Sopris Sun
Sopris Sun is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) weekly newspaper and digital news organization serving Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley through an English edition, a bilingual Spanish edition (Sol del Valle), a youth journalism program, and a partnered AI-moderated civic dialogue platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersCarbondale, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sopris Sun does
The Sopris Sun is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization headquartered in Carbondale, Colorado, that publishes a weekly English-language newspaper and a bilingual Spanish-language counterpart, Sol del Valle, covering the Roaring Fork Valley across Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin, and Gunnison counties. Founded in February 2009 by local residents after the for-profit Valley Journal ceased publication, the organization distributes approximately 3,500 print copies weekly to roughly 80 locations and operates a free, no-paywall digital edition via its WordPress-based website and Issuu-hosted e-editions. Its product portfolio extends beyond traditional journalism to include a paid Youth Journalism Program that mentors and publishes high school contributors, and Mountain Perspectives, an AI-moderated civic dialogue platform launched in November 2024 in partnership with Sopris Apps.
The organization's business model is a hybrid nonprofit structure: approximately 70% of the annual budget comes from advertising and sponsorships sold to local businesses, while roughly 30% derives from individual donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships, including a recurring monthly SUNscriber giving tier and tax-deductible 501(c)(3) contributions. Content is free to readers; no subscription paywall exists. Distribution combines physical newsstand placement across a defined regional corridor with self-serve digital access and direct advertising sales handled by a Partnerships & Engagement Manager and the Sol del Valle Sales Manager. Underlying technology is conventional publishing infrastructure (WordPress, Issuu, Constant Contact for newsletters, Yodel for community calendar) augmented by a published AI editorial policy and approved use of ChatGPT and Google NotebookLM for drafting, transcription, translation, and SEO assistance, with mandatory human oversight.
The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that includes a Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent and senior media, legal, and civic leaders. Its go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, relying on deep local stakeholder engagement, youth mentorship pipelines, and affiliations with the Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Publishers, and the Colorado Press Association rather than paid marketing or institutional investor capital.
Sopris Sun firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sopris Sun
- Legal name
- The Sopris Sun LLC
- Website
- https://soprissun.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Sopris Sun is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) weekly newspaper and digital news organization serving Colorado's Roaring Fork Valley through an English edition, a bilingual Spanish edition (Sol del Valle), a youth journalism program, and a partnered AI-moderated civic dialogue platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sopris Sun industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Newspaper Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (51311), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
Keywords
Where Sopris Sun is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Carbondale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sopris Sun business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Grants: Approximately 30% of annual budget from donations and grants. Accepts individual donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorships. Tax-deductible 501(c)(3) contributions. Donors contributing $1,000+ are publicly acknowledged.
- Advertising and Sponsorships: Remaining 70% of budget from advertising sales and sponsorships. Offers personalized advertising solutions for local businesses targeting Roaring Fork Valley audience.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Monthly | Advertising rates available via media kit |
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly SUNscriber donation |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Sopris Sun product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sopris Sun publishes a nonprofit weekly newspaper and continuously updated digital news site covering local government, environment, arts, business, education, nonprofits, and sports for the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado. The organization also publishes Sol del Valle, a Spanish-language sister newspaper serving the Latino community, and operates a paid Youth Journalism Program that mentors high school students. Revenue is generated through advertising sales, donations, and grants, with all content available free of charge to readers.
Product overview
The Sopris Sun operates as a dual-publication nonprofit news organization offering two distinct newspapers—The Sopris Sun (English) and Sol del Valle (Spanish)—both serving the Roaring Fork Valley community. The publications are distributed weekly in print and daily online, reaching readers across Garfield, Eagle, Pitkin, and Gunnison counties. Alongside its editorial operations, the organization runs a Youth Journalism Program that mentors high school students in journalism skills and pays for published contributions. The organization also partners with Mountain Perspectives, an AI-moderated online community platform that extends civic dialogue online.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mountain Perspectives: An online community platform designed to foster thoughtful civic dialogue in the Roaring Fork Valley, using AI moderation and a meritocracy-based reward system.
