Donate to the Montclair Local

Independent journalism in Montclair is only possible because of you. Your support is essential to enabling Montclair Local to serve the community with news and information through our daily newsletter, website and social media.  It only takes a sustaining contribution of as little as $10 a month to help keep our newsroom going strong and reporting on the things that matter to you – education, culture, government, sports and more!

We offer a few levels to guide your giving – though you can of course donate any amount you like – along with a small token of our gratitude at each level.

Sustainer: $10 per month (or $120 annual recurring gift)

• Magnet – for showing Local pride on your car or refrigerator 

Pillar: $25 per month (or $250 annual recurring gift)

• Coffee mug – for sipping your favorite beverage while reading the Local’s newsletter

Editor’s Circle: $1000 and above

• Canvas tote bag – for sustainable shopping in the area
• 1-1 meeting with publisher

Thank you in advance for your support.

Why contribute to Montclair Local?

At MontclairLocal.news, we gladly provide all of our journalism for free, with no paywall or restrictions. Our coverage includes accountability reporting, asking important questions of our municipal and school leaders. It includes explorations of the life, art and culture of an ever-changing Montclair.

We believe the community is made better when everyone has access to robust information about what’s happening in Montclair. The information you need to plan, to debate, to connect, to be part of this community needs to be free, but providing it takes the time and energy of a dedicated staff of full-time, part-time and freelance journalists. It’s an expensive endeavor, one that’s proven too expensive for many local publications; that’s why so many have cut back severely or shut down entirely.

As a nonprofit, independent news organization, we have no giant media conglomerate funding our journalism. We depend on you. Most of our funding comes from contributions from individuals throughout Montclair who care greatly about our special and unique community.

With your support, we can continue providing the in-depth local news coverage and community discussion you can’t find anywhere else.

Frequently asked questions

Will my donation be made public? As a matter of transparency, we disclose the names of donors who’ve given $1,000 or more on our website. Donors don’t get any special favors when it comes to news coverage, but we believe it’s best to be upfront with readers about where our support comes from.

So, can I get my event/topic/issue covered if I’m a donor? You can ask or pitch us a story — just like anyone else can. We welcome story ideas and feedback from anyone in the community at all, regardless of whether they’ve supported us financially. But under our editorial independence policy, no one (including our own governing and advisory boards) can make decisions about our news coverage besides our journalists.

Do you accept anonymous donations? We’d consider accepting anonymous donations for general support (not coverage of a particular topic) only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with Institute for Nonprofit News Membership Standards. If you’re proposing such a donation, contact sponsorship@montclairlocal.news to discuss it. View our 990 form here.

For more information about giving to the Montclair Local, contact David Katowitz, director of fundraising, at katowitz@montclairlocal.news