Lea este articulo en español aquí.
Every fall we ask for help in keeping BenitoLink, your local nonprofit news provider, financially strong so we can produce more of the news and features you love.
As a small county, we are very lucky to have our own local news organization. Many communities like ours no longer have the basic information they need to track local governmental decisions or to follow the candidates running for office in local elections.
You can learn more about BenitoLink by reading this recent interview with me by George Stanley at Northwestern University.
According to a related article published recently by Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University, “The loss of local newspapers ticked higher in 2023 to an average of 2.5 per week, up from two per week last year.”
When it comes to protecting local news, your donation matters a great deal. We are extremely fortunate to have a growing number of community members who are willing to offer substantial donation-matching opportunities. These offers from Sallie Calhoun, Matt Christiano, Randy and Rebecca Wolf, and Leon and Janet Mayou add up this seasons match to $50,000 in total, potentially doubling your donation. Thanks to the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), we will also get their match of at least $16,500.
So with community and INN help, this fall’s match goal is $66,500. A full community match benefitting BenitoLink would mean $133,000 toward 2023’s reporting costs.
Help us reach that goal and show these very generous supporters that you, too, care about being informed and engaged in shaping the county’s future.
Having celebrated Thanksgiving Day last week, we can all be grateful that our little county rebuilt its own news organization and that it belongs to us.
“There were more than 130 confirmed newspaper closings or mergers this past year,” Northwestern warns. “Since 2005, the U.S. has lost nearly 2,900 newspapers.”
So it’s up to us. If we want local news and information, this is the time to show our commitment to it by giving through financial support.
Thank you to all our donors!
| Alacia Welch | Kris & Danny Waller |
| Amelia Ryan | Kristina Chavez Wyatt |
| Angela Curro | Larry & Diane Barr |
| Barbara Rubio | Larry Slonaker |
| Barbara Taddeo | Laura Romero |
| Barry Katz | Leila Sadeghian |
| Bill Titus | Leonardo Carrillo |
| Blanca Stransky | Leslie Austin |
| Bob Rowlands | Leslie David |
| Brenda Weatherly | Lilliana R Montana |
| Brian and Liz Smith | Linda Lampe |
| Brigitte Baumann-Thorp | Liz Smith |
| Candy Bernhardt | Lynn Overtree |
| Cara Vonk | Margret E Ellwanger |
| Carol H Hawkins | Maria Cid |
| Carol Lawless | Mark Bergman |
| Carol Lenoir | Mark Levine |
| Carol Paul | Mary Divinski |
| Chang So | Mary Grimm |
| Cheryl Scott | Mary K Rubino |
| Christina Andrade | Mary Zanger |
| Chuck Sorbet | Mary Kay Filice |
| Clark Family Fund | Matt Huerta |
| Clark Stone | Maureen Nelson |
| Corey Shafer | Melissa Michaelson |
| Daniel Dungy | Michael Nicholls |
| Dara Tobias | Michelle Leonard |
| Darlene Boyd | Mitch Hammond |
| Dave Ruprecht | Monica Milla |
| David & Geraldine Wright | Nikhilesh Dholakia |
| Dawn Eason | Olivia Tauvinkl |
| Debbie Cochran | Paul Scherer |
| Debbie Hernandez | Peggy Kelly |
| Debra Scherer | Philip Esparza |
| Deborah Hernandez | Phyllis Lanini |
| Deleta Jones | Raul Ceja |
| Don Reynolds | Rebecca Pearson |
| Dustin Bogue | Rebecca Salinas |
| Dustin Weber | Renne Wells |
| Elia Salinas | Richard Mazzarella |
| Elizabeth Soto | Robert & Jennifer Bernosky |
| Elvia Skow | Robert & Kathryn Tiffany |
| Farmhouse Communications | Robert Gibson |
| Franz Schneider | Rodney Stewart |
| Gabe Sanders | Rohit Sharma |
| Gary and Ria Byrne | Rosie Zepeda |
| Gregory Swett | Ruth Erikson |
| Heather & Ed Callens | Sara Steiner |
| Irene and Ted Davis | Sean Fitzharris |
| Jane Dabo Cruz | Sharma Ophthalmic Services |
| Janet Watson | Shawn Herrera |
| Jean Lierly | Stacie McGrady |
| Jeanette Neal | Stelvio Locci |
| Jeffery Modic | Steve Perricone |
| Jennifer Denton | Steven Jones |
| Jessica Wohlander | Stirling Burnet |
| Jillian Wilson | Sylvia Jaime |
| Jim Gillio | Tami Adam |
| Joan Domingues | Thomas Breen |
| Joan Randolph | Thomas Watson |
| Joe Morris | Tom Walerius |
| John David | Tom Walerius |
| John Wrobel | Tracy Taggart |
| Judy Gansen | Valerie Egland |
| Kate Modic | Warene Waters |
| Kathi Morris | Wayne Norton |
| Keith Severson | William Baker |
| Kendra Spencer | Yuko Pierson |
| Kenneth Kovanda | Zoe Martinez |