The Rochester Beacon, which recently marked its fifth anniversary, again has been selected to participate in NewsMatch, the nation’s largest annual fundraising campaign for nonprofit news. The campaign starts next Wednesday and runs through Dec. 31.
Through matching gifts, NewsMatch has helped nonprofit newsrooms across the country raise more than $271 million. Gifts from national and local funders are pooled to match small-dollar donations by individuals to participating organizations, all of which have operating budgets below $1 million. NewsMatch this year will match, dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 per donor, with an initial cap of $13,000 per participating nonprofit news organization.
Since its launch, NewsMatch has been backed by a consortium of 30 funders and supported through the Fund for Nonprofit News, an open collaborative fund at the Miami Foundation, which oversees the fiscal administration of NewsMatch funds. The campaign is managed by the Institute for Nonprofit News, a nationwide network of more than 400 independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organizations.
Key funders to NewsMatch have included the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Democracy Fund, Google News Initiative, Meta, Vere Initiatives, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, and several other family and private foundations.
“In a world overflowing with information and noise, quality local journalism becomes paramount to understanding our community,” says Alex Zapesochny, publisher of the Rochester Beacon. “By supporting us during the NewsMatch campaign, you fortify our ability to do this vital work, ensuring the stories of Rochester continue to be told with depth and dedication.”
Starting Wednesday, Nov. 1, you can make a NewsMatch donation to the Rochester Beacon online.
To be eligible for NewsMatch, donations must be made by individuals—personally, or through a business they own, a family foundation or donor-advised fund. They also must be made during the campaign period, Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.
“This is our fifth straight year taking part in NewsMatch, which is the single largest source of funds to support our operations,” Executive Editor Paul Ericson says.
“This matching-gift campaign is essential to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality, nonprofit local journalism that everyone can access for free,” he adds.
All NewsMatch participants are 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3), follow best practices in financial transparency, and publish original, high-quality reporting that is investigative or public service by nature. In addition, all are full members of INN.
The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. Submissions to the Letters page should be sent to [email protected].