An astonishing result 

Thank you.

The Charlotte News just wrapped up the most successful fund drive in its history—and that’s because of you.

We started our campaign Oct. 29 with a report in this paper reminding folks that we are an independent, nonprofit community newspaper devoted to telling the authentic stories of Charlotte. We work to connect this community and I believe that connection is more critical than ever.

Clearly, you feel that way, too.

In the last two months of the year, we received more than 280 voluntary donations and almost double the amount of money raised in our year-end campaign the previous year. The number of brand-new donors in 2020: 166. To my mind, that’s an astonishing result given these uncertain times. I take it as a vote of confidence that this paper is delivering (um, no pun intended) the news you need on the page and online.

Part of the fund drive’s success is most certainly due to a matching grant that we expect to receive worth $11,500, and it must be mentioned that our board of directors ponied up another $11,000 as a matching grant.

All of these contributions will make it possible for us to grow our coverage of the issues that matter most in Charlotte and of the people who live here. You and me, in other words. That old saying, “We’re all in this together,” has been bandied about a lot lately, but even though it’s hackneyed, in this case, it’s certainly true.

An equally big “thank you” goes to the people who have given their time and talents to the paper voluntarily. That includes nearly 130 writers, photographers and proofreaders who have all pitched in to make The Charlotte News what it is: a community newspaper by the people of Charlotte and for the people of Charlotte.

So, thank you for stepping up and helping us meet the challenges of these times. Thank you to our stalwart advertisers who have stood by us and expressed their support for the community, even when times are tough. Thank you to the Friends of the Charlotte News who work quietly to support the paper behind the scenes. Thanks to members of our board of directors, who have given both time and money to ensure the paper’s success. Thank you to the staff who work way too hard and turn out a great paper 25 times each year.

I recently read an interesting article by a research scientist about the difference between optimism and hope. Optimism is considered a tendency to see the glass half full, while hope is a practice of working to make good things happen. Here at The Charlotte News, we have certainly seen the people of Charlotte demonstrate their hope for this newspaper and this community by donating generously. It’s gratifying and humbling.

Our board of directors is discussing ways we can thank the town for its support…in addition to putting out a paper we can all be proud of 25 times per year. As always, watch these pages for details.

In gratitude,

Claudia Marshall, Publisher
The Charlotte News