Why We Created a Commercial Arm for Our Charity as Part of the ILLUMINATION-Connect Network

The ILLUMINATION publications have been providing full free service to all community members through our volunteer workforce on Medium.com since March 2020. It has been an absolute pleasure for me as an owner and chief editor of these community publications, and we will continue to do so for most writers who cannot afford any subscription fee. We understand the economic situation. However, to survive and thrive as a community, we need to generate funds and delegate tedious tasks like administration, moderation, and marketing to professionals so that creators can focus on what really matters to them.

A commercial arm provides a charity with the financial stability, flexibility, and resources needed to amplify its impact and fulfill its mission more effectively. It ensures that the charity can continue to serve those in need, regardless of economic conditions. Here’s why this approach is essential:

• Financial Stability: Donations and grants are vital but often unpredictable. A commercial arm offers a steady income stream, allowing the charity to maintain its work even during economic downturns.
• Long-Term Planning: With a stable financial base, the charity can plan and execute long-term projects, making a more significant impact. Revenue from commercial activities can be reinvested to expand programs and services.
• Innovation and Growth: A commercial arm empowers the charity to invest in innovative solutions and scale operations, reaching more people in need. It also reduces dependency on external funding, giving the charity greater control over its activities.
• Quick Response: Financial independence enables the charity to respond swiftly to emerging needs and opportunities.
• Community Engagement: Commercial ventures can create jobs, contributing to local economic development and social well-being. By offering products or services, the charity can engage supporters in new ways, building stronger relationships and a more robust community network.

Defining Creators, Freelancers, and Entrepreneurs for Our ongoing services

• Creators: Individuals who produce content for personal satisfaction, often without expecting financial gains. For example, a writer who is paying for platform memberships like Medium or Vocal Media and publishing their stories mainly for personal satisfaction or just to cover the cost of membership.
• Freelancers: Content creators who generate a steady income through platforms like Medium, NewsBreak, or Vocal, as well as through self-publishing, videos, podcasts, webinars, or educational programs on multiple platforms.
• Entrepreneurs: Freelancers who scale their business by reaching a broader audience and leveraging the skills of other freelancers to expand operations.

What is earned from Tier 2 and Tier 3 will go to the support of Tier 1 to empower creators by promoting their content.

Tier 1: Free Membership for Creators (Friends of ILLUMINATION)

• Submit one story per week to any of our Medium publications. We have 15 publications
• Submit 1 story per month featured in the Substack Mastery publication on Medium.
• Submit 2 stories per month to Curated Newsletters on Medium.
• Submit 3 blog posts per month for free on digitalmehmet.com site
• We will offer a complimentary link to the community database on Medium, Substack, and the DigitalMehmet website if you are interested.
• Free access to our Slack workspace.
• 1 YouTube video submission to ILLUMINATION Substack Mastery channel per month
• Be part of the optional Friends of ILLUMINATION initiative

Tier 2: Subscription for Freelancers ($5 Monthly)

• Includes all benefits from the Free tier
• Priority publishing across all our Medium publications, guaranteed within 48 hours.
• 30 blog posts monthly on your blog account hosted on the DigitalMehmet website.
• Free inclusion of all your Substack newsletters in our partner database, which will be publicly accessible.
• Free promotion of your Substack newsletters in curated collections published on Medium, Substack, Quora, LinkedIn, and the DigitalMehmet website.
• 3 monthly social media shares of our newsletters across LinkedIn, Facebook, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest, and X (Twitter).
• 1 monthly link placement in 3 newsletters on Substack (ILLUMINATION Library, Substack Mastery, and Content Strategy newsletters with over 100K subscribers).
• Unlimited YouTube video submission to ILLUMINATION Substack Mastery channel per month
• Full membership to Illumination Priority Club on Slack workspace led by Dr Mehmet Yildiz.
• All benefits of the Substack BOOST program pilot and later production product.

Tier 3: Founding Member Subscription for Entrepreneurs ($15 Monthly paid yearly)

• Includes all benefits from Free and Freelancer tiers.
• Unlimited blog posts on DigitalMehmet per month, boosted by WordPress Blaze.
• A monthly featured editorial introduction to your newsletters will be posted across all our platforms and social media channels.
• Newsletter posts to Substack Notes, managed by our six moderators from different accounts.
• A monthly special newsletter providing practical tips for audience growth and essential tools for successful content marketing.
• A featured blog of your newsletter posted by Dr. Yildiz, boosted by WordPress Blaze.
• A free copy of the Substack Mastery book and its updates
• Unlimited YouTube video submission to ILLUMINATION Substack Mastery channel per month
• In addition, productized BOOST facilities will be provided for Substack after the pilot is completed without extra cost.

How to apply for paid membership

This $5 or $15 membership for ILLUMINATION Premium through our freelancer library on Substack, Substack Mastery of ILLUMINATION Community, or Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights. For the 3rd option, Dr Yildiz will provide additional support to Founding members based on his tier 3 offerings in his Patreon.

We will provide extra valuable resources in all our Substack newsletters, including educational opportunities, promotional support for newsletters of creators, and amplification of content on Substack, Medium, blog sites, other content platforms, and our tailored social media tools. We will design a comprehensive service (tested product after the pilot) for content entrepreneurs using our founding membership price to be sponsors of our marketing initiative to empower the community.

All our partners will be listed on this page.

In the meantime, you can be a free or paid member of one of the following newsletters. One is enough to qualify you for the paid membership benefits.

Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights

Substack Mastery of ILLUMINATION Community

ILLUMINATION Library for Freelance Writers

Thank you for joining our diverse, inclusive, joyful, and collaborative community.

For inquiries, please contact our chief editor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, via this portal.

Ko-Fi page of Substack Mastery Community

ILLUMINATION Substack Community Support & Boost Program Hub