The Curbside Chronicle

What The Curbside Chronicle does

The Curbside Chronicle is a nonprofit street paper based in Oklahoma City, founded in 2013 and operated as a program of the parent nonprofit Curbside Enterprises. It publishes a monthly magazine covering homelessness and poverty in Oklahoma and distributes it through two channels: a digital PDF storefront on its Squarespace-hosted website (offering $5/month subscriptions and one-time purchases with optional round-up donations from $5 to $5,000) and a street vendor program in which people experiencing homelessness sell the print magazine on Oklahoma City streets. The vendor model functions simultaneously as distribution, customer acquisition, and a job-skills program covering time management, money management, and soft skills development.

The organization is staffed by approximately 11 employees and is part of a broader social enterprise ecosystem under Curbside Enterprises that also includes Curbside Flowers, Curbside Apparel, and Sasquatch Shaved Ice. Revenue streams comprise digital magazine sales, magazine advertising sold to local businesses, and tax-deductible donations processed through the Qgiv platform and the Homeless Alliance. Per the organization, these programs collectively help roughly 200 people gain or maintain housing annually and enable vendors and clients to earn over $1 million per year combined through Curbside's programs (funds that pass through to participants rather than retained organization revenue). Marketing is conducted via organic social (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter), an email newsletter, and donation campaigns — with no paid advertising or app presence.

The Curbside Chronicle serves a mix of customer types: individual readers and socially conscious donors as the primary segment, and local Oklahoma City businesses purchasing magazine advertising as a secondary segment. Its value proposition centers on the dual benefit of editorial content and direct income/housing support to vendors, supported by integrated case management and housing assistance services delivered across the Curbside Enterprises umbrella.

Name

The Curbside Chronicle

Legal name

The Curbside Chronicle

Website

https://thecurbsidechronicle.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Curbside Chronicle is a nonprofit street paper and digital magazine in Oklahoma City, operated under Curbside Enterprises. It sells an award-winning monthly publication through street vendors experiencing homelessness and a digital PDF storefront, funding job-skills training, case management, and housing support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Enterprise Street Newspaper

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

Keywords

• Street newspaper publishing
• Social enterprise publications
• Homeless employment programs
• Digital magazine subscriptions
• Nonprofit publishing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Monthly digital PDF subscription to the Curbside Chronicle magazine starting at $5/month, with optional donation add-ons (round-up options ranging from $10 to $1000). Subscribers receive monthly PDF issues automatically.
2. One-Time Magazine Purchases: One-time purchase of digital magazine PDF starting at $5, with configurable donation amounts ranging from $5 to $5,000. Supports vendor program including job skills training, case management, and housing support.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations processed through Qgiv platform, supporting vendor program operations including job coaches, housing case managers, training supplies, ID costs, and rental deposits.
4. Advertising: Advertising sales within the magazine, with inquiry form available for potential advertisers on the advertising page.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Curbside Chronicle is Oklahoma's street paper, publishing a monthly magazine distributed both as physical copies sold by vendors experiencing homelessness on Oklahoma City streets and as digital PDF editions sold online. Revenue from magazine subscriptions, one-time purchases, in-magazine advertising, and tax-deductible donations funds a vendor program that delivers job skills training, case management, and housing assistance; the publication is operated as a program of the nonprofit Curbside Enterprises.

Product overview

The Curbside Chronicle operates as a single-purpose street paper platform offering its core magazine product through two digital distribution models: a monthly subscription ($5/month with automatic PDF delivery) and a one-time purchase option ($5 and up). Both purchase paths support the vendor program providing job skills training, case management, and housing assistance. The organization is part of Curbside Enterprises, a nonprofit umbrella that also includes Curbside Flowers, Curbside Apparel, and Sasquatch Shaved Ice as separate social enterprises.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Curbside Flowers: Flower sales social enterprise providing employment opportunities to people experiencing homelessness
• Curbside Apparel
• Sasquatch Shaved Ice

Products and services

• The Curbside Chronicle Magazine Oklahoma's award-winning street paper providing a voice and employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness. Available as digital PDF through monthly subscription or one-time purchase, and physically through the street vendor program in Oklahoma City.
• Monthly Digital Subscription Recurring monthly online subscription starting at $5/month providing PDF access to the magazine, with automatic delivery of each new issue and optional round-up donation add-ons ($10 to $1,000) to further support vendors in the employment program.
• One-Time Magazine Purchase One-time purchase option providing a readable PDF link to the current month's magazine, starting at $5 with optional additional donation amounts ranging from $5 to $5,000 supporting the vendor program and broader social enterprise.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 200 people annually gain or maintain housing through Curbside programs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Curbside EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurbside Enterprises is the parent nonprofit organization that operates The Curbside Chronicle as one of its programs. It provides income, housing, and employment opportunities to people struggling with homelessness and poverty in Oklahoma City. The Curbside Chronicle is one of several social enterprises under this umbrella.
• Curbside FlowersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Curbside Enterprises ecosystem of social enterprises, providing additional employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.
• Curbside ApparelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Curbside Enterprises ecosystem of social enterprises, providing additional employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.
• Sasquatch Shaved IceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Curbside Enterprises ecosystem of social enterprises, providing additional employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness.
• Homeless AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHomeless Alliance is a partner organization that processes donations for the Curbside Chronicle through their platform, enabling tax-deductible giving to support the vendor program.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Street Roots: Portland, Oregon's street paper offering news, vendor opportunities, and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness. Directly comparable peer in the U.S. street paper category.
• Street Sense Media: Washington DC's street paper that provides employment and income to people experiencing homelessness through vendor sales. Directly comparable to The Curbside Chronicle as a U.S. street paper with a similar social enterprise model.
• Spare Change News: Boston-based street paper sold by homeless and low-income vendors. Operates the same street paper model serving a different U.S. market.
• The Contributor: Nashville-based street paper sold by people experiencing homelessness, providing income and a voice. Operates the same vendor-distributed street paper model as The Curbside Chronicle.
• Real Change News: Seattle-based street paper providing employment and advocacy for people experiencing homelessness. Comparable as an established U.S. street paper with vendor-driven distribution and social mission journalism.

Regional players

• Megaphone Magazine: Calgary-based street paper employing people experiencing homelessness. Comparable peer operating the same model in a different country (Canada), making it a regional rather than direct U.S. competitor.
• Oklahoma Magazine: Local Oklahoma City lifestyle magazine serving the same geographic market. Not a direct competitor but a comparable regional publication serving OKC readers and advertisers.

Others

• Curbside Enterprises: Parent nonprofit umbrella of The Curbside Chronicle, also operating Curbside Flowers, Curbside Apparel, and Sasquatch Shaved Ice. Not a peer but the immediate organizational context and source of cross-subsidization.
• International Network of Street Papers (INSP): Umbrella network supporting 100+ street papers globally. Thematically related as the broader ecosystem to which The Curbside Chronicle belongs; provides knowledge sharing and advocacy.
• Homeless Alliance: Oklahoma City nonprofit focused on homelessness prevention and housing. Partner with The Curbside Chronicle for donation processing and shares overlapping mission in addressing homelessness in OKC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CurbsideOKC
• Facebookfacebook.com/CurbsideOKC
• Instagraminstagram.com/CurbsideOKC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-curbside-chronicle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 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 The Curbside Chronicle