About Big Pivots

Climate change has begun to wreak havoc on our world as we’ve known it.

We must make changes. Big Pivots^® is an e-journal that chronicles the necessary transitions in energy, water, and other realms in Colorado and beyond in the Great Plains and Intermountain West.

Why Big Pivots?

The mission of Big Pivots^®, a Colorado-based non-profit, is to document, understand, and educate about the changes made necessary by climate change. Those changes include the generation and consumption of energy, water use and availability, and other areas of urgent attention in the 21st century and beyond.

Delivery

Content of Big Pivots® is published as an e-magazine (delivered by email to subscribers in a PDF). Most of the same content is posted on this website. Some articles are also shared with newspapers and other media for republishing.

Subscriptions to Big Pivots^® are free, and you can get copies by subscribing below.

Non-profit and financials

The IRS approved the application of Big Pivots as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 in September 2021. Donations to Big Pivots® are tax-deductible.

Big Pivots received $23,300 in revenue during 2022. This included grants from the following foundations:
Aspen Skiing Co. Environment Foundation, $10,000
Bassett-Stern Charitable Fund, $600

Big Pivots also received donations in amounts ranging from $5 to $1,000 from across Colorado as well as several from other states.
Donations can be made via the PayPal button on this website. To avoid the PayPal charge of 5%, checks can be sent directly to: Big Pivots, 5705 Yukon St., Arvada CO.

Big Pivots is also available for advertising and sponsorships. Please contact us here.

Statement of Editorial Policies

General

As a statement of Policy, Big Pivots is a tax-exempt corporation under Section 501-C-3 of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, Big Pivots intends to establish and maintain policies and content in keeping with its mission and within the parameters of the tax protections afforded the corporation pursuant to Section 501-C-3 of the Internal Revenue Code.

As a statement of Policy, Big Pivots may amend, change, or otherwise revise its Statement of Editorial Policies as it deems appropriate without notice or consultation other than with and upon adoption by the board of directors.

As a statement of Policy, Big Pivots may convey its Statement of Editorial Policies through the Big Pivots website, on its social media pages and by any other means available in words and images not necessarily in exact conformity to its adopted Statement of Editorial Policies, but any such conveyance shall not be intended to change the intent and substance of said Statement.

As a statement of Policy, when Big Pivots produces original content, that content shall be considered as copyrighted and protected as such under the laws of the United States as of the date of distribution to any third party or parties.

Independence/Transparency

As a statement of Policy, Big Pivots retains full authority to establish and maintain editorial content that protects the corporation’s best journalistic and business interests. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors, their products, services, or opinions. Big Pivots may seek review of editorial content for the purpose of fact checking content.

Gifts, grants and sponsorships may be accepted to further the mission of Big Pivots independent of and not necessarily on the basis of donor support. Any two (2) officers may accept a donation of less than $5,000, but only the board of directors may accept a donation in any form of $5,000 or more in a regular or special meeting.

1. 1. Donations made to support a particular topic shall not constitute editorial control of any aspect of how the topic is covered. Big Pivots shall make no commitment to a right of review or influence editorial content beyond fact checking. In addition, Big Pivots welcomes distribution of its work product so long as the content is not changed in any way.
   2. As a statement of policy, Big Pivots discourages donations of any kind made anonymously. Staff, the board of directors and officers are not authorized to accept any donation made anonymously in excess of fifteen percent (15%) of Big Pivots annual budget. Any donation made in contravention of this provision shall be null and void and returned to the donor at the earliest opportunity.
   3. Any donation of $5,000 or more in any calendar year is subject to public disclosure of the name and address of the donor. An anonymous donation shall only be accepted for general support and on condition that sufficient safeguards have been put into place assuring the donation expenditure is made in compliance with the standards of this organization.

   Equity and Inclusion

   As a statement of policy, Big Pivots shall establish a culture of diversity and inclusion, without exception, extending to staff, contributors, and editorial discretion and priorities.

   Advertising

   As a statement of policy, Big Pivots reserves the right to accept or decline any advertising and sponsorship at the sole discretion of the corporation. Such decisions shall be final. This includes decisions made by Big Pivots determines to be misleading, inaccurate, fraudulent or illegal. Big Pivots also reserves the right to determine whether advertising conforms its standards of decency, taste or dignity at the sole discretion of the corporation.

   Conflict of Interest

   As a statement of policy, the corporation deems it necessary and appropriate to adopt standards that ensure deliberations and decisions are made solely for the purpose of achieving professional quality journalism. This standard of journalism will protect the interests of Big Pivots as it weighs the benefits of each transaction, contract, or arrangement that might be perceived to benefit the private interests of anyone or any entity affiliated with Big Pivots, including but not limited to staff, agents, members of the board of directors or donors. More specifically, this policy extends to the following:

   1. Duty. Persons and entities covered by this policy owe a duty to Big Pivots to advance Big Pivots legitimate interests when the opportunity to do so arises. Persons and entities covered by this policy shall not compromise the best interests of the corporation when making decisions. Similarly, persons and entities covered by this policy shall be faithful to the corporation’s mission and are not permitted to act in a way inconsistent with its goals and nonprofit status.
   2. Gifts. No persons and entities covered by this policy shall personally accept gifts or favors, which may compromise or be perceived to compromise loyalty to Big Pivots. This prohibition shall not prevent a gift or benefit merely incidental to his or her role as an agent for Big Pivots, and of no substantial value. In this context, “substantial value” is waived for admission to conferences or lodging crucial to a journalistic endeavor; otherwise, any gift with a value of $250 or more, or any gifts with a cumulative value in excess of $250 received by persons and entities covered by this policy in any 12-month period from a single source, shall be considered substantial. Cash payments may not be accepted. No persons and entities covered by this policy may accept gifts if he or she knows or learns such gift is given to solicit support or opposition to the outcome or content of any Big Pivots publication.
   3. Examples. The following are examples of conflicts of interest, which must be promptly disclosed to the Big Pivots Board of Directors pursuant to Section 4 below by an agent Big Pivots with knowledge of such conflict of interest:
      1. (a) Any real or apparent conflict of interest between a donor or the subject of an Big Pivots publication or report and an agent working on behalf of Big Pivots;
      2. (b) An agent of Big Pivots who has ownership of an equity interest in a person or entity that is or will be the subject of an Big Pivots publication or report; and
      3. (c) Failure to disclose to Big Pivots all relationships between the subject of any Big Pivots publication or report and any agent for Big Pivots or close relative of an agent for Big Pivots.
   4. Disclosure. Any disclosure required of the Statement of Editorial Policies shall be made in writing to the board of directors expeditiously, and shall be acted on by the board no later than their next regularly scheduled meeting.