Dear friend,
It’s been just three years since we incorporated the Athens County Independent with a bold vision: to restore strong, independent, truly local journalism that could empower community engagement.
We’ve accomplished a lot in that short time:
- Published 500+ original reported news articles.
- Promoted 11,000+ events from 190 community organizations.
- Grown to 7,000 email subscribers.
Everything we’ve accomplished is because our community rallied behind us, demonstrating that Athens County cares deeply about local news. But we need to build on that momentum so we can keep this vital work going — and growing.
In 2023, we launched the Founders Campaign, a major gifts initiative to cement our organization’s foundation and allow us to grow. Thanks to a core group of champions, we blew past our initial projections. We can now envision a deeper role in Athens County and a wider role in southeast Ohio.
It is in this spirit that we invite you to join our Founders Circle, a core group ensuring the long-term survival of truly local, community-driven news.
Your commitment can be donated over three years – for as little as $85/month – making it easier to make a lasting impact:
🔹 Independent News Champion – $30,000 total
🔹 Courier – $15,000 total
🔹 Muckraker – $7,500 total
🔹 Supporter – $3,000 total
Will you support our work to empower Athens County residents through accessible public service journalism?
We understand not everyone can consider a gift of this scale, and every gift and membership makes a big difference. That said, if you are someone who can consider a transformational, Founders-level gift, we’d love to talk with you personally about how you can become a Founder. Contact dani@athensindependent.com to set up a connection date.
With appreciation,
Corinne Colbert, Dani Kington, Keri Johnson & Jen Bartlett
Co-founders, Athens County Independent
Eli Flournoy
Co-Chair, Press Forward Central Appalachia Chapter
ACI Board Treasurer & Founders Campaign Co-Chair
Tom Hodson
Director Emeritus, W. Scripps School of Journalism and WOUB Public Media
ACI Board Member & Founders Campaign Co-Chair
