We are standing tall like the East Lansing daffodils as we keep reporting for you during this challenging time.

We Need Your Financial Help for ELi’s Reporting

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The pandemic and associated lockdown have made ELi’s reporting more vital, more frequent, and harder to do.

Our reporters are having to pry open the virtual doors of City Hall to try to find out what’s going on in your government, and file public information requests to get material from the City, East Lansing Police, and East Lansing Public Schools. They are also working hard to bring you stories of good works, small joys, and ways you can help local businesses and charities. They are bringing critical medical information while also staying on top of ELi’s usual beats.

Our reporters are doing a fantastic job, and we are so happy to be able to give them meaningful work and paychecks at this time. Many are in the same boat as too many people right now: laid off or furloughed from other jobs they hold in conjunction with their work for ELi.

Given all that is at stake for our community, readers, and staff, ELi’s Fundraising Committee knows it is time for us to ask for your help.

A recent donor gave us an idea when she said, “I’m planning to give the disbursement of my stimulus check to those who need it more than I do.”

So here is our ask: If you are financially able, could you spend some of your stimulus check or paycheck to stimulate some high quality local journalism (and local jobs!) through ELi right now?

The great news is that we can double your tax-deductible gift now. That’s because a week ago today, we asked people to pledge matching funds, and a group of ten ELi donors have stepped up and pledged a total of $5,000!

That means we can double your gift right now!

Just pull out a credit card and donate through Omella, which is currently charging us NOTHING for their service, because they support ELi! (They ask you to leave a tip for them providing the service, but you decide the amount.)

If you’d rather give by check (free to us) or PayPal (fee to us), that’s fine, too! Click here to learn how to do that.

We asked our match-pledge donors why they are giving so generously right now. Here is what some others told us:

  • “Now more than ever, as traditional newspapers are struggling and accurate information is essential to the health, safety, and welfare of our community, Eli is committed to accurate, non-biased reporting on issues of local importance and concern.”
  • “Since I’m spending less on ‘stuff’ I really didn’t need, expect a bigger donation from me over the pandemic months. It’s so important for me to support all you do, particularly now. I know it will be money well spent (as always).”
  • “I’m willing to give ELi my entire $1200 stimulus payment (which I have already received). I like the idea of the Trump government directly supporting accurate news reporting.”
  • “While I greatly appreciate ELi keeping me informed, entertained, and connected to my town, what I value most is ELi’s investment in training young journalists. Their positive influence will reach far beyond this place and this time, and I feel good about helping make that possible.”
  • “In these difficult times, with social distancing being the new normal, ELi is our way of staying close and feeling in touch with our community. We need ELi now even more than ever before.”

Can you help us in this spirit? Please do so right now!

And if you can’t give – we truly understand. Keep coming to ELi and taking all the news that helps you. That’s why we are here.