The California Sun uses a model of voluntary support. That means we rely on you, dear reader, to chip in a small amount to help cover the cost of producing the newsletter.

Here are nine reasons to inspire you:

1The Sun reveals California’s treasures.

A subterranean wonderland in the San Joaquin Valley, a pink dream palace on the Central Coast, a post-apocalyptic menagerie in the Mojave Desert. The Sun highlights the state’s most unique and beautiful places.

2It’s completely independent.

As an island of one, the Sun is beholden to no interests but those of its readers. That means you get only the stories deemed worthy of your attention.

3It’s ad-free — for supporters.

Contribute even $1 and you’ll halt all ads.

4It highlights California’s most fascinating personalities.

The dancer in the desert, the last major Californio, the woman who turned San Diego green. In both the newsletter and a new podcast, the Sun tells you about the people who have made California so unique.

5It illuminates California’s history.

California’s black slaves, the collapse of St. Francis Dam, John Muir’s fateful walk to Yosemite. The Sun enriches your understanding of the state’s present by telling the stories of its past.

6It saves you time.

To find must-read stories, the Sun manually combs through 80 or so news sites and other media channels every day — so you don’t have to.

7It’s a visual feast.

The alien clouds of Mount Shasta, San Francisco noir, the cruising culture of 1970s Van Nuys. The Sun highlights the photos that tell California’s story.

8It reflects the whole state.

California is a big place, with at least 10 distinct regions. The Sun shares stories from the redwoods of Del Norte County to the dunes of the Imperial Valley.

9It doesn’t take much.

If every reader of the Sun signed up for $1 a month — the price of an iTunes song — it would put the newsletter on solid footing.

To support the newsletter using your credit card or PayPal, head over here.