Hi everyone, this is Ben Kutil, I do online things for the Baltimore Brew. We’ve met our fundraising goal, now its time to move forward and make the Baltimore Brew an even better resource and reading experience. To that end, I’ll be putting together a series of posts related to the design, technology and business plan of the Brew going forward.

My first post is up on Below the Fold, and I’d appreciate any comments about what you as our readers, want to see the in the Brew.

These next few days, you can make an even bigger impact on the Brew. For every dollar we raise over $15,000, an anonymous donor will match that amount. Now would be a great time to increase you donation, or tell someone who hasn't donated yet about the great things that the Baltimore Brew is trying to do. I (and everyone at the Brew) really appreciate the support you’ve shown for our organization so far, and I hope to return your investment with a better reading experience, enhanced features and more ways to enjoy the Brew’s great reporting.

Ben

Sometime after the Raven’s game yesterday, you helped us reach our goal, almost an entire week ahead of schedule! It’s not over though – a donor has promised to match whatever money we raise above $15,000!

In other words, if we reach $18,000, this person will kick in an additional $3,000. If we come up with an extra $5,000 and hit the $20,000 mark, our patron will contribute an additional $5,000, putting us at $25,000. (Boy, that sounds good.)

So between now and Sunday Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. , when the Baltimore Brew Kickstarter campaign ends, your Brew support counts double:  every dollar you pledge to us turns into into two. (Don’t wait until the last minute folks because Mr./Ms Benefactor will be making his/her donation via Kickstarter on Sunday morning and the match will happen then.)

Can you help us, Brew readers? If you haven’t contributed yet, you can look like a really smart guy by doing it now when the moolah will be matched.

Thanks. And to our incredibly generous benefactor who wishes to remain nameless, we really appreciate your support and vote of confidence in our work. By the way, I asked Benefactor X if he has an upper limit. Yup, he’ll go up to $10,000. Wow.

You've pledged, as of this morning, $12,066 toward The Brew's $15,000 Kickstarter campaign, putting us 80 % of the way there and, from where we sit, that's love, sweet love.

T H A N K - Y O U ! 

Sometime before 10 a.m. on Sunday Jan. 22 we'll need an additional $2,934, if our math is right. If we don't get there, all the pledges disappear.

We can reach our goal with your help. Wheedle, guilt-trip, arm-twist, subcontract with a Girl Scout, do whatever you have to do! Help us get to $15,000 and maybe more.

We know money is short these days and thank folks sincerely for every pledge, from $1 on up. You know we will use it to bring you a better, stronger Brew with more of the great writing and accountability journalism you've been finding at www.baltimorebrew.com.

We recognize some of your names from stories we've written, events we've covered, the produce aisle at the Giant or wherever we've seen you last. Many others are folks as yet unknown to us and we hope to make your acquaintance down the road. (Several mystery backers have opted for the pseudonym approach. You CAN contribute anonymously, btw.)

One smart Brew reader, Baltimore photographer Paul Burk, pledged $1,000 and will get two months of advertising on Da Brew, as per our Kickstarter reward at that top level. (An average monthly readership of 25,000 unique readers will see his ad.)

An unsolicited and very cool Twitter pep squad (you know who you are!) has been spreading the Kickstarter word. Many, many thanks.

Anyway thank-you again for reading and supporting Baltimore Brew. Stay in touch with us here on Kickstarter or via editors@baltimorebrew.com.

Fern, Mark, Meredith & Ben

Wow, in our first week we made 26 percent of our goal!! We have $4,011 as of today from 75 people, some of them giving a dollar, and one of them - whoa baby! - kicking in $500. 

Grazi, danke, xie-xie, gracias and merci beaucoup to each and every one of you. It's an honor to have your confidence. Thank you.

We also debuted a new feature, Below the Fold, a blog that will, we hope, give readers a peek behind-the-scenes at The Brew and a chance to converse with us about the website and where you think we ought to take it from here. And, of course, it's a way to update you all on the fundraising.

I’m hoping BTF will be an entertaining and nutritious blend of: crazy stuff we saw while reporting, interesting people we ran into and tooting our own horn.

Check it out and forward the Kickstarter link far and wide - we have to keep up the momentum to make it to $15,000. And stay tuned to these updates for more about how it's all going, the mug design we've worked up, special offers and more.

- Fern, Mark, Meredith, Ben and the rest of the Brewers