It’s a tough time to care deeply about the environment and the future of our planet, as you do if you read Bay Nature. The effects of climate change are becoming more apparent every day, many of the regulations we have in place to protect the environment in California are at risk, and we’re struggling to find ways for nature to thrive with the needs of the Bay Area’s growing population and our commitment to equity and inclusion.
But you have Bay Nature. We publish local, independent journalism in print and online to provide a powerful antidote to hopelessness by connecting people to the outdoors and conservation issues around them on a scale where change is truly possible. Our work in the greater Bay Area—where much of the best natural science, innovative policy, and new ideas for understanding nature occur—matters more than it ever has. And this year, unprecedented in our 19-year history, we have a $100,000 challenge match that will double, dollar for dollar, donations to Bay Nature made between November 1 and December 31.
Individual donations make up more than half of Bay Nature’s revenue and are critical to our survival as the remaining Bay Area bastion of local environmental journalism. Gifts made through this challenge-match campaign will allow us to continue to write in-depth stories on environmental issues as well as our stories about the nature around us all; publish a digital edition in addition to our print magazine and online-only stories; and get our stories out to a bigger audience through social media. Your donations will help us grow and be financially sustainable.
How did this challenge match for Bay Nature come about? For the second year, Bay Nature is part of NewsMatch, a remarkable matching-gift campaign supporting nonprofit news, investigative reporting, and public service journalism nationwide. A program of the Institute for Nonprofit News, NewsMatch is a national matching-gift campaign to grow fundraising capacity in nonprofit newsrooms and promote giving to journalism among U.S. donors. It is supported through an open collaborative fund at The Miami Foundation and offers a platform for foundations of all sizes to support quality news.
NewsMatch, REI Co-op, and a local anonymous funder contributed to the challenge match through this collaborative fund. The Morgan Family Foundation, Bay Nature’s board, and other supporters added to it, bringing the total challenge match up to $100,000.
If you value Bay Nature, now is the time to give. Your gift will go twice as far. Thank you for supporting Bay Nature and local environmental journalism.
