Yes, The Banner’s parent organization, The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, was granted nonprofit status by the IRS in August 2021; our tax identification number is 86-1715499. The Baltimore Banner is our signature publication and is operated under this nonprofit umbrella.

Thank you! Checks can be made out to The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism or The Baltimore Banner. Our mailing address is: 621 East Pratt Street, Suite 401, Baltimore MD 21202.

At present, we accept outright gifts of cash, multi-year pledges, and appreciated securities. The Banner is also open to receiving gifts in kind, particularly as part of a broader corporate partnership.

To access or manage your donor information, you can do so with our Donor Dashboard. Open any of the emails you have received acknowledging your donations to The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism. These are sent each time you contribute with the subject line "Donation Receipt - we appreciate your generosity!". Click on "View your donation history" in the email. You will be directed to your dashboard. Click on "Recurring Donations" to manage or cancel.

Thank you for your support! You can make a secure online gift using the form above. You can read more about how The Baltimore Banner handles your sensitive information by viewing our Terms of Services polices.

We would be happy to facilitate gifts of securities. Please contact our philanthropy team at [email protected] to receive transfer instructions.

The cost of subscriptions is not tax deductible. Donations to The Baltimore Banner are tax deductible, which is why you may have seen our tax ID number or other information related to charitable contributions on our website.

The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism is the 501c(3), nonprofit parent organization and publisher of The Baltimore Banner. The Banner is the first venture launched under the Institute’s leadership and is operated as a nonprofit news organization. It is possible that other media and news ventures may be initiated in the future alongside The Banner.

Thank you for being a loyal reader! Generous individuals who make gifts of all sizes understand that local journalism is the bedrock of our democracy. As an integral part of the future of The Banner, our contributing subscribers have the satisfaction of knowing they are prioritizing protecting this vital civic institution. Many donors contributing to The Banner do so to send a clear signal that the Baltimore community values independent, trustworthy news and information.

Our organization is listed on Guidestar as The Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism. You can also find us by searching for The Baltimore Banner or access our profile here: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/86-1715499.

All unrestricted gifts will be used to enhance our newsroom and editorial unit.

Our founder has committed publicly to contribute or raise $50 million to support The Baltimore Banner’s first four years of operations, ensuring a sound financial footing. $23 million has been provided already to The Banner for use during the first two years of operations. While that initial investment has been critical to our early growth and allowed us to become one of Maryland’s largest and most diverse newsrooms in our first year, the generous support of individuals and institutions in Baltimore, Maryland, and beyond is necessary to continue this important work. Over 4-5 years, our revenue model anticipates that approximately 15 percent of our annual operating budget will be funded by philanthropy.

The local journalism landscape has changed rapidly and significantly over the last couple of decades. Since 2005, research has indicated that local journalism jobs have declined by as much as 70%, due in large part to the shift to digital advertising. As news quality declined from for-profit outlets, many subscribers turned away frensued for communities with shrinking or absent local news infrastructure: less political engagement, increasing polarization, and a lack of accountability from politicians leading to overspending and corruption. The absence of local watchdog reporting has even been linked to an increase in corporate misconduct. To counter these concerning dynamics, many news startups with innovative revenue models have begun to take off across the country. The Baltimore Banner is one of them. We are working towards a diversified revenue model that acknowledges and adjusts for the changing realities of the industry.