Birthday week: The importance of putting our money where our mouth is
Something happened this year that made me proud to be part of The Richmonder team, and I hope made you proud to be a supporter.
I’m not talking about the Startup of the Year award, although that was certainly a proud moment. I’m talking about the email Michael sent you on June 12 explaining why we were suing the school board, and then the subsequent email on June 24 announcing that we’d won.
Public money went missing and The Richmonder, on behalf of all of us, is the brave organization that used the legal system to get answers. Letting an unlawfully redacted document torpedo the story would have been easy.
Lawsuits are scary, expensive, time-consuming and are always a last resort. You’re not guaranteed a win, and it feels uncomfortable for an organization devoted to building community to be suing anyone at all.
- But because our leadership and reporters believe in the critical role local news plays in well-functioning governance, the board and the team pressed on. To not do so would be to turn our eyes away from what we believed to belong to Richmond citizens – the truth about what happened to their tax dollars.
Delivering local news sounds simple enough. But it is hard and sometimes agonizing work to tell an impactful story that improves our community. It takes courage from beginning to end, especially when it involves having to pry the truth from hands that don’t think the public deserves to know it.
The Richmonder made a promise to you to hold our leaders accountable through honest storytelling. And I couldn't be prouder of the decision to swim through stormy waters on this one.
Supporting The Richmonder
In the past 12 months, we've spent $7,335 on legal fees, FOIA costs and liability insurance. We consider that money well spent.
Having the backing of our donors allows us to make those investments. But just as importantly, it shows the government that we are backed by everyday citizens who support transparency and accountability.
Would you consider joining us as a monthly member or one-time donor, and show your support for local news?
As a bonus, new tax laws allow filers who use the standard deduction to claim an additional $1,000 in charitable giving. As a 501(c)(3), we meet that criteria! Make a donation here, or learn more.
Beth Weisbrod, Director of Growth
bweisbrod@richmonder.org
