Greetings members, supporters, collaborators and visionaries;

The Icarus Project is now 7 years old, and a brilliant spark that began as just an idea has caught fire. Today we are a thriving community of real people drawn together from all over the world.

We've created a place were we define what madness is for ourselves, and discover what healing can be if we honor the voices of experience - our own. The Icarus Project has become a place of unity, safety and tremendous growth for those seeking a different perspective from traditional mental health practices.

Whether as part of our on-line community, with more than 8,000 registered members; the dozens of local peer support groups throughout the US and abroad; our growing publications, which now have been translated into three languages; or our campus organizing; Icarus represents the forefront of a radical re-examination of how mental illness is defined in this society. We use the word radical in its linguistic definition, which is “going to the root or origin; fundamental.”

These are the voices of people who are part of The Icarus Project, shared on our forums:

The Icarus Project takes away the feeling of shame and isolation that comes from being told you are crazy and will never get better....There is always someone you can talk to who has been where you are and has gotten through it. People offer real practical help with compassion.

Icarus is one of the few places where I've found an open and supportive environment, where people are talking about both their problems with illness and their problems with the current system of treatment.

We heal together within The Icarus Project as a family...We support each other thru darkest times... I know many people share the same fears and frustrations as me and I am not alone.

At Icarus I have a feeling of being listened to and understood - of being known - that is absent in most other spheres of my life... It is one of the only places I can show up and not feel like I need to hide all the glaring contradictions I contain.

Whether you're posting actively in our forums, reading the words of others, participating in a local group or event, or tapping into our resources and writing, you're a part of this community We know these words resonate with your own experience of what its like to be part of The Icarus Project.

At this point in our development, we are seeking long-term sustainability though direct member support. We don't want to keep relying on foundation grants and large, one time donations to meet our ongoing expenses. After seven years this is the first time we're coming to you, our community, to create a sustainable resource base for the future.

It costs more than $40,000 a year to keep Icarus up and functioning; by relying on volunteer involvement and decentralized participation, we're able to make a greater impact than non-profit organizations with much bigger budgets - and support each other more cost effectively than any clinic, hospital, or doctor's office ever could. That money takes care of our basic housekeeping - maintaining and developing the website and forums, printing and publishing, making free online versions of our publications, money for office space and overhead, and small stipends for our incredibly dedicated core group of part-time coordinators.

We are asking our community to help keep us going throughout the year by contributing to the annual budget.
We are keenly aware of the financial marginalization of people considered disabled by madness, and we know that for many in our community, the idea of contributing to anything other that basic self survival is difficult.
This is why we are asking for contributions of $10.00 per month, and for those who can, $25.00 per month. If you can't personally contribute, consider asking friends or families to give on your behalf.

If 100 people contribute to our winter fund drive at the $25.00 per month level, we can keep our website viable over the next 12 months, with needed software upgrade and improving our social networking features. If 200 people contribute $5.00 per month, we can fund another national tour, publish a follow-up to the Navigating The Space reader, and host gatherings of radical mental health organizers from around the country.

We want to dedicate our time to the most important things that Icarus does, and raising money isn’t our focus. If we raise operating funds though a yearly fundraising cycle in winter, we can free up time for other efforts, without having to stop every 3 months with a donation drive for money.

You can design a monthly donation package for yourself by clicking here:

https://site.icarusprojectarchive.org/about-us/donate-to-the-icarus-project.

Support radical mental health and grassroots organizing! The Icarus Project partners with FJC as our fiscal sponsor, and all donations are fully tax-deductible.

All our regular Sustainers at the $10/mo or more level will get periodic mailings of extra Icarus materials, to stay in touch and fuel your inspiration.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you want to figure out another way to financially support Icarus, please email us at admin@theicarusproject.net.

Have a good Winter Solstice season!

The Icarus Project Coordinating Collective