Support the Vanguard on #GivingTuesday
Dear friends:
We are reaching out to you on this Giving Tuesday, to ask you to donate to the Vanguard News Group. And if possible become a matching donor to help expand your impact.
At the Vanguard, we fight back against what we call everyday injustices, by exposing them through our journalism.
We are a nonprofit news organization whose network of reporters and interns across the state monitor and report on criminal court proceedings. We highlight cases that deserve more attention, whether it be wrongful convictions or cases that demonstrate the inhumane treatment of those trapped in a truly unforgiving system.
The Vanguard is also a leading investigative body which has highlighted egregious wrongs in the criminal legal system and helped to uncover long standing injustices and sparked new interest in cases previously forgotten.
For example, Douglas “Chief” Stankewitz is the longest serving person on death row in California, serving 43 years for a murder that evidence suggests he could not have committed. Because of the Vanguard’s independent reporting, new facts of the case have been brought to light, and now a documentary on Chief’s case is in production.
The state has now been ordered to show cause as to why Stankewitz shouldn’t be released with a resentencing hearing scheduled for mid-January.
Here are some of the other programs we have going on right now or will be launching shortly…
Vanguard Justice Training Program – This is our court watch internship program which trains college and high school interns to put eyes in the courtroom—the front line of the injustice system. Students and readers see what really happens in the courtroom.
The Vanguard is not only committed to exposing injustices in the criminal legal system, we are also committed to training the next generation of criminal justice advocates, attorneys, and journalists partnering directly with universities.
The Vanguard prides itself on helping to launch the careers of aspiring young attorneys, many of them young women of color.
Vanguard Incarcerated Press – Just launched in October, this is our prison journalism program where we solicit hard-hitting news and commentary from incarcerated people across the state of California.
Everyday Injustice Podcast Series – Our special half hour segment talking to leaders in criminal justice reform across the nation.
Vanguard Justice Leader Program – A new program we are launching next spring with a full day of training for students and young folks interested in a career in criminal justice reform.
Vanguard Justice Studios – With a heavy focus on racial justice reform, this is our series of films and documentaries we are launching in conjunction with various partners. Our first film is Dark Ghost Stories—we have released a trailer.
Whether it is the exposure of everyday injustices, egregious miscarriages of justice or training the next generation of young women of color to launch them into their careers in the legal system, the Vanguard is a cutting-edge non-profit.
But we need your help. Your donation can help ensure that the next student can go to law school and the next wrongly accused gets their injustices exposed before spending decades behind bars.
Please support us with a donation or by becoming a matching donor this Giving Tuesday. Donate at http://tinyurl.com/VanguardGT or contact David at info@davisvanguard.org to become a matching donor.
Thank you,
The Vanguard Board
David Greenwald, Director and CEO
Bob Saunders
Cynthia Rodriguez
Natasha Khamashta
Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald
Joan Parkin
Dr. Tecoy Porter
Nancy Martinez
Juan E. Miranda
(Partial list)
