Donor Policy

The Reporters Inc. Donor Policy

(Updated July 7, 2024)

To fulfill our mission and vision, and fund production of our independent documentaries and online articles, we rely on the generosity and support of people like you who believe that independent media is necessary and vital for true journalistic work to thrive and prosper in the 21st century.

Your financial gifts may also be directed to help underwrite our video storytelling services.

Because The Reporters Inc. is a nonprofit entity, having been granted 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service, your contributions are always tax deductible to the fullest extent of federal law. 

Donor Security

The Reporters Inc. provides a secure environment for collecting donations and maintains internal controls governing the safekeeping of all donor financial and personal information. Your contact and financial information will never be shared or sold with anyone.

Donor Rights and Limitations

You may choose to direct your donation in support of a particular Reporters Inc. project or specific purpose, and we assure your gift will be utilized as it was intended.

At the same time, The Reporters Inc. retains complete editorial control over our online articles and documentaries. Our board, advisory committee and staff determine what subjects to cover and investigate, without consideration of outside influencers or donor preferences.

Donor information Collection

The Reporters Inc. collects donor information when a donor (a) makes a donation via our website (PayPal) or through our crowdfunding, Give MN and Facebook campaigns, (b) when signing up to receive our monthly e-newsletter (via our website), (c) via public comments on our website, and/or (d) through general outreach (phone or email). Donor information is used to process a payment or for event registration. It may be used to reach out to donors again, with news about new fundraising efforts or projects. In our donor information collection efforts, donors have an opportunity to supply additional information about themselves and may choose not to do so. We do not release donor information to anyone outside The Reporters Inc. Only authorized Reporters Inc. staffers have access to donor information.

Unless you voluntarily provide more information to The Reporters Inc. directly, the ONLY donor information we collect is your email address. We are usually provided with your email when you donate to us through portals like PayPal, GiveMN.org, NewsMatch, Benevity (for example) but are never given additional personal details such as your address, phone number, and financial info. 

Avoiding Donor Conflicts of Interest

We realize that maintaining a mutual trust between our organization and our donors is essential. Therefore, we operate with complete transparency. Because we are a journalistic organization, to avoid even the semblance of a conflict of interest we are willing to disclose the names of all known donors and the amount of their donations, if we are asked. (As stated above, however, we never release donor contact or financial information.)

We also annually list the names of all people and organizations, grant makers, foundations, sponsors, etc. who have contributed $1,000 or more during the past calendar (and fiscal) year. Below is the 2023 list.

• Ronald D. and Lily H. Glosser Foundation
• John Mullican
• Kathy Minnis
• Ann Porth

Contributions from those who wish to anonymously donate $1,000 or more are considered only upon consultation with the board of the Institute for Nonprofit News (we are a member, and this is INN’s policy). The same standard applies to any donor organization that does not disclose the source of its funding.

Donor Acknowledgement

No matter the method of donation, all donors will receive a follow-up email indicating that the donation is fully tax deductible. It will also verify the amount donated and the date the donation was received. If the donor has specified a particular use for the donation, that use will be confirmed in the email as well.

Donors using PayPal on our website will receive instant electronic notification that the donation has been received and is fully tax deductible.

Donor Recognition

Donors giving in excess of $500 to a specific independent documentary production will receive written recognition in the credits of the production, and a DVD of the completed project (unless the donor wishes to decline said recognition).

Donors may contribute a gift to The Reporters Inc. in memory of someone special or to celebrate an important event or holiday.

Donations In Connection With Fundraising Events

Consistent with IRS requirements, should your donation be part of a fundraising event for The Reporters Inc., the amount of the contribution that’s deductible for federal tax purposes is limited to the excess over the value of goods and services received by the donor.

For example, if we estimate the cost of your dinner at a fundraising event to be $20, and you pay $40 for a ticket to attend the event (in turn, donating to The Reporters Inc.) just $20 of your payment is tax deductible.

We will provide good-faith estimates of the cost for goods and services prior to each Reporters Inc. fundraising event.

Discontinuing Contact with Donors

It’s the policy of The Reporters Inc. to discontinue contacting any person upon that person’s oral or written request directed to the organization, its professional fundraiser, or other agent.

Upon a person’s (or a person’s authorized representative’s) request that The Reporters Inc. discontinue further contacts, the person’s name and address will be promptly removed from The Reporters Inc.’s database or modified to insure that no further contact is made with the person. The Reporters Inc. will also take steps to insure that the person’s name is removed from any external databases or records under The Reporter Inc.’s control.

The Reporters Inc. will maintain a record of all requests for discontinuance of contacts. Oral requests will be recorded in writing by the staff of The Reporters Inc. and maintained with the written requests. The records of persons who have made such a request will be maintained by The Reporters Inc. to the extent necessary for legal or liability purposes.

This policy does not prohibit contact by The Reporters Inc. that is solicited by a person or a person’s representative, even if the person or his/her representative have requested to be placed on the “do not contact list.” Contact by The Reporters Inc. that is solicited by a person whose name appears on the “do not contact” list shall be limited to providing a direct response to the person’s inquiry and shall not cause the person’s name to be removed from the “do not contact” list.

For more information about this policy, contact The Reporters Inc. at info@thereporters.org or 612-333-3180. Feel free to ask us questions when making a donation; we guarantee you’ll receive prompt, truthful and forthright answers.