Dear Reader,
ProPublica is built on a simple belief: Facts can drive change. But it’s not just our reporters who make that happen. It’s also you.
When you read, share or support our journalism, you help ensure that our stories reach more people, and that hard truths can’t be ignored. Here’s a few recent examples of real change spurred by ProPublica’s reporting:
Expanded Abortion Access: When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, doctors warned that women would die. For years, no one systematically investigated whether those predictions were accurate — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention didn’t ask states to note deaths linked to abortion bans, and the states that passed these laws were doing little to investigate their impacts. So ProPublica stepped up, dug deep and uncovered the heartbreaking realities of restrictive abortion laws, breaking story after story that documented their life-threatening consequences and sparked urgent calls for change. Lawmakers filed more than a dozen bills to expand abortion access in at least seven states. Some — including in Texas, Florida, Kentucky and North Dakota — were filed in direct response to ProPublica’s reporting. The series won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for public service.
Increased Funding for Public Education: Our comprehensive coverage of the crumbling infrastructure in Idaho school districts led lawmakers to approve $2 billion in funding to repair and replace schools over the next decade. A community that had for decades rejected efforts to approve bonds for a new school also approved a $20 million bond after our stories ran.
A Code of Conduct for Supreme Court Justices: After our meticulous investigation into Supreme Court ethics and gift disclosures, Justice Clarence Thomas acknowledged that he should have disclosed two free vacations he received from billionaire Harlan Crow. The investigation also won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for public service, led to the adoption of a code of ethics for the nation’s highest court and ignited a nationwide dialogue on judicial ethics and transparency.
These stories are more than headlines — they are catalysts for change made possible by your belief in our mission. When you read our work, you only find nonpartisan, deeply researched journalism that informs and empowers the public. Your support enables us to continue uncovering the stories that need to be told, no matter whom they upset.
As a nonprofit, we have no owners or shareholders, no corporate interests and no government contracts. We get our funding through donations (more than 80,000 individuals have made a donation in the past 12 months!). Journalism is a public service that we marshal every resource to provide. No one, including our board or our donors, gets to see our stories until we publish. We are accountable only to the facts. And readers like you make this work possible.
As corporate interests dominate the media landscape, many newsrooms are shrinking, leaving fewer reporters than ever to scrutinize the halls of power. But here at ProPublica, we’re growing, pressing on and digging deeper — and as long as readers like you keep supporting us, we won’t stop. Join us with a gift of any amount to be an integral part of our work and impact.
Thanks so much,
Jill Shepherd
Proud ProPublican
