By the end of this year, 28 Colorado newsrooms aim to collectively raise at least a million dollars to strengthen and sustain their coverage of local governments, businesses, schools and communities — and they need your help.
Colorado Media Project (CMP) and the Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) are pleased to announce the 2023 cohort of local newsrooms participating in the sixth annual #newsCOneeds year-end matching challenge. Between Tuesday, Nov. 28 (a.k.a. “Giving NewsDay”) and Dec. 31, 2023, each newsroom below can earn up to $5,000 from CMP, in a dollar-for-dollar match aimed at inspiring individual giving to support long-term sustainability of their public-service journalism — which informs and engages communities and strengthens civic engagement statewide.
Between now and November, these newsrooms are participating in the #newsCOneeds Philanthropy Lab - a new addition to the program this year. This series of eleven workshop session, led by national experts from the Local Media Association and Make Philanthropy Work, and hosted by COLab, helps newsrooms hone their fundraising plans, strengthen their connections to their audiences, and engage Coloradans across the state in supporting a healthy local news ecosystem.
2023 is the sixth consecutive year that CMP is offering the matching grant challenge, which is modeled after the national NewsMatch campaign. Over the last five years, Colorado newsrooms participating in the #newsCOneeds Campaign have collectively leveraged $500,000 in grants from CMP to raise more than $2.3 million dollars in small contributions from thousands of individual audience members and supporters.
Colorado’s #newsCOneeds matching challenge is unique in the nation, in that any locally owned, locally operated Colorado news organization that is regularly publishing nonpartisan local news may apply — regardless of business model or distribution method. While newsrooms are encouraged to direct their readers or listeners to their own contribution pages, a campaign landing page (thisisnewsconeeds.com) provides a unifying message and a single-point for campaign contributions, which are split equally among the participating newsrooms.
Want to shout out your favorite story or newsroom? Newsrooms, advocates and members of the public are encouraged to use a common hashtag (#newsCOneeds) to spotlight some of the amazing journalism produced by local newsrooms in 2023, and to encourage others to give generously.
MEET THE 2023 #NEWSCONEEDS COHORT
Alamosa Citizen is a member-supported, nonpartisan daily online newspaper that works to provide information and build civic involvement in the San Luis Valley.
Ark Valley Voice is a completely online nonprofit news source for Chaffee County and the Upper Arkansas Valley in Central Colorado, with a mission to be a voice in pursuit of truth in the Upper Arkansas Valley by providing objective, factual journalism that supports an informed community, civil discourse and government accountability while reflecting the values of the community.
Aspen Journalism is a nonprofit, online local news organization with statewide coverage on water and the environment. Aspen Journalism produces investigative and in-depth journalism for those with a stake in Aspen, the Roaring Fork River watershed, the Western Slope, the state of Colorado, and the upper Colorado River basin.
Boulder Reporting Lab is a nonprofit digital newsroom that provides the people who live, work, learn and play in and around Boulder, Colorado, with high-quality, trustworthy, local-first reporting and essential information to make sense of issues and events happening around them, navigate their lives and build community
Bucket List Community Cafe is a community inspired and community supported journalism site on Facebook, social media and the web that provides information, inspiration and interaction to North Denver.
Chalkbeat Colorado is a nonprofit, digital newsroom covering education in Denver and statewide, as part of a nationwide network of mission-aligned newsrooms committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education.
Colorado Chinese News is a free weekly newspaper serving Chinese, Asian and other major communities in the Rocky Mountain Region and beyond.
Colorado Community Media is a network of 23 community newspapers and online publications collectively serving more than 330,000 residents in cities and towns throughout Colorado's Front Range with clear, accurate coverage of the issues that matter to residents.
Colorado Newsline is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, independent source of online news, providing fair and accurate reporting on politics, policy and other stories of interest to Colorado readers since 2020.
The Colorado Springs Indy is a free publication that has served Southern Colorado for over 30 years, covering the full range of news – arts and culture, policy and government, education and health care.
The Colorado Sun is an online news outlet providing long-form, in-depth coverage of news from across Colorado.
The Crestone Eagle is a nonprofit newsroom whose mission is to produce trustworthy local news in rural Saguache County, to promote community engagement, enhance economic development and connect residents throughout the San Luis Valley.
The Denver North Star and the G.E.S. Gazette are co-owned community newspapers with an online presence serving Northwest Denver, Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, and the RiNo Art District.
Denver Westword, the independent voice of news and culture in Denver since 1977, publishes a 24/7 website, westword.com, and also distributes a weekly paper — both free, now and forever.
Denver Urban Spectrum is a monthly publication that has served the Denver metro area since 1987, spreading the news about people of color, and covering stories not normally addressed in the mainstream media.
Fresh Water News is a nonpartisan news service demystifying Colorado water issues, affiliated with the nonprofit Water Education Colorado.
KDNK Radio is a community radio station and NPR affiliate serving Carbondale and the Roaring Fork Valley.
KGNU Community Radio is an independent, noncommercial community station serving Boulder County and Denver.
KLZR Radio/Valley News Daily is a nonprofit community newsletter and radio station committed to reliable, informative, timely and entertaining programs for everyone living in the Wet Mountain Valley.
KOTO Radio is a community supported public broadcasting organization serving Telluride and Southwest Colorado.
KSUT Public Radio is a community radio station and NPR affiliate serving Southwest Colorado, including the Ute tribal communities.
La Voz Colorado is a weekly digital and print newspaper serving the Colorado Latino market in both English and Spanish.
KVNF Community Radio has been serving the western slope of Colorado since 1979 with news programs from National Public Radio, local news, alternative news sources, and public affairs, and an eclectic mix of musical genres with an emphasis on independent recording artists.
Pikes Peak Bulletin is a weekly print and digital paper serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Ute Pass.
Ouray County Plaindealer is a family-owned weekly newspaper serving communities in the San Juan Mountains since 1877. It is the only newspaper in Ouray County, and believes that “even small places deserve quality journalism.
Pueblo Star Journal is a nonprofit print and digital newspaper serving the Pueblo community by “digging deeper”, pushing past the superficial and providing our readers with the most accurate, thought-provoking and comprehensive news in the Steel City.
The Sopris Sun/El Sol del Valle is the Roaring Fork Valley’s community-supported, nonprofit weekly newspaper. Multilingual in English and Spanish, the newsroom seeks to inform, inspire and build community. We also aim to incubate the craft of journalism for future generations through our high school journalism program.
Yellow Scene Magazine is the largest printed monthly publication in the Boulder and North Metro regions, providing engaging, journalistically sound, and always creative coverage of local and regional news, politics, arts, culture, entertainment, cuisine, and whatever else we think is relevant to the Community.
To learn more about the campaign or how to donate to the 30 newsrooms participating in the 2023 #newsCOneeds matching challenge, visit the campaign landing page: www.thisisnewsconeeds.com.