Dollars & Sense
Dollars & Sense is a nonprofit publisher, founded in 1974 and operated by the Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc., that produces a bimonthly economics magazine and textbooks for educators, students, activists, and journalists interested in progressive economic analysis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1974
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Dollars & Sense does
Dollars & Sense is a nonprofit publisher founded in 1974 and operated by the Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc. The company produces a bimonthly print and digital magazine (six issues per year) that provides accessible economic analysis from a progressive, social-justice-oriented perspective. Its core audience consists of educators, students, activists, organizers, and journalists seeking critical economic commentary not typically covered by mainstream media. The company maintains a circulation of 2,000+ with an estimated per-issue readership exceeding 4,000.
The company products include the Dollars & Sense Magazine, the D&S Blog (with recurring series such as Left Hook Economics and The D&S Debrief), economics textbooks and custom anthologies for classroom use, bulk subscriptions for educational institutions, and display advertising placements. The technology stack is built on the Ghost publishing platform with the Maali theme, supplemented by a dedicated Shopify bookstore (dsbookstore.myshopify.com). The organization is based in Boston, Massachusetts with a mailing address in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees.
Dollars & Sense generates revenue through four streams: individual and bulk magazine subscriptions (recurring), display advertising sold per issue (with rates ranging from $100 for a 1/9-page ad to $800 for a back cover), textbook and back-issue sales through its bookstore, and donations solicited via Donorbox fundraising campaigns. The organization relies on a direct-to-consumer distribution model through its website, social media channels (Facebook, Twitter/X), RSS feed, and email newsletter.
Dollars & Sense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dollars & Sense
- Legal name
- Dollars & Sense
- Website
- https://dollarsandsense.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1974
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dollars & Sense is a nonprofit publisher, founded in 1974 and operated by the Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc., that produces a bimonthly economics magazine and textbooks for educators, students, activists, and journalists interested in progressive economic analysis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dollars & Sense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Economic Journalism and Educational Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313), Other Publishers (51319), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Economics, Accounting & Management (EDAGABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills (EDAGABAN), Financial & Consumer Literacy (Banking, Credit, Contracts) (EDAAAAAG)
Keywords
Where Dollars & Sense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dollars & Sense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Individual print and digital subscriptions to the bimonthly magazine published 6 times per year
- Display Advertising: Paid advertising placements in the magazine ranging from back covers ($800) to smaller 1/9 page ads ($100)
- Book Sales: Sale of economics textbooks, back issues, and publications through the Dollars & Sense bookstore
- Bulk Subscriptions: Discounted bulk subscription rates for college instructors, high school teachers, union educators, and organizers making use of Dollars & Sense in classroom settings
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Display advertising rates by size and placement |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Exam copies for instructors |
| Subscription | Annual | Bulk subscriptions for educational settings |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Dollars & Sense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dollars & Sense is a nonprofit bimonthly economics magazine (six issues per year) and publisher of the Real World college textbook series, providing accessible, progressive economic analysis for educators, students, activists, and journalists. Supporting offerings include a companion blog (The D&S Blog with Left Hook Economics and The D&S Debrief sub-series), custom course anthologies, bulk classroom subscriptions, and print/digital advertising.
Product overview
Dollars & Sense is a bimonthly economics publication published since 1974 by the nonprofit Economic Affairs Bureau, Inc. The core offering is the Dollars & Sense Magazine, which tackles economic issues in plain English for readers committed to social and economic justice. Supporting products include The D&S Blog (featuring Left Hook Economics and The D&S Debrief content), textbooks and custom anthologies for academic use, bulk subscriptions for classroom adoption, and advertising opportunities. The publication reaches a circulation of over 2,000 with an estimated per-issue readership of over 4,000.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Left Hook Economics: A tag/section for economic commentary and analysis
- The D&S Debrief
- D&S Blog
- The D&S Blog
Products and services
- Dollars & Sense Magazine A bimonthly economics publication providing under-reported news and critical analysis on economic issues in plain English, targeted at readers committed to social and economic justice.
