Solutions-focused homelessness reporting raises $20,000 from readers

During the second half of July 2021, Santa Cruz Local, a two-year-old outlet, launched a reader revenue campaign to support its reporting on homelessness. Within two weeks, staff members raised about $20,000 from roughly 100 local readers, their most successful fundraising campaign to date. Solutions journalism featured prominently in their phone and email solicitations to readers. Kara Meyberg Guzman, CEO and co-founder, said supporters who contributed to this coverage frequently mentioned its focus on responses to homelessness (solutions journalism), holding local government to account and featuring underrepresented people with nuance and complexity.