What YES! Magazine does

YES! Media, operating as Positive Futures Network and publishing YES! Magazine, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent media organization founded in 1996 by Sarah van Gelder and David Korten and headquartered in Poulsbo, Washington. The organization produced a quarterly print magazine and ad-free online publication focused on solutions journalism, covering environmental justice, racial justice, body politics, political power, and economic power. The editorial product was extended through the YES! For Teachers program (lesson plans, discussion guides, student writing contests), the YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali weekly video/podcast broadcast, and the Progress 2025 digital hub, with content distributed via website, email newsletters, independent radio, Free Speech TV, and discounted subscriptions for teachers, libraries, grassroots organizations, and policymakers. Revenue is generated primarily through annual print and digital subscriptions (covering approximately one-third of operating costs) supplemented by tax-deductible reader donations and foundation grants; the organization operates with no paywall and no advertising.

Name

YES! Magazine

Legal name

YES! Media (Positive Futures Network)

Website

https://yesmagazine.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YES! Media is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, independent solutions-journalism publisher founded in 1996, serving readers, teachers, libraries, and policymakers. It ceased regular publication in 2025 and now operates its archive and a monthly newsletter under Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bainbridge Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscriptions: Subscription sales cover approximately one-third of operating costs. The magazine offers print subscriptions with teachers receiving a 50% discount.
2. Donations and Grants: Tax-deductible donations from readers and foundation grants fund the remaining operations and subsidize subscriptions for libraries, teachers, grassroots organizations, faith groups, and policymakers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

YES! Magazine is a nonprofit, independent solutions journalism publication covering environmental justice, racial justice, body politics, political power, and economic power. It operates an ad-free website with no paywall, publishes a quarterly print magazine, produces the weekly "YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali" video/podcast program, runs the YES! For Teachers educational program with student writing contests, and distributes a monthly newsletter. Revenue is generated through print/digital subscriptions, reader donations, and foundation grants.

Product overview

YES! Media operates a nonprofit, independent solutions journalism platform encompassing multiple products: the core YES! Magazine (print and digital publication), the YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali video/podcast program, the YES! For Teachers educational resource program, the Progress 2025 initiative hub, and the Student Writing Contest. Content is distributed through a monthly newsletter and a freely accessible online platform with no paywall. The organization ceased regular publication in 2025, transitioning to archive stewardship through Truthout and continued newsletter production.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali: A weekly broadcast program hosted by YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar, featuring solutions journalism on economic, racial, gender, and environmental justice.
• YES! For Teachers

Products and services

• YES! Magazine (print and online publication) A nonprofit, independent print and online publication focused on solutions journalism, covering environmental justice, racial justice, body politics, political power, and economic power topics. Distributed quarterly in print and continuously via the ad-free website with no paywall.
• YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali A weekly video broadcast and podcast program hosted by YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar, featuring interviews and discussions on solutions for economic, racial, gender, and environmental justice. Available as podcast, on independent radio stations nationwide, and Free Speech TV.
• YES! For Teachers An educational program bringing solutions journalism into classrooms nationwide, offering teaching resources, lesson plans, discussion guides, and student writing contests on social justice and sustainability topics. Includes a 50% teacher discount on print subscriptions.
• Progress 2025 A solutions journalism initiative and digital hub launched by YES! Media to document and uplift progressive alternatives to Project 2025, covering issues including climate, immigration, labor, LGBTQ rights, and voting rights.
• Student Writing Contest A national student writing competition where students read and respond to YES! articles, with winning essays featured on the YES! platform.
• YES! Monthly Newsletter A monthly newsletter produced in partnership with Truthout, featuring curated content from YES! archives and new solutions journalism from independent media sources. Launched September 2025 following the cessation of regular publication.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Truthout Center for Grassroots JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025YES! Media shifted course in 2025, ceasing regular publication. Under the umbrella of The Truthout Center for Grassroots Journalism, the content archive lives on. Truthout produces a monthly YES! newsletter featuring content from the archives and new solutions journalism from independent media.
• Free Speech TVminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali broadcast program is distributed through Free Speech TV, an independent television network.
• Independent Radio StationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali weekly show is broadcast on independent radio stations nationwide.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Nation: Long-running independent progressive magazine covering politics, social justice, and policy — closely comparable to YES! in editorial scope, nonprofit-magazine model, and subscription plus donor funding mix.
• Mother Jones: Award-winning nonprofit investigative and solutions-oriented magazine funded largely by donations and subscriptions — directly comparable to YES! in mission-driven independent publishing.
• Truthout: Nonprofit independent news outlet focused on grassroots journalism and social justice; YES!'s content archive now operates under its umbrella, making it the most operationally comparable peer.
• The Intercept: Independent nonprofit news outlet covering politics, civil liberties, and social justice with an ad-free model and reader-supported funding — overlapping in editorial scope and revenue approach.
• In These Times: Nonprofit progressive magazine covering labor, politics, and social movements — closely comparable in editorial positioning, nonprofit structure, and subscription/donor funding.
• The Progressive: Long-running independent progressive magazine covering politics, environment, and social justice — comparable audience, editorial scope, and nonprofit-supported publishing model.

Broad incumbents

• ProPublica: Largest U.S. nonprofit investigative-journalism outlet, supported by donations and grants, with a paywall-free model — analogous funding and mission architecture, though focused on investigative rather than solutions journalism.
• The Atlantic: Major national magazine covering politics, culture, and ideas with a multi-channel digital-plus-print model — broader scope and scale than YES!, but structurally similar as a long-form ideas magazine.

Emerging players

• Orion Magazine: Independent nonprofit magazine at the intersection of environment, culture, and justice — comparable niche focus and nonprofit-magazine model, though with narrower environmental/cultural scope.
• Counterpunch: Independent progressive news and commentary outlet covering politics, economics, and social justice — analogous editorial stance and reader-supported independent model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/yesmagazine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3S6mAKPdGQ8NukL3g5nQ4g
• Facebookfacebook.com/yesmediaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yes-magazine
• Instagraminstagram.com/yesmagazine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about YES! Magazine