Lisbon for People

Lisboa For People was born from zero in 2021. In order to continue, it needs a sustainability base of €10,000. This amount secures the project until the end of the year, with the promise of finding other funding sources by then.

Because I believe that a city that is changing needs a media outlet and a thinking forum to prepare it for that change. And because my dedication testifies to what drives me to do so: the love for the city; I decided to create this campaign so that I can finally make a living from what I do, Lisbon For People (Lisboa Para Pessoas) – a portal dedicated to the city of Lisbon which, in its first year of life, published more than 500 articles and 50 guides, and had about half a million readers.

My name is Mário Rui André, I'm 28 years old and I live in Lisbon – still at my parents' house. I'm a journalist, founder of Lisbon For People, photographer, community manager. In short, I do a little bit of everything to bring this project to life, convinced of its importance, and, therefore, it can be said that, at this moment, Lisbon For People is me. It's me with a lot of ideas and ambitions for a bigger and more professional project. I work practically every day but, as a result of the youth of the project, I still pay to work. I have a salary below the National Minimum Wage – it's called IAS (≈440 €) – but this salary usually exists only on paper; even if I don't take it out for myself, I pay Social Security contributions every month as if I received my entire salary.

At Lisbon For People, we tell relevant and critical Stories, we organize useful Guides for those who want to experience the city in another way, we promote a dynamic and motivated Community, and we organize documentation that should be accessible to anyone at our Library. I write texts, research information, take photographs, manage messages and communications with people, edit the guides, organize documentation... but my resilience, like that of others who have taken on the same challenge, is not infinite. Lisbon has already lost good projects in the past and cannot lose another one. That's why this campaign is based on a very crude truth: I need money so I can continue to make Lisbon For People. And nothing made more sense than to start by asking for this support from those who follow the project and benefit from it on a daily basis.

I aim for 10 thousand euros in this campaign, which would ensure Lisbon for People until the end of 2022, with a commitment not to stand still and look for more funding opportunities and new business models. This crowdfunding is not the beginning, because over the course of a year we have already proven to be a solid value in the media scene in the city of Lisbon, but it is a unique opportunity to create stability for the project to take the leap. It assures my dedication to this platform, my commitment to making it grow and above all the idea that among ordinary people it is possible to create disruptive projects that contribute positively to the public space.

About the author

Lisboa For People is a community portal about mobility and public space in Lisbon.

In 2021, a new means of social communication has become necessary to assist in the transition that the city is making, independently, collaboratively and convergently, without ulterior motives. A platform that offers information and tools for more thoughtful and conscious decisions, that helps in the public debate about the future of the city and that presents its value proposition – a Lisbon for People.

Mário Rui André

Budget and due dates

The 10 thousand euros that are intended to be raised in this crowdfunding campaign will guarantee a sustainability base for Lisboa Para Pessoas until the end of this 2022. This amount will allow the payment of a minimum wage of 705 euros + associated costs, such as food allowance and contribution to the Social Security; It will also allow you to support some operational costs, such as the monthly public transport pass, the newsletter service or the web hosting of our website.

Lisboa For People will not sit idly by – this crowdfunding is just the beginning. The €10,000 is the amount needed for Lisboa Para Pessoas to continue publishing as it does today, while looking for other forms of funding that allow the project to grow its team and its promise of value .

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