Products and services
- The Sopris Sun
- Sol del Valle
- Youth Journalism Program
Quantifiable outcome
- 3,500 copies distributed weekly to 80+ locations
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Sopris Sun
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sopris Sun technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability5 records
Feature1 record
Sopris Sun partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Mountain PerspectivescoreMountain Perspectives, an online community platform designed to foster thoughtful civic dialogue in the Roaring Fork Valley, was launched in partnership with The Sopris Sun. The platform uses AI moderation and a meritocracy-based reward system where constructive comments earn badges and visibility while unhelpful content is downranked. Founder Stephen Shapiro, who also founded Sopris Apps (developer of SchoolBlocks for school districts), hopes the platform can eventually expand to other communities nationwide.
- Colorado West Spanish News CollaborativecoreSol del Valle participates in the Colorado West Spanish News Collaborative alongside Aspen Daily News, Aspen Public Radio, KDNK, The Colorado Sun, Post Independent, and LA Tricolor. This collaborative enables content sharing and resource pooling among regional Spanish-language news outlets.
- Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)coreThe Sopris Sun subscribes to INN's standards of editorial independence and is a member organization, adhering to their guidelines for nonprofit journalism.
- Colorado Press AssociationminorMembership organization providing journalistic standards, training, and industry resources for Colorado news organizations.
- LION PublishersminorMembership organization for independent online news publishers; provides standards and resources for digital-first journalism.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sopris Sun competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- KDNK Community Radio: Carbondale-based nonprofit community radio station that is both a content-sharing partner and a Colorado West Spanish News Collaborative participant; an ecosystem peer in Roaring Fork Valley community media.
- LION Publishers: Membership organization for independent and nonprofit online news publishers; Sopris Sun is a member, making LION Publishers an industry-body peer that supports the same cohort of small nonprofit newsrooms.
Regional players
- Vail Daily: Daily newspaper serving the Vail and Eagle County corridor in Colorado; serves a parallel resort-valley community to Sopris Sun's Roaring Fork Valley with similar local-advertising dynamics.
Direct peers
- The Colorado Sun: Colorado statewide nonprofit news organization founded by former Denver Post journalists; comparable in INN-affiliated nonprofit model and member of the same Colorado West Spanish News Collaborative as Sopris Sun's Sol del Valle.
- Aspen Daily News: For-profit local daily newspaper covering Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, directly overlapping with Sopris Sun's coverage territory and competing for the same local advertisers and bilingual-readership needs.
- The Mendocino Voice: Small nonprofit online community news outlet serving Mendocino County, California; similar scale, ad-and-donation revenue mix, and rural-community-news mission to Sopris Sun.
- Berkeleyside: Nonprofit digital-first local news organization serving Berkeley, California; widely cited comparable for small nonprofit community newsrooms combining advertising, donations, and free access without a paywall.
- Aspen Journalism: Nonprofit investigative local news outlet covering the Roaring Fork Valley; the closest direct comparable in mission, nonprofit funding model, and beats covered, including local government and environment.
- Mountain Journal: Nonprofit, in-depth regional journalism covering Western Colorado mountain communities; very similar nonprofit-funded model serving overlapping rural mountain demographics.
- Glenwood Springs Post Independent: Regional newspaper serving Glenwood Springs and Garfield County, overlapping core geography with Sopris Sun and a Colorado Press Association peer; competes for the same Roaring Fork Valley advertising pool.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sopris Sun social profiles
Digital presenceSopris Sun financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sopris Sun leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
Sopris Sun subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Sopris Sun funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sopris Sun 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 Sopris Sun
What does Sopris Sun do?
The Sopris Sun publishes a nonprofit weekly newspaper and continuously updated digital news site covering local government, environment, arts, business, education, nonprofits, and sports for the Roaring Fork Valley in Colorado. The organization also publishes Sol del Valle, a Spanish-language sister newspaper serving the Latino community, and operates a paid Youth Journalism Program that mentors high school students. Revenue is generated through advertising sales, donations, and grants, with all content available free of charge to readers.
Is Sopris Sun a public or private company?
Sopris Sun is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Sopris Sun founded?
Sopris Sun was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Sopris Sun based?
Sopris Sun is headquartered in Carbondale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sopris Sun make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Grants are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Sponsorships.
Who are Sopris Sun's main competitors?
Others on record are KDNK Community Radio and LION Publishers. Vail Daily is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are The Colorado Sun, Aspen Daily News, The Mendocino Voice, Berkeleyside, Aspen Journalism, Mountain Journal and Glenwood Springs Post Independent.
Does Sopris Sun have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sopris Sun.
What industry is Sopris Sun in?
Sopris Sun's product category is Community Newspaper Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations. Its NAICS code is 51311 and its SIC code is 2711.