What Friends Journal does

Friends Journal, operated by Friends Publishing Corporation, is an independent Quaker magazine and multimedia publisher founded in 1955 through the consolidation of Friends Intelligencer (1844) and The Friend (1827). The legal entity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered at Friends Center in Center City Philadelphia, with staff of eleven plus volunteers and interns and an annual operating budget of $1,621,310. Its primary product, Friends Journal Magazine, is published 11 times per year in print, with continuous free online access to articles, poetry, book reviews, news, and features addressing Quaker beliefs, spirituality, and social concerns. The 1955-present digital archive is available as PDFs to members.

Beyond the magazine, Friends Journal operates a multi-channel content portfolio including the Quakers Today podcast (currently in Season 6, distributed on audio platforms and YouTube), the QuakerSpeak video series publishing biweekly during the February-November broadcast season, weekly email newsletters across five days, an online classifieds marketplace for the Quaker community, book reviews linked to FGC's QuakerBooks, and a Quaker meeting directory. Content is submitted through Submittable and distributed via the website, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky.

The business model is donation- and membership-driven, with donations accounting for over 50% of the operating budget and the magazine delivered as a membership benefit. Additional revenue streams include print and digital subscriptions ($6 per single issue), print and digital advertising (display, classifieds at $30/month, eNewsletter placements, podcast and season sponsorships), and planned giving instruments including charitable gift annuities and bequests. Distribution reaches all 50 US states and 43 foreign countries, with partnerships across the Quaker institutional ecosystem including FGC, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, Quaker.org, and Earlham School of Religion.

Name

Friends Journal

Legal name

Friends Publishing Corporation

Website

https://friendsjournal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Periodical Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarly Societies & Conference Proceedings Publishing (MPAJABAK), Interfaith & Comparative Religion Publishing (MPAJAHAK)

Keywords

• Quaker magazine publishing
• Religious periodical media
• Faith-based publishing
• Spiritual content media
• Community magazine publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Memberships: Donors become members and receive the award-winning magazine Friends Journal as a benefit of membership. Donations account for over 50 percent of the operating budget, making this the primary revenue source.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Print and digital subscriptions to Friends Journal published 11 times per year
3. Single Copy Sales: Individual magazine issues available for purchase at $6.00 plus shipping
4. Advertising Revenue: Print and digital advertising opportunities including display ads, classifieds, eNewsletter placements, podcast sponsorships, and season sponsorships. Full-page display ads range from $835-$3,175 depending on size and frequency.
5. Planned Giving and Estate Gifts: Charitable gift annuities, bequests in wills, and other planned giving instruments supported through partnership with Quaker planned giving specialists

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Friends Journal is an independent Quaker magazine published 11 times per year in print and continuously online, featuring articles, poetry, book reviews, news, and features on Quaker beliefs, spirituality, and social concerns. The publication operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under Friends Publishing Corporation, supported by donations and memberships, and extends its offerings through the Quakers Today podcast, QuakerSpeak video platform, a digital archive dating to 1955, a classifieds marketplace, book reviews, email newsletters, and a Quaker meeting directory.

Product overview

Friends Journal is a Quaker publication offering a multi-platform content portfolio centered on its flagship print and digital magazine (published 11 times yearly). The core products include the Friends Journal Magazine featuring articles, poetry, and news about Quaker spirituality and social concerns; the Quakers Today Podcast exploring faith in contemporary life; and the QuakerSpeak video platform. Supporting offerings include a digital archive with PDFs from 1955 to present, a classifieds marketplace for the Quaker community, book reviews, weekly eNewsletters, and a Quaker meeting directory. The publication operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under Friends Publishing Corporation, with membership benefits including digital archive access, and accepts submissions through the Submittable platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Quakers Today: Podcast exploring Quaker faith in contemporary life, Season 6 focusing on money and economics as spiritual practice.