- The D&S Blog Online blog featuring news, analysis, and commentary on current economic issues, including sub-series Left Hook Economics and The D&S Debrief.
- Real World Textbooks and Custom Anthologies Economics textbooks (the Real World series) and custom anthologies of Dollars & Sense articles for instructors; exam copies and desk copies are available for educators considering adoption.
- Bulk Subscriptions for Educators Discounted subscription rates for college instructors, high school teachers, union educators, study group leaders, and organizers to use Dollars & Sense in classroom and group settings.
- Display Advertising in Dollars & Sense Print and digital advertising placements in Dollars & Sense magazine, reaching activists, organizers, students, professors, and journalists concerned with economic issues.
Companies that use Dollars & Sense
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dollars & Sense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Dollars & Sense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Dollars & Sense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Monthly Review Press: Monthly Review Press is the book publishing arm of Monthly Review, producing leftist economics and politics titles. It competes for the same academic-adoption economics textbook market as Dollars & Sense's textbook series.
- Verso Books: Verso Books is a leading left-wing book publisher producing titles in political economy and critical theory. It directly parallels Dollars & Sense's progressive economics textbook and anthology publishing activity.
- Haymarket Books: Haymarket Books is a progressive nonprofit publisher of political and economics titles. It is a peer in the economics education and progressive publishing category that Dollars & Sense's Real World textbook line sits within.
- Dissent Magazine: Dissent is a progressive quarterly of politics and culture founded in 1954. Like Dollars & Sense, it serves academics, activists, and students engaged with left political economy.
- Against the Current: Against the Current is a small socialist magazine/newsletter covering economics, labor, and movement politics. It is comparable to Dollars & Sense as a small-scale activist economics publication.
- In These Times: In These Times is a progressive magazine covering labor, economics, and politics since 1976. It overlaps directly with Dollars & Sense on economic justice coverage and educator/activist audience.
- Monthly Review: Monthly Review is an independent socialist magazine founded in 1949 publishing monthly analyses of political economy. It is the closest analog to Dollars & Sense in mission, audience, and small-scale nonprofit magazine model.
- Jacobin: Jacobin is a left-wing magazine offering socialist economic analysis, with a significantly larger digital footprint. It competes for the same progressive economics reader and instructor audience as Dollars & Sense.
- Science & Society: Science & Society is a peer-reviewed academic journal of Marxist economics and social science. It shares the progressive economics educator/researcher audience with Dollars & Sense, including classroom adoption.
Emerging players
- Catalyst Journal: Catalyst: A Journal of Theory, Strategy, and Politics is a newer left-economics publication. It overlaps with Dollars & Sense's progressive economics content but is more online-focused and academic in tone.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dollars & Sense social profiles
Digital presenceDollars & Sense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dollars & Sense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Dollars & Sense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dollars & Sense M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dollars & Sense
What does Dollars & Sense do?
Dollars & Sense is a nonprofit bimonthly economics magazine (six issues per year) and publisher of the Real World college textbook series, providing accessible, progressive economic analysis for educators, students, activists, and journalists. Supporting offerings include a companion blog (The D&S Blog with Left Hook Economics and The D&S Debrief sub-series), custom course anthologies, bulk classroom subscriptions, and print/digital advertising.
Is Dollars & Sense a public or private company?
Dollars & Sense is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Dollars & Sense founded?
Dollars & Sense was founded in 1974. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dollars & Sense based?
Dollars & Sense is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dollars & Sense make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are display Advertising, book Sales and bulk Subscriptions.
Who are Dollars & Sense's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Monthly Review Press, Verso Books, Haymarket Books, Dissent Magazine, Against the Current, In These Times, Monthly Review, Jacobin and Science & Society. Catalyst Journal is listed as an emerging player.
Does Dollars & Sense have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dollars & Sense.
What industry is Dollars & Sense in?
Dollars & Sense's product category is Economic Journalism and Educational Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGABAC, Business, Economics, Accounting & Management, with a secondary code of EDAGABAN, Interdisciplinary/General Education & Study Skills. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.