For two decades, the Davis Vanguard has worked to hold powerful institutions accountable, investigate injustice and give a voice to people and communities too often overlooked. Now, we’re asking readers to help sustain and expand that mission.
Since its founding in 2006, the Davis Vanguard has grown from a local news and commentary website into an independent nonprofit news organization covering some of the most pressing issues facing Davis, California and the nation.
Our mission has remained consistent: provide independent, fact-based journalism that asks difficult questions, challenges conventional narratives and holds government and other powerful institutions accountable.
As traditional local news organizations have reduced coverage, the need for independent reporting has only increased. City councils, courts, law enforcement agencies and other public institutions make decisions every day that affect people’s lives, often with limited public scrutiny.
The Vanguard works to fill those gaps.
Reporting That Makes a Difference
Our coverage spans housing, land use, local government, criminal justice, civil rights and immigration.
In Davis, we examine development proposals, housing policy, local elections, government spending and decisions that shape the future of our community. We believe residents deserve more than competing political claims. They deserve accurate information, careful analysis and reporting that helps them understand what is at stake.
Across California, our criminal justice reporting examines prosecutorial practices, wrongful convictions, sentencing, incarceration and efforts to reform a system that profoundly affects individuals, families and communities.
Through our Court Watch program, we train and supervise student journalists who observe courtroom proceedings and report on hearings that might otherwise receive no public attention.
Court Watch provides a valuable public service while giving aspiring journalists practical experience in reporting, research, interviewing and the ethical responsibilities of journalism.
Our Everyday Injustice reporting and podcast bring additional attention to criminal justice issues, including the experiences of people directly affected by the legal system.
Through the Vanguard Incarcerated Press, we also provide opportunities for incarcerated writers to contribute their perspectives to public conversations about prisons, justice and accountability.
We believe those closest to the consequences of public policy should have opportunities to be heard.
Investing in the Next Generation of Journalists
The Vanguard is more than a news publication. It is also a training ground for emerging journalists.
Our internship program gives students opportunities to develop reporting skills, cover public institutions, examine complex legal and policy questions and produce work for a real audience.
Many of these young journalists are covering issues that larger news organizations lack the resources to pursue.
Supporting the Vanguard means supporting the next generation of reporters who will carry the principles of independent journalism into their future careers.
Why Reader Support Matters
Independent journalism requires time, resources and a sustained commitment to following stories wherever the facts lead.
Reporting on a court hearing, examining a public record, investigating a government decision or documenting the consequences of a policy requires work that is often invisible to readers.
That work cannot be sustained without financial support.
As a nonprofit news organization, the Vanguard depends on readers and supporters who recognize the importance of journalism that serves the public interest.
Our reporting is available without a paywall because we believe access to information should not depend on someone’s ability to pay.
But keeping that information freely accessible requires contributions from those who can afford to help.
NewsMatch: An Opportunity to Strengthen Independent Journalism
From November 1 through December 31, the Davis Vanguard is participating in NewsMatch, a national fundraising initiative supporting nonprofit news organizations.
NewsMatch provides an opportunity for eligible donations to receive matching support, helping participating newsrooms build a stronger financial foundation.
This campaign is about more than meeting an immediate fundraising goal. It is about ensuring the Vanguard can continue producing independent journalism, expanding its reporting capacity and training young journalists in the years ahead.
Your contribution helps support the people and resources necessary to make that work possible.
Help Build the Next 20 Years of the Vanguard
For 20 years, the Davis Vanguard has demonstrated that independent journalism can make a meaningful contribution to public accountability, civic engagement and the pursuit of justice.
We have grown because readers believed that difficult questions deserved answers, that overlooked stories deserved attention and that public institutions should be subject to scrutiny.
That commitment remains central to everything we do.
As we look toward the next 20 years, we want to strengthen our local reporting, expand Court Watch, develop the Vanguard Incarcerated Press and continue covering the issues that shape our communities.
We are asking you to become part of that effort.
Whether you contribute $25, $50, $100, $250 or more, your support makes a difference.
Please make a tax-deductible contribution to the Davis Vanguard during NewsMatch.
Checks or DAF’s to: Davis Vanguard – PO Box 4715, Davis, CA 95617
EIN: 46-3013126
Your support helps ensure that independent journalism remains a vital part of our community.
Thank you for reading, supporting and believing in the Davis Vanguard.
David M. Greenwald
Founder and Executive Director
Davis Vanguard
