logo
book Subscribe to our Magazine
    • Magazine
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Racial Justice
  • Economic Justice
  • Climate Justice
  • Health Justice
  • Leadership
    • Grassroots Fundraising Journal
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Podcasts
    • Tiny Spark
    • Women of Color in Power
  • Webinars
    • Free Webinars
    • Premium On-Demand Webinars
  • Membership

Nonprofit VT Digger Expands Coverage and Becomes a Headline of Its Own

Anne Eigeman
December 15, 2017
Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print

December 8, 2017; Columbia Journalism Review

According to the Columbia Journalism Review, in 2009, Anne Galloway, founder and editor of the nonprofit VTDigger, kicked off her news site with 80- to 90-hour weeks of independent reporting without pay. Seven years later, under Galloway’s direction, VTDigger has a staff of 19, an annual budget of $1.5 million, and plans to get to the $2 million benchmark in the next four years. For David Westphal, a senior fellow at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, these numbers make VTDigger eligible for the designation as “the largest investigative reporting nonprofit in the country that is focusing on local or state news.” The fact that this growth occurred relatively rapidly in a small state when the whole field of journalism is in a period of change highlights Galloway’s innovative thinking in responding to the needs of her audience.

Reflecting on VTDigger’s expansion, Galloway told Nieman Lab that a key factor has been the publication’s regular publishing cycle. “Part of the reason people like us is because we’re a daily.” She added, “We publish eight to 12 stories a day focused on major public policy issues and community reporting, and we interact with the public a lot.”

As VTDigger has broadened news coverage it has also gained recognition for investigative pieces on fraud at Vermont ski areas and local problems with toxic waste. The news source has also found success with podcasts and Nieman Lab reports that a reader poll revealed that 25 percent of VTDigger readers get their news from podcasts. Building on this new area of interest, VTDigger has recently partnered with nonprofit Writers for Recovery with a Writers for Recovery Podcast.

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Like some other nonprofit news sources, VTDigger started out with funding that came mostly from foundations, but as with its broadening news coverage, it has folded in other funding sources over time. According to Nieman Lab, in 2018, 45 percent of VTDigger’s budget will be from donations from readers, 40 percent from underwriting, and five percent from sales of content to other news organizations. (The remaining 10 percent will come from foundations, down from 75 percent in its early days.)

During a time when daily newspapers are losing revenue, slashing jobs and having to justify their existence like never before, VTDigger’s track record seems all the more remarkable. In a letter to readers posted on the site, Galloway writes, “I am grateful to the Vermonters who have fueled VTDigger with large and small contributions, all of which we greatly appreciate.”

She continues, “We wouldn’t exist without the readers and underwriters who have supported our work.” Reinforcing this point and in an effort to keep readers engaged, the site includes brief paragraphs on every page from committed readers who explain “Why I Support Digger.” Galloway also notes that a new $1 million growth fund to expand the newsroom and to develop a sustainable business model has been established with support from two Vermont philanthropists.

With daily newspapers shrinking, Nieman Lab points out that VTDigger has strategically positioned itself to incorporate job listings and obituaries—staples of daily newspapers—on the site. Sharing her thinking on these additions, Galloway told Nieman Lab “funeral homes, flower shops, medical centers, and (other) nonprofits could potentially underwrite the obituary section,” and she noted that other underwriters have also been asking about job listings.

Looking ahead, Vermont, like other states, is in the midst of a budget shortfall and VTDigger’s robust comment section on a related story about education funding highlights the fact that it has become a trusted news source even in a time of change.—Anne Eigeman

Share
Tweet
Share
Email
Print
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Anne Eigeman

Anne Eigeman is a Washington, DC-based consultant focusing on fund development and communications. Her past work in the education field developing programming for schools and museums informs the current work she does with small education organizations building organizational capacity. A news lover, she enjoys reading and analyzing media coverage both about and beyond the nonprofit sector.

More about: sustainable nonprofit journalismManagement and LeadershipNonprofit News

Become a member

Support independent journalism and knowledge creation for civil society. Become a member of Nonprofit Quarterly.

Members receive unlimited access to our archived and upcoming digital content. NPQ is the leading journal in the nonprofit sector written by social change experts. Gain access to our exclusive library of online courses led by thought leaders and educators providing contextualized information to help nonprofit practitioners make sense of changing conditions and improve infra-structure in their organizations.

Join Today
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

NPQ_Spring_2022

You might also like
Salvadoran Foreign Agent Law Threatens Human Rights Movements
Devon Kearney
Healing-Centered Leadership: A Path to Transformation
Shawn A. Ginwright
Into the Fire: Lessons from Movement Conflicts
Ingrid Benedict, Weyam Ghadbian and Jovida Ross
How Nonprofits Can Truly Advance Change
Hildy Gottlieb
The Road to Social Impact: Leveraging Community Power and Institutional Influence
Katherine R. Cooper and Michelle Shumate
2021 by the Numbers
Nonprofit Quarterly

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
June 9th, 2 pm ET

Remaking the Economy

Wage Justice, Now!

Register
You might also like
Salvadoran Foreign Agent Law Threatens Human Rights...
Devon Kearney
Healing-Centered Leadership: A Path to Transformation
Shawn A. Ginwright
Into the Fire: Lessons from Movement Conflicts
Ingrid Benedict, Weyam Ghadbian and Jovida Ross
WOMEN OF COLOR IN POWER
Women of Color in Power

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

Subscribe
Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Authentic Leadership
Reclaiming Interrupted Lineages

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

Independent & in your mailbox.

Subscribe today and get a full year of NPQ for just $59.

subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Submissions
  • Advertisers
  • Newsletters
  • Copyright

Subscribe to View Webinars

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.