In 2019, the Illinois Press Foundation started perhaps its most ambitious effort to help Illinois newspapers when it launched Capitol News Illinois, a nonprofit news service covering state government. Its unbiased and credible coverage is shared with professional newspapers throughout the state and a handful of broadcast outlets and college newspapers.
Capitol News Illinois has proven to be a valuable resource for Illinois newspapers, their readerships and their communities. It has had its stories published in 436 Illinois newspapers 37,228 times during its first 22 months of operation. It has reached more than 1.9 million newspaper subscribers.
Capitol News Illinois exists because of financial and operational commitments from the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. However, its continued success and growth will rely upon additional donors large and small.
For the second consecutive year, Capitol News Illinois is participating in the national NewsMatch fundraising campaign. It is an opportunity for Capitol News Illinois to receive a match on every individual donation made between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31. Last year, Capitol News Illinois gained more than $40,000 in donations and matches during the NewsMatch campaign. This year, the goal is to bring in at least $60,000 in donations and matches.
We’re asking for your financial support for this civics journalism effort by the Illinois Press Foundation that is having an impact in every part of the state, at hundreds of nondaily newspapers as well as daily publications.
Donations may be made as a one-time contribution or as a recurring gift. NewsMatch will match the full year’s worth of quarterly or monthly recurring gifts that are initiated between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.
Last year’s NewsMatch fundraising campaign helped Capitol News Illinois bring in an additional full-time reporter from Report For America this summer and to launch the Capitol News Daily email newsletter at the beginning of the year. It also helped Capitol News Illinois develop a new, more user-friendly website in February.
Depending on its success, CNI hopes this year’s NewsMatch campaign will help it add an investigative reporter or aid it in launching a broadcast journalism venture. We look forward to your assistance in making this year’s NewsMatch campaign a success so Capitol News Illinois may continue to thrive and grow!
