Street Sense Media is a nonprofit media outlet and advocacy group concerned with homelessness and poverty. Street Sense combats homelessness in Washington, D.C., by increasing awareness of the realities of homelessness through its media outlets and outreach programs. Street Sense’s media outlets include print journalism, film, photography and podcasts. Its outreach programs include a vendor program and a case management team that can provide homeless people aid in getting things such as food all the way to finding housing. 1 2 3
History
Street Sense Media, originally named Street Sense, was started in August 2003 when its founders asked the National Coalition for the Homeless to sponsor a street newspaper program in Washington, D.C. In November 2003, Street Sense published its first Street Sense newspaper, which it published monthly until 2007, when it switched to a biweekly production schedule. In September 2017, the organization’s name was changed to Street Sense Media since it had expanded its programs into media beyond just the newspaper to podcasts, film, theater, photography, illustration, and other projects. 4
Projects
Vendor Program
Street Sense Media’s main program is the Street Sense street-newspaper program that allows homeless people to earn wages by selling copies of the paper. The newspaper is printed every two weeks and is sold by homeless people. Approximately half of the pieces are written by homeless and formerly homeless individuals, with the rest being written by journalism interns and volunteer writers. The program allows the homeless people who sell the papers to work any hours and in any location they choose with no interview or background checks necessary. Sellers pay 50 cents per copy, and typically receive $2 donations for each paper sold. 4
Homeless Crisis Reporting Project
The Homeless Crisis Reporting Project is a project started in 2016, which brings together media outlets across Washington, D.C., to create a guide on how journalists should report on homelessness and poverty, specifically, by controlling and softening language. The guide states that drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness, and criminality should not be referenced when reporting on homelessness because there are people with the same issues who are not homeless. It also states that journalists should not use the word “homelessness;” instead they should use terms like “unhoused people” and “people experiencing housing instability” because that type of language does not have a negative stigma. 2 5
Finances
Although Street Sense Media is a relatively small nonprofit, recording only $755,551 in revenue in 2022, it is backed by nonprofits which claim annual revenue in the billions. Between 2013 and 2022, Street Sense Media received over $900,000 in grants from other nonprofits. The highest total amount granted was $305,000 from the Greater Washington Community Foundation between 2015 and 2020. It received grants totaling more than $80,000 from the American Online Giving Foundation, a nonprofit that totaled over $1.5 billion in revenue in 2021. 6 It received grants totaling over $60,000 from Fidelity Investments Charitable Gift Fund, a nonprofit that claimed nearly $20 billion in revenue in 2022. 7 It received over $230,000 from Schwab Charitable Fund, a nonprofit that claimed over $7.5 billion on revenue in 2023. 8
References
- “Our Mission and History.” Street Sense Media. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://streetsensemedia.org/about/.
- “About.” Street Sense Media. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://streetsensemedia.org/homeless-crisis-reporting-project/about/.
- “Case Management and Outreach.” Street Sense Media. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://streetsensemedia.org/case-management-and-outreach/.
- “SSM Media Guide.” Street Sense Media, 2020. https://streetsensemed.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/SSM-Media-Guide.pdf.
- “Reporter’s Guide.” Street Sense Media. Accessed September 2, 2024. https://streetsensemedia.org/homeless-crisis-reporting-project/reporters-guide/.
- American Online Giving Foundation, Form 990, 2021, Part I Line 12b.
- Fidelity Investment Charitable Gift Fund, Form 990, 2022, Part I Line 12b.
- Schwab Charitable Fund, Form 990, Part I Line 12b.