If you spend time online, you’re probably getting asked to “support” or “donate to” several online news sites.

We think it’s important to clarify: Many of those are for-profit companies. A donation to one of those companies is not tax-deductible, and there is no independent board ensuring the work fills a community need.

But their parent company, 6amcity, is a for-profit company that recently began using AI tools to generate some of its newsletters, and is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.

Why it matters

When important decisions get made for the Richmond region, we are often the only media outlet in attendance.

We represent you in the rooms where decisions are made. Not because it’s cheap, or because it gets the most clicks, but because it’s important.

We fundraise not to pad our pockets, but because this work is expensive, and for-profit models for local news have proven unsustainable at best or downright dangerous at worst.

As a 501(c)(3), your donations are tax-deductible, and we will always be held accountable to the mission by our independent Board of Directors, made up of Richmonders like you.

The bottom line

We hope you’ll donate this fall to The Richmonder and its mission to provide unbiased news to all, regardless of their ability to pay.

But we also want you to be aware that not all local news sites are created equal, and some “donations” leave the state as soon as they’re made, without creating any impact in your community.

Michael Phillips, Founder
mphillips@richmonder.org

P.S. – Our Donor List of more than 1,500 supporters is almost exclusively made up of real, live Richmonders. We promise that 100% of your donation will stay in the community, keeping an eye on the stories you care about the most. Please join us today.