Why We’re Asking for Your Support

Granite State Report is a worker‑owned, independent newsroom built to serve New Hampshire—not shareholders. We have no seed money, no corporate backers, and no intention of asking permission from entrenched interests. If you value reporting that answers to readers and workers rather than profit extractors, donate today. It keeps our newsroom free, feisty, and focused on you.

The Experiment We’re Running (With You)

Granite State Report is a worker‑owned startup—by the people who do the work, for the people who live with the consequences of power. Every staffer has a stake and a say. That means:

• Ownership and control stay with workers. One worker, one vote. Governance is democratic, not dictated by investors looking for quarterly returns.
• Coverage decisions are made in the public interest. Our incentives are aligned with readers, not advertisers or political patrons.
• Profits, if we earn them, are reinvested into reporting and fair pay, not siphoned off to distant owners.

This model is hard to launch precisely because it puts power in the newsroom and the community. The usual gatekeepers don’t write checks for worker‑owned media. We’re fine with that. We’d rather be accountable to you.

Why Donations—Not Investors

We don’t have venture capital or “strategic partners” who expect us to play nice with the powerful. We choose donations because they keep the newsroom independent.

• No seed money: We’re bootstrapping. Time is our biggest cost; independence is our biggest asset.
• No pay‑to‑play: We won’t sell influence, run advertorials disguised as news, or build a business on surveillance ads.
• Yes to reader power: Donations are votes for tougher reporting, more public records, and real accountability.

What Your Donations Buy (Concretely)

We run a document‑first newsroom. Here’s where support goes, with targets we’ll publish and audit:

• Reporting time & fair pay (≈50–60%) – Field reporting, interviews, fact‑checking, editing.
• Public‑records fees & research (≈10–15%) – Right‑to‑Know requests, databases, transcripts.
• Legal review & insurance (≈5–10%) – So we can publish hard truths responsibly.
• Travel & on‑the‑ground coverage (≈5–10%) – Town halls, school boards, court hearings—across the state.
• Tech & security (≈5–10%) – Hosting, archiving, secure tipline, data security.
• Operations (≈5–10%) – Accounting, compliance, basic overhead.
• Reserve (≈5%) – Cash buffer to keep the lights on when the news gets hot.

We’ll publish a simple monthly ledger so you can see the flow of dollars to journalism.

What You Get in Return (Besides Receipts)

• Investigations that follow the money. We file the records, show the documents, and link the proof.
• Clear explainers: What a bill actually does, who benefits, who pays.
• Local accountability: Boards, budgets, contracts, and conflicts of interest.
• A say in our priorities: Regular open‑newsroom calls and member surveys.
• Transparency: Corrections posted plainly. Methods explained. Sources protected.

Why This Matters Now

A lot of media is owned by entities whose main business is not journalism. That leads to soft‑focus coverage and short attention spans. We’re building the opposite: reader‑funded, worker‑run, document‑based reporting that treats the public like adults and power like it needs chaperones.

If you’re tired of news that flatters donors and advertisers, help us prove a different model works—a democratic enterprise where the people doing the work and the people reading the work keep each other honest.

Suggested Ways to Support

• Sustain: $10–$25/month – Funds records requests and on‑the‑ground reporting hours.
• Boost: $35–$75/month – Underwrites legal review and deeper investigations.
• Anchor: $100+/month or $500+ one‑time – Builds the reporting reserve and expands beats.
• Pay‑it‑forward: Sponsor student access or community workshops on public records.

One‑time and recurring gifts both help; recurring support lets us plan coverage and payroll like pros.

Governance & Accountability

• Worker‑owned: One worker, one vote. Editorial independence codified.
• Reader input: Quarterly public meeting; coverage roadmap published after.
• Financial transparency: Monthly line‑item spending summaries; annual report.
• Ethics: No political consulting, no sponsored content masquerading as news, clear labeling of opinion vs. reporting.

Milestones Your Support Unlocks

• Baseline: Daily explainer + weekly investigation; robust RTK pipeline.
• Next: Education, environment/energy, and local government beats with dedicated reporters.
• Stretch: Data desk, statewide document archive, and a legal fund for precedent‑setting records cases.

Straight Talk on Taxes & Privacy

• Tax status: Contributions may not be tax‑deductible at this time. We’ll state the exact status on the donate page and in receipts.
• Privacy: We don’t sell or share donor data. You can donate under your name or anonymously. Your support shouldn’t become someone else’s ad inventory.

The Ask

If you want a newsroom that answers to readers and workers—not to power—chip in. Every dollar buys time, records, and backbone. Help us build Granite State Report into proof that a worker‑owned, people‑powered press can thrive and keep New Hampshire honest.

Donate. Share. Hold us to it. Then watch what we do with the freedom you fund.

Contact: granitestatereport@gmail.com