Our campaign was in trouble. Then someone stepped up

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Today was supposed to be the final day of our spring campaign — asking you to support local news that connects communities. And 24 hours ago, it looked like we were going to fall well short of our goal of 1,000 supporters.

Then I got an email from a supporter with an idea. She and a handful of other community members pooled together $5,000 in funds. Could they inspire others to support The Discourse if the group matched contributions in these critical final hours?

Thanks to these community members, you can support now and what you chip in before 11:59pm June 18 will be matched dollar-for-dollar. You will be unlocking an extra $5,000 for journalism that reflects our country’s full diversity, for journalism that is truly community-powered. We’ve extended the campaign for three days so you can take advantage of this chance to double the impact of your support.

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I was taken aback by their support. But I shouldn’t have been. This is the story of The Discourse. Starting a new journalism company is really, really hard. But every time we’ve been in a bind, people have pulled together to support our mission.

The person who emailed me said she believes in the power of our journalism that serves people, not advertisers or political interests. While other media claim to serve the public, she said, The Discourse truly involves the community in our journalism at every step — shifting power to people who deserve to be heard.

So what are you supporting, if you contribute to The Discourse? Where will your contributions go?

We want to be able to deliver the next community-powered investigations you voted for. Our Cowichan readers asked us to dig into environmental degradation, development and growth  next. Urban Nation wants an investigation into the state of reconciliation in the Lower Mainland’s urban institutions. Scarborough voted for in-depth stories on housing affordability.

But we can only tell these stories with your support. Really. We have no corporation behind us. We rely on our supporters. (Find out where our money comes from and how we spend your support here.)

Support now and join the hundreds of supporters behind The Discourse. Because the world is better when diverse voices are heard, when our communities are connected, and when we support one another.[end]