributions—some $13,000 short of the mark the second week of the drive. For the remaining six weeks of the campaign, about $13,500 is needed weekly to meet the goal. A regular flow of income is necessary to meet basic operating expenses, which in addition to costs for rent and utilities, include travel to cover the struggles of workers and farmers in the United States and around the world.

The Militant is funded solely through the contributions of workers, farmers, and others who value the paper’s irreplaceable role in growing fights for the right to organize unions and to use them to oppose productivity speed ups, weakening of safety provisions, wage cuts and the broader attacks by the wealthy rulers to squeeze out more profits by driving down the standard of living of workers and farmers worldwide.

Militant readers are encouraged to send in accounts of their progress each week that can be included in this column. Checks or money orders should be made out to The Militant, earmarked “Spring Fund Drive,” and sent to the Militant at 306 W. 37th St., 10th floor, New York, NY 10018.

Click here to see the fund chart