Doubling down on D.C. news

I’m a firm believer in the idea that if everyone pitches in what they can, things that once felt impossible can become a reality. 

That’s how The 51st came to exist - and that’s how we’re continuing to grow. 

Last month, we launched this fundraising campaign with a clear goal: raise enough money to hire Martin Austermuhle as our first full-time reporter and sustain Christina Sturdivant Sani’s role as our Executive Editor. Thank you to the over 500 donors who have supported this campaign so far. With gifts ranging from $5 to $5,100, we’re seeing what’s possible when everyone does what they can. 

Now, we’ve got a chance to make all of it go twice as far.

Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Viyas Sundaram has been a 51st supporter from the very early days of this project (thanks, Viyas!), and he’s offered to match contributions to this campaign up to $100,000. That means he’s matching every donation, dollar for dollar, of the next $100k we raise from the public.

To be transparent, our crowdfunding goal is only part of what we need for this investment to be sustainable. We want to be able to pay a living wage, offer good health benefits, and secure a future at The 51st for these newsroom leaders. This match will allow us to extend Christina’s contract, and work towards funding Martin’s role into a second year.

If you’ve been thinking about giving, this is a powerful time to do it. 

The most common gift amount so far is $25. That number alone says so much. Small-dollar donations really do add up – especially now. Your $25 becomes $50, your $100 becomes $200, your $5,000 becomes $10,000. 

What part can you do to help make this a reality?

Martin’s been working tirelessly to bring you coverage of the D.C. budget season (he was in the Wilson Building for 10 hours on Monday covering the vote!), the RFK deal, and ongoing threats to Home Rule. Help make his job at The 51st a full-time one! We believe this city needs local news that’s not owned by billionaires – but that’s run by the community, with the community’s needs front and center.

Investing in these positions, and these specific people, will allow us to grow into the local news outlet our city deserves. 

If that sounds like something you want to be part of, now’s the moment.

Thank you for building this with us, 

Eric Falquero