November 12, 2026
An important message to our readers ~
For the third year, Waterbury Roundabout has qualified to participate in the Institute for Nonprofit News NewsMatch year-end matching fundraising program.
It is no exaggeration to say that this key support from our dedicated readers and the NewsMatch matching grant have been key to keeping the Roundabout running for the past two years. Timing your contributions now to support local journalism within the final weeks of 2026 will stretch that support twice as far.
Thanks to INN, a trade organization for about 500 nonprofit news outlets around the U.S., some $7 million in matching funds from nearly 20 philanthropic organizations will fund the grants that will support local news in the communities that INN members serve.
This year, the Waterbury Roundabout is one of 437 print and online news organizations on the list for NewsMatch to match November-December fundraising, and we are counting on readers to rally with us to take advantage of this opportunity.
How can you help?
It’s easy.
All donations from individuals that the Roundabout receives in November and December will be matched dollar-for-dollar by NewsMatch. This goes for contributions from as small as $5 to $1,000. NewsMatch will match up to a total of $15,000 in overall contributions though Dec. 31.
If you already give monthly to the Roundabout, your November and December contributions will already be matched! If you would like to add a one-time extra donation, that would be matched 1:1 as well.
If you prefer to give occasionally or once a year and you haven’t made a contribution yet in 2026, this is the perfect time to chip in.
If you would like to start a monthly contribution (consider $10 a month as a subscription), NewsMatch has a sweet bonus: New sign-ups for monthly contributions will be matched at the amount equal to a 12-month donation. (So, if you sign up to give $5/mo., NewsMatch will match that with $60 to the Roundabout.)
Also, if you donate monthly and would like to increase your regular contribution, the amount of your increase will be matched x 12.
The Roundabout also can accept donations from businesses and organizations during this campaign. They qualify for a different NewsMatch that’s less than the 1:1 individual level, but still meaningful.
Finally, you can help spread the word by sharing this post with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors and anyone who you know who reads and relies on the Waterbury Roundabout for local news.
This year-end push to land the maximum NewsMatch grant is especially helpful to our operation because the funds raised have no strings attached. They may be used for general operating expenses, allowing each news organization to spend them on whatever is most important for covering their communities.
For the Roundabout, that means being able to compensate our small staff, hire freelance writers and pay our modest overhead expenses that go along with running a website, email newsletters, etc.
How can you give?
The easiest way is online through our fundraising page here. Contributions made online go through our fiscal sponsor, the Vermont Journalism Trust, the 501c3 parent nonprofit to VTDigger. That allows them to be tax-deductible.
You also may write a check. Write it to Vermont Journalism Trust with “for Waterbury Roundabout” on the memo line. Mail to Waterbury Roundabout, P.O. Box 626, Waterbury, VT 05676.
Like every other news outlet in Vermont—print and online alike—we are looking to keep building reliable financial support to fund our work.
We think journalism at the grassroots level is still vital for people to be informed and connected in their communities. We know many of you agree because we see how many visits our website receives every day.
A successful NewsMatch campaign will play a big role in starting off 2027 strong.
Please help us make it a success and click here to chip in.
And, as always, thanks for reading.
Lisa Scagliotti, editor
Gordon Miller, photographer
Julia Bailey-Wells, digital editor
Photo by Gordon Miller