ONN kicks off 2026 NewsMatch campaign to expand coverage

OTTAWA COUNTY — The Ottawa News Network has kicked off its 2026 NewsMatch campaign to fuel expanded reporting across the county.

ONN, an independent, nonprofit newsroom covering Ottawa County, has launched its most critical fundraising effort of the year with goals of sustaining and expanding its local journalism.

The initiative is part of NewsMatch 2026, a national collaborative fundraising campaign designed to support independent, public service newsrooms. Through Dec. 31, eligible donations made to ONN will be matched dollar for dollar to help fund expanded reporting across the county.

Nearly three years after its launch, ONN remains committed to offering its reporting free of a paywall so that all residents — regardless of income — have unrestricted access to civic information. Instead of subscription fees, the organization relies on a community-supported fundraising model to sustain and grow its operations.

Janet DeYoung, vice chair of ONN's board of directors and fundraising chair, said the organization aims to raise $135,000 and attract 200 new donors during this year's campaign.

“We believe accurate information is a public good and that all residents should have access to trusted local news. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on grants, sponsorships and donations from our readers and those who share that value,” DeYoung said.

DeYoung noted that the organization is actively gathering community feedback to shape its coverage priorities for the coming year.

“We are learning from Ottawa County residents what information is most important to them. In 2027, that understanding will guide our planning as we increase our capacity to cover the local events of greatest interest to the community.”

The push to increase capacity comes at a moment when the importance of trusted, local reporting is a frequent topic of national conversation, DeYoung said.

Unlike traditional for-profit media models driven by commercial pressures, the nonprofit structure allows newsrooms like ONN to focus on community-centered and investigative reporting.

“Over the past three years, our reporters have worked tirelessly to make sure Ottawa County residents have clear, fact-checked reporting on the decisions shaping their schools, local governments and neighborhoods," said Executive Editor Sarah Leach. "Reaching our NewsMatch goal means we can put more reporters in the room where decisions are made—and cover the stories our community has told us matter most in 2027.”

Contributions to the campaign will directly support the expansion of on-the-ground coverage of Ottawa County government, schools and cultural life, with the campaign's overall total determining the scale of next year's growth.

“When you give to ONN during NewsMatch, you’re not just supporting a newsroom — you’re investing in a better-informed Ottawa County. Every dollar matched helps us ask tougher questions, cover more local meetings, and keep quality journalism free for every neighbor,” Leach said.

During the campaign window — running through Dec. 31 — one-time contributions or the full annual value of new monthly recurring gifts will be matched up to $1,000 per donor through support from NewsMatch, The Joyce Foundation and local matching donors.

Existing monthly supporters who increase their recurring gift during the campaign will also have the annual value of that increase matched up to $1,000.

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— To submit a news tip, email newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.