Dear Friend and Supporter,
Our thanks begin with the First Amendment, for protecting journalists whose reporting can challenge the powerful, question political leaders and investigate government dysfunctions. Our gratitude extends to you, the community that supports our mission of raising funds and awarding them to reporters working on worthy, impactful projects in the DC region.
We are grateful for the diligent, relentless reporting by awardees like Josh Kaplan, whose investigation funded by SpotlightDC closed a loophole that allowed landlords to evict tenants without alerting them to legal proceedings – and also won national awards. https://inn.org/about/our-work/nonprofit-news-awards/ For Cuneyt Dil’s expose of DC’s overpayments and subsidies to major private trash haulers millions every year. And for Hola Cultura’s data-driven investigation of DC’s deadly heat islands. And for every reporter who delivered on SpotlightDC’s support.
We would be especially grateful if you would express your generosity and thanks for our hard-won journalistic achievements with a Thanksgiving contribution toward reaching our goal of raising $50,000 before December 31 – doubled by Newsmatch!
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Your contributions will help fund our direct mission to grant funds to independent, watchdog journalists working on worthy investigations in the public interest in the DC region. You will be supporting more than a dozen investigative projects, including consequential projects in the works:
- Investigating affordable housing that delivers poor dwellings yet enriches developers.
- Probing recycling systems that fail to recycle, yet enrich private trash haulers.
- Tracking down a serial rapist.
Last year the Institute for Nonprofit News recognized SpotlightDC with its first “Best Investigative Award;” this year we need you to recognize and support us with your contribution to fund more award-winning journalism.
Newsmatch, funded by national foundations, will double your donations.
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Major thanks.
Brian Kelly, Chairman: Editorial Director, US News & World Report
Margaret “Peggy” Engel: Executive Director, Alicia Patterson Foundation
Denise Rolark Barnes: Publisher, The Washington Informer
Derek Musgrove: Professor, University of Maryland Baltimore College
Terence Samuel: Managing Editor, National Public Radio
Harry Jaffe, President: Co-author, Dream City
P.S. We are building a community to revive investigative reporting in the DC region. Please help us spread the word! Thanks in advance for forwarding this email to Washingtonians who share our commitment to supporting deep and consequential reporting in our region.
Local watchdog journalism is on life support — let’s revive it together.
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