Without you, local news disappears
Local news needs you.
It’s that simple. For the past 20+ years, the Henrico Citizen has provided exhaustive coverage of Henrico County – in most cases, coverage that simply wouldn’t have existed anywhere otherwise.
And in the past 20+ months, we’ve published more than 4,000 news articles, briefs and other items – an average of more than 6 every single day. All of our coverage always has been completely free for everyone to read. But now we need your help.
On this Giving Tuesday (or in our case “Giving Newsday,”) we are asking for your support to help fund our coverage.
We’re not a nonprofit, but through our partnership with Report for America (part of the nonprofit GroundTruth Project), your donation is completely tax-deductible – and RFA will match every dollar we receive, up to $25,000, to help fund the position of our full-time education reporter, RFA corps member Anna Bryson.
Can we count on your help?
More than 70,000 readers visit our website on average each month. As one of them, we hope you’ve found value in the fair, accurate and original coverage we provide. Your contribution – whether it’s $5 or $50 today, $5 a month, or some other amount – is critical to our existence.
It’s simple – without your support and that of advertisers, the Henrico Citizen cannot and will not continue to exist.
If you believe, as I do, that fair, accurate, independently produced local journalism is a critical aspect of democracy, then I hope you’ll feel compelled to help. (I know that sounds a bit lofty, but it’s true. A society like ours begins to break down when citizens don’t have a clear, perspective-rich understanding of what’s happening around them, and trusted local news organizations like the Citizen help provide that every day.)
There are many worthy organizations seeking your contributions today and many other publications asking for them regularly. Candidly, I hate asking for your donations. But what I hate even more is the thought of the Citizen not being here to provide critical coverage of Henrico’s schools, government, events – and citizens.
We have just two full-time employees and three part-time employees, and now more than ever, our survival truly depends upon the reader support we receive.
If you’ve read our coverage this year, my staff and I would be honored if you’d chip in to support us.
With appreciation,
Tom Lappas
Publisher • Editor
P.S. Did you know that your gift to the Henrico Citizen is tax deductible through our partnership with Report for America? This year, under the CARES Act, gifts of up to $300 are deductible, even if you don’t typically itemize. Click here to make your donation today.