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Funding

Donor Transparency Policy

We are committed to transparency in every aspect of funding our organization.

Accepting financial support does not mean we endorse donors or their products, services or opinions.

We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics and special projects. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates as a public trust, we do not pay certain taxes. We may receive funds from standard government programs offered to nonprofits or similar businesses.

Our news judgments are made independently – not based on or influenced by donors or any revenue source. We do not give supporters the rights to assign, review or edit content.

We make public all revenue sources and donors who give $5,000 or more per year. We will accept donations from anonymous sources for general support and operations only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization. We will not accept donations from government entities, political parties, elected officials, or candidates actively seeking public office. We will not accept donations from sources who, deemed by our board of directors, present a conflict of interest with our work or compromise our independence.

Individual donations make up 45% of our funding followed by institutions that contribute 39%. We earn 12% of our budget through being a fiscal sponsor to select projects. The remaining 4% of our income is earned from our fees for service.

These Foundations and Donor Advised Funds have funded our work in the past 3 years.

  • Akonadi Foundation
  • Berwick Degel Family Foundation
  • California Humanities
  • The C.J. and Mattie Lowery Fund of the Common Counsel Foundation
  • Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County – The Fair Share Fund
  • Cloud Mountain Foundation
  • William P. Creighton
  • James R. Dougherty, Jr. Foundation
  • David B. Dunning
  • The Good Works Foundation
  • Left Tilt Fund
  • Liebeslicht Fund at the Seattle Foundation
  • Mary Wohlford Foundation
  • Nancy S. Nordhoff
  • Omnia Foundation
  • Park Foundation, Inc.
  • Puffin Foundation
  • Rachel and Ben Vaughn Foundation
  • RSF Social Finance
  • Satterberg Foundation
  • Solutions Journalism Network
  • The San Francisco Foundation, Anonymous Fund
  • Wei Zhang and Peter Rasmussen of the Don and Lore Rasmussen Fund of the Tides Foundation
  • The Voqal Fund
  • Vocal Minority donors circle
  • Winky Foundation