Because we're neighbors
Happy Local News Day! Did you know that the North Dakota News Cooperative is the only nonprofit news organization like it in the state? We aren’t part of a big national organization, and we were created just to serve communities across our state. We’re truly local to North Dakota, started by North Dakotans to serve North Dakota.
While it may make things harder for us, not having big national funds to fall back on, we’re pretty proud of the work we do and the support we get from people like you. People who are our neighbors, our founders’ neighbors. You see our directors at the grocery store or the dentist. You went to school together, or your kids do.
This is what local news is all about. It’s community members serving each other.
At the start of every month, I like to take a moment to thank you for the support you’ve given and let you know the difference it’s made. Because your support makes a big difference to us at NDNC and to your neighbors around the state.
Here are some of our highlights from March.
We hosted a roundtable with North Dakota farmers and ag leaders to have a candid discussion on how current events are affecting one of the state’s biggest industries.
Agriculture brings in more than $41 billion to North Dakota’s economy annually, and its success affects everyone around the state in one way or another. That money helps fund things like schools, roads, hospitals, and small businesses that keep communities strong across North Dakota. Agriculture’s success is vital to our state.
I’m also very excited and humbled to announce that I was selected for the year-long Nonprofit News Business Certificate program through the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, a national leadership program focused on strengthening nonprofit news organizations.
Through this program, I’m working with nonprofit newsroom leaders from across the country to strengthen our long-term sustainability and better serve North Dakota communities.
The small group of participants gathered in New York for a two-day kickoff at CUNY, filled with in-depth discussions on nonprofit finance, sustainability, and building strong, resilient local news organizations. I was awarded a scholarship from the Knight Foundation, which completely covers the cost of the program, and I am grateful for their generosity.
In March, NDNC reporter Michael Standaert took a close look at the state’s criminal justice diversion and reentry programs. We also got a brief glimpse of the success of the Bank of North Dakota, and continued looking deeper at the issues in our Backstory podcast.
Heading fully into April, we’ll keep serving our local communities today, Local News Day, and every day after that. Because we’re neighbors, and that’s what neighbors do.
Most sincerely,
Sabrina Halvorson
CEO, North Dakota News Cooperative
Support independent journalism that puts North Dakota’s communities first. Your donation to the North Dakota News Cooperative helps us deliver in-depth reporting on the issues that matter most.
The North Dakota News Cooperative is a nonprofit news organization providing reliable and independent reporting on issues and events that impact the lives of North Dakotans. The organization increases the public’s access to quality journalism and advances news literacy across the state. For more information about NDNC or to make a charitable contribution, please visit newscoopnd.org. Send comments, suggestions or tips to michael@newscoopnd.org. Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NDNewsCoop.
