By NYU Staff

It took a lot of work, but the non-profit, non-partisan Web site the Texas Tribune has launched. But that doesn’t mean the work is done, Evan Smith, editor-in-chief for The Tribune, told Poynter reporter Mary Tenore , “The funny thing is we are releasing things gradually. We have a lot more stuff to put out there,” he said.

The site, which features traditional news stories and blogs, attempts to add more value to the typical online site. One of the ways it does this is with databases outlining details such as government employee salaries, federal campaign donations, and lobbying expenditures. Its most impressive bit: a Texas politics “wiki” page and Twitter feeds for the elected politicians in Texas.

While many of the start-ups that fall into the non-profit media realm have been hard pressed for donations, the Tribune has little reason to worry, at least for now. It started with a $1 million investment by Texan venture capitalist and website co-founder John Thornton, with the rest of the $3.6 million coming from donors and investors. “We had 1,340 founding members before we’ve published a word,” Smith said to Paid Content’s Staci Kramer. For as little as 25 or 50 bucks, college students can become founding members, with the bar set at a much higher $5000 for those wanting to become founding investors.

But as great as having a steady stream of donors and investors pouring, the site’s focus on sustainability is evident in some of its initiatives and features. The Texas Weekly—a political newsletter obtained this year has about 1,200 subscribers bringing in about $250 a piece per year. With ambitions of revving up circulation, Smith tells Paid Content that it’s a “delicate dance.” “Because our model assumes we’ll be funded almost exclusively through philanthropy the first year and gradually transition to a model by the third year, we’re two thirds philanthropy and a third earned income.”

And to help the site’s founders fuel the vision to be a “Texas watchdog,” they have recruited a staff of veteran journalists, “ambitious newbies,” and others, bringing the total to 16. And 16 well paying employees at that. Smith’s salary alone is over $300,000, with three other members also receiving six figured wages. “First of all, we are not building a teaching hospital. We’re building a major provider of health care with veteran doctors and nurses and administrators and the very best equipment and technology to provide the very best care. We said we’re going to pay everybody competitively,” Smith said.

With all of the funding, support and structure in place, the Texas Tribune has set the non-profit bar high. Not just high for future founders within the Texas region, but the public’s expectation is pretty high as well. It’s really early in the game to make a judgment call on the site, which reportedly has much more goodies in store. But in the coming months we will see.