Civil Eats Membership FAQs | Civil Eats

Civil Eats Membership FAQs

Civil Eats members help make our work possible—as a nonprofit newsroom, we depend on reader support to pursue our award-winning reporting on the food system. Are you a current member of Civil Eats or considering joining our membership program? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about our nonprofit news organization membership. Do you have a question that isn’t answered here? Please contact us at members-at-civileats.com. And if you have questions about logging in to your account, please see this Login FAQ.

What is the difference between being a subscriber and a member?
A subscriber signs up to receive our weekly email newsletter; a member supports Civil Eats financially on a monthly or annual basis and receives additional benefits, including The Deep Dish, an in-depth newsletter focused on a different topic each month.

How do I become a member?
Click here and select the appropriate membership level based on your financial ability.

What is the membership pricing?
Membership is $50 per year; a student membership is $24 per year; and a give-one, get-one membership is $100 per year, allowing you to share Civil Eats with friends and family or to pay-it-forward. For group membership rates, please contact us at members-at-civileats.com.

How can I get a confirmation of my membership?
You should receive an automatic email from info-at-civileats.com once you’ve completed the sign-up process.

What are the benefits of membership?
Membership benefits include unlimited access to Civil Eats’ award-winning reporting; our weekly newsletter, which offers a rundown of all of our reporting; and The Deep Dish, our members-only monthly newsletter, which features an in-depth look at a different topic each month.

When will I receive my membership benefits?
Your membership starts when we receive your contribution!

How long does a Civil Eats membership last?
Annual memberships last 365 days and will automatically renew one year from the date that you join; monthly memberships will automatically renew every month on the day that you joined.

When will I receive the members-only newsletter?
We send our members-only newsletter, The Deep Dish, directly to members once per month.

Can I gift a membership to Civil Eats?
Yes; the Give-One, Get-One membership is $100 per year and allows you to gift an annual membership to someone or allows Civil Eats to pay-it-forward to someone else. If you are already a paying member, you can send a gift membership by logging in to your Civil Eats account and choosing “Give a Gift” from the menu.

What is The Deep Dish? 
The Deep Dish is our members-only monthly newsletter, which features an in-depth look at a different topic each month. Past issues have focused on climate change, plastics, co-operative workplaces, pollinators, and more.

I get The Deep Dish members-only newsletter, but I want more frequent updates. How do I subscribe to other newsletters?
To receive our weekly newsletter, log in to our member portal and click “Manage Newsletters.”

How can I update the email address associated with my account?
If you’d like to change the email address associated with your membership, visit our member portal and click “Edit Profile.” (If you need help logging in to the membership portal, please see this Login FAQ.)

I have a work membership and a personal membership to Civil Eats. Can I combine them?
Please email us at members-at-civileats.com and we can discuss options for combining two memberships.

How do I update my payment method?
You may update your membership at any time by visiting our member portal and “Manage Subscription.” There, you can update your payment method. (For step-by-step instructions, please see this update payment guide.)

Can I join with a check?
Yes, we’re grateful for gifts in all forms! Please mail your check to:

Civil Eats
P.O. Box 7014
Cotati, California 94931

What other forms of payment can I use?
We currently accept payments via credit card (through Pico) and PayPal (please add “Membership” when asked “What’s this payment for?”).

How do I renew my membership?
Memberships automatically renew on a monthly or annual basis. If you need to update your billing information, or your membership is up for renewal soon, log in to the member portal here or contact members-at-civileats.com.

How do I cancel my membership?
We understand financial circumstances change. You may cancel a recurring membership at any time by visiting our member portal and clicking “Manage Subscription.”

I received a charge on my card but don’t recall signing up as a member. Why did this happen?
Memberships are set to automatic renewal. It may be that you signed up with a different email address and/or unsubscribed from our emails and therefore did not receive the automatic renewal notification. Check any other email addresses that you may have used in the past, then log in to the member portal here to update your payment. If this does not work, please contact members-at-civileats.com and we’ll be happy to help.

My question hasn’t been answered in the FAQ, who do I contact?
For questions about your membership, please contact members-at-civileats.com.

For other general inquiries, please contact info-at-civileats.com.