Hi Reader,

ProPublica was founded in 2007 with the belief that investigative journalism is critical to our democracy. More than a decade later, with thousands of stories under our belt, millions of readers, and tens of thousands of donors, confidence in the power of journalism to create change has only grown stronger.

As a reader of ProPublica, I know you agree. Our spring member drive ends on Friday, and today, I’m asking you to show your support for fact-based journalism by joining us as a ProPublican with a donation of any amount.

As a nonprofit newsroom, we get most of our funding from individuals — readers of good journalism (like you!) who know the value it plays in our society. Just in the last couple of months we’ve investigated:

• The false barriers to the COVID vaccine: Even though COVID vaccines are supposed to be free and available to all Americans regardless of insurance or immigration status, that’s not how it’s been playing out for everyone.

• The murder Chicago didn’t want to solve: In 1963, a Black politician named Ben Lewis was shot to death in Chicago. Clues suggest the murder was a professional hit. Decades later, it remains no accident that authorities never solved the crime.

• The Dept. of Health & Human Services is cutting corners to move migrant kids out of overcrowded facilities. They’re skirting safety standards, and handing out grants to facilities accused of abuse.

So far this member drive, we’ve heard from over 1,000 donors making gifts ranging from $10 to $150 to $5,000. I hope you will join them by making a gift today, and becoming one of the thousands of ProPublicans who help pay for the investigations we’ve got brewing all over the country. Join us and stand up for the power of independent journalism to inform the public, shine a light on wrongdoing, and activate real-world change.

Thanks so much,
Jill Shepherd
Proud ProPublican