Why become a Spinoff Member?

Donations help keep The Spinoff's journalism independent and free for all – not just those who can afford it.

The Spinoff is Aotearoa’s home for independent journalism, insightful perspectives and good times.

Our journalism is largely funded by donations from The Spinoff Members. These donations help keep The Spinoff independent and free for all – not just those who can afford it.

If you value reading, watching or listening to our work, please consider supporting The Spinoff today. We won’t take a dollar for granted.

Already a Member? Thank you for your generosity. We quite literally could not do this without you.

Become a Spinoff Member

More than access. A community.

Become a Spinoff Member to support independent, paywall-free journalism and feel closer to the people behind it.

Closer to the newsroom

Receive Members updates and The World Bulletin, an exclusive weekly newsletter with the biggest news stories from around the world.

Be part of the community

Join a community of fellow readers supporting independent journalism and receive priority invites to The Spinoff's live events.

Join the conversation

Comment on Spinoff stories and take part in thoughtful discussions with other Members.

Read with fewer interruptions

FAQs

Sometimes the answer is right here.

Why should I support The Spinoff?

Every dollar donated is spent on producing The Spinoff’s independent journalism – free to all New Zealanders, not just those who can afford it.

There are some great benefits to membership – including The World Bulletin, an exclusive weekly newsletter with the biggest news stories from around the world. But we have consciously decided to keep the vast majority of our journalism free to all. You pay to support that effort.

Just as important is the relationship it encourages – we want Members to feel like they are part of our community and we treat them as such.

Do I still get to read The Spinoff if I don't join?

You sure do.

There are some great benefits to membership – a weekly world news email, fewer interruptions, opportunity to comment and more. But we keep the vast majority of our journalism free to all.

If I join, will I stop seeing ads?

Members can sign in to The Spinoff site, and enjoy a better browsing experience with fewer interruptive ads. You can also manage your payments and newsletter subscriptions with ease.

How is The Spinoff funded?

The Spinoff’s revenue comes from three main buckets.

First, comes the donations from our generous Members – people happy to pay so that The Spinoff remains free for all. These donations cover costs and fees for journalists inside and outside of The Spinoff. Every dollar donated is spent on journalism or its facilitation.

Next is advertising and commercial partnerships, which help cover our other operational costs. When The Spinoff was founded, this was our primary source of revenue. The steep decline in advertising for local media has been well documented, and while the current economic cycle may change, conservative estimates suggest 70% of advertising spend now goes to large, unregulated overseas technology companies. We sincerely appreciate all of The Spinoff’s clients and partners who remain committed to working with us, both now and in the future.

Last comes a bundle of projects – we receive some funding from Google for technology-based projects, we receive funding from NZ On Air to make projects like the Juggernaut podcast or Now You Know series, and we get some Creative NZ funding for our books coverage. These projects would not be possible without this external funding.

Is my payment secure?

The underlying payment infrastructure of The Spinoff is provided by Stripe, a global leader in online payments. Payments are processed using a secure SSL connection with 256-bit AES encryption. All credit card data is encrypted and Stripe maintains strict administrative, technical, and physical procedures to protect your information. More info about Stripe's security policies can be viewed on their website. The Spinoff does not collect or store your credit card number within its own database.

We're a business or organisation. Can we become a Member too?

Absolutely. Get in touch with us. We can talk you through different levels to suit the scale of your business and your desire to help.

How do I update my account/payment details?

If you donate via The Spinoff, sign in to your profile here to update your details.

If you donate via PressPatron, sign in to your account here or click here for support info.

I'm a Member, why can't I sign in?

Make sure you're using the same email you signed up with. Contact us if you need further assistance.