Products and services

• Friends Journal Magazine An independent Quaker magazine published 11 times per year in print and continuously online, featuring articles, poetry, book reviews, news, and features on Quaker beliefs, spirituality, and social concerns. Targeted at Quakers, spiritual seekers, and readers interested in faith-based content.
• Quakers Today Podcast A podcast exploring Quaker faith in contemporary life, currently in Season 6, hosted by Peterson Toscano with co-host Diana Yañez. Available as audio podcast and extended video edition on YouTube.
• QuakerSpeak Video Platform A video content platform featuring videos about Quaker life, theology, and spiritual topics. Publishes new videos every other Friday during the February–November broadcast season.
• Classifieds Marketplace An online marketplace for the Friends community featuring Quaker-oriented products, services, career opportunities, accommodations, retirement living, and community announcements. Includes categories for Books, Publications & Music, Opportunities, Accommodations, and Services.
• Digital Archive Comprehensive digital archive of Friends Journal issues from 1955 to present, with PDF downloads available for members. Includes decades of articles, book reviews, poetry, stories, and historical material reflecting Quaker beliefs and practices.
• Book Reviews Reviews of recently published books offering perspectives on Quakers' spiritual and social concerns. Many books can be purchased through FGC's QuakerBooks online store. Features reviews by volunteer reviewers and staff writers.
• eNewsletter Weekly email newsletters including Friends Journal articles, book reviews, QuakerSpeak videos, Quaker.org Look to the Light, and Quakers Today podcast content.
• Quaker Meeting Directory A searchable directory of Friends Meetings across the United States and Canada to help users find local Quaker communities for worship. Includes contact information and location details for each meeting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Readership in all 50 US states and 43 foreign countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QuakerBooks (FGC)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFriends Journal book reviews are linked to FGC's QuakerBooks online store where many reviewed titles can be purchased, creating a seamless purchase pathway for readers interested in reviewed Quaker literature.
• Quaker.orgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends Journal partners with Quaker.org, the central hub for Quaker information, with joint newsletter content (Look to the Light) and cross-promotion of Quaker resources and community information.
• Earlham School of ReligionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerESR promoted through Friends Journal classifieds and newsletter placements, reaching Quaker audiences interested in religious education and ministry training programs.
• Philadelphia Yearly MeetingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends Publishing Corporation originated from the reunification of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting's predecessor publications. The organization maintains historical ties and shares office space at Friends Center in Philadelphia.
• Friends Center CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends Journal's home office is located at Friends Center in Center City Philadelphia, sharing facilities with other Quaker organizations.
• Friends General ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFGC provided 21 of the original 39 Board members at Friends Publishing Corporation's founding. The organizations maintain close ties serving the Liberal Quaker community.
• Quaker Planned Giving SpecialistsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartners with Quaker planned giving specialists to help donors understand and set up sophisticated planned giving instruments including charitable gift annuities and trust arrangements.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Christian Century: The Christian Century is an independent mainline Protestant magazine with print and digital editions covering theology, church life, and social issues. It is comparable to Friends Journal as a nonprofit, donation-supported periodical serving a defined Christian denomination segment with essays, reviews, and opinion content.
• Sojourners: Sojourners is a nonprofit, faith-based magazine focused on progressive Christianity, social justice, and spiritual reflection, with print and substantial digital/multiplatform presence. Comparable to Friends Journal in being a faith-rooted, donation-supported magazine publishing long-form essays, opinion, and news for a defined Christian audience.
• Commonweal: Commonweal is an independent Catholic journal of opinion published since 1924 with essays, reviews, and editorials in print and online. Comparable to Friends Journal in being an independent (not official-denomination) lay periodical with a long archive, essay-driven editorial mix, and donor-supported finances.
• U.S. Catholic: U.S. Catholic is an independent Catholic magazine published by Claretian Missionaries, offering feature articles, reviews, and perspectives aimed at a lay Catholic audience. Comparable to Friends Journal as a small-staff, denomination-targeted print-and-digital magazine funded partly by donations/subscriptions.
• The Living Church: The Living Church is an independent Episcopal/Anglican magazine covering liturgy, theology, and church news in print and digital formats. Closely comparable to Friends Journal in scope (denomination-specific periodical), audience (engaged lay readers and clergy), and funding model (subscriptions plus donations).
• Jewish Currents: Jewish Currents is a nonprofit progressive Jewish magazine publishing essays, reporting, and reviews online with an active podcast and event programming. Comparable to Friends Journal as a small nonprofit, community-rooted periodical operating across print/digital/audio formats on a donation-and-membership revenue base.
• Reformed Journal: Reformed Journal is an independent online magazine covering Reformed Christian theology, culture, and church life. Comparable to Friends Journal as a small-staff, donation-supported, denomination-focused publication that has migrated toward digital-first delivery while preserving long-form essays and reviews.
• Western Friend: Western Friend is the independent magazine of Friends Pacific Northwest and other unprogrammed Quaker meetings, directly comparable to Friends Journal as a denomination-specific Quaker periodical with print, web, and (historically) limited digital distribution serving overlapping branches of the Religious Society of Friends.
• The Lutheran Magazine: The Lutheran is the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a print and digital publication serving Lutheran laypeople and clergy. Comparable to Friends Journal as a denominational periodical with a recurring print cadence, online articles, and a donor/subscription-supported operating model.

Emerging players

• Religion News Service: Religion News Service is a nonprofit news wire covering religion and ethics across traditions, including Quaker coverage. It is an adjacent rather than direct peer to Friends Journal: it operates in the same religious-media space, serves overlapping readers (including Quakers), but as a generalist news outlet rather than a Quaker-specific periodical.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/friendsjournal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/friendsjournal
• Instagraminstagram.com/quakerstodaypodcast
• TikToktiktok.com/@quakers.today
• Facebookfacebook.com/friendsjournal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-journal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Friends Journal