Revenue Streams & Finance

In 2023, Tsüri.ch's revenue amounted to approximately 850,000 CHF. According to Jacoby, for the past four years, all operations have been self-sustaining, with only a small remaining debt from previous years that still requires repayment.

The revenue mix is primarily divided into three main streams, each contributing roughly a third to the total sales:

1. Membership/Reader Revenue

2. Civic Media

3. Advertising

All content on Tsüri.ch is freely accessible to users, with approximately 1,700 individuals voluntarily contributing to membership fees, ranging between CHF 8 and CHF 15, with CHF 8 being the minimum fee. In return for their support, members gain access to the community, receive event invitations, and enjoy discounts on merchandise. Tsüri.ch also includes revenue from its own shop under the category of membership/reader revenue. While the shop's income constitutes a small portion of the overall revenue, Jacoby notes that it is financially viable and serves as a form of advertising when individuals wear Tsüri-branded clothing around the city.

Reader revenue encompasses smaller crowdfunding initiatives, typically ranging from 1 to 3 per year, aimed at financing specific projects or sensitive investigations. For instance, in 2024, a crowdfunding campaign with a target of CHF 20,000 was launched to ensure the financial stability of the municipal council newsletter. Although crowdfunding campaigns typically yield modest sums in the context of overall turnover, they are effective in engaging individuals who may not wish to commit as regular members but are willing to make one-time contributions. Additionally, existing paying members can also be encouraged to contribute one-off payments, supplementing their regular contributions—a practice that many members engage in, as per Jacoby's observations.

The Civic Media revenue stream at Tsüri.ch encompasses all aspects related to events and focus months (refer to Community/Engaged Journalism). This revenue primarily stems from partnerships for focus months and event sponsorships. Additionally, income is generated from ticket sales for chargeable events. With approximately 30 events annually, this segment has become one of the top three revenue sources for the organization.

Tsüri.ch offers both advertising and content marketing services. Advertising primarily occurs within the newsletter, featuring a "tip of the day" for CHF 100 CPM, equivalent to approximately CHF 1,500 currently. Customers also have the option to book prize draws or competitions within the newsletter, as well as entire advertising newsletters.

Banner advertising on the Tsüri.ch website is also available, limited to one banner per article. Customers can further place sponsored articles or reports on the website.

The newsroom itself operates as a for-profit stock corporation (AG). To access funding from charitable foundations, particularly for more complex research or financially non-self-sustaining projects, Tsüri.ch established a charitable organisation. This entity selectively applies for funding and supports the initiatives of the for-profit company accordingly.