The Trace is committed to transparency in every aspect of our funding.
We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals, organizations and foundations to help with our general operations, coverage of specific topics, and special projects. Our news staff operates independently of that support and retains full control of all editorial decisions.
Accepting financial support does not mean we endorse donors or their positions.
We do not allow anyone to assign, review, or edit content prior to publication.
As a nonprofit, The Trace will not accept donations from anonymous sources, government entities, political parties, elected officials or candidates actively seeking public office.
We make public all donors who give $1,000 or more per year and accept anonymous donations only when sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our editorial staff and does not present a conflict of interest.
Support for The Trace comes from these institutions and individuals, among others, as of February, 2023:
- The Aber D. Unger Foundation
- AFW Weaver / PGB Fund
- Alayne (Sas) Weber
- Alvin H. Baum Family Foundation
- Anne Marie Sconberg
- Anne R. Avis and Gregory M. Avis Fund
- Arnold Ventures LLC
- Belden Miller Fund for Journalism
- Brian McInerney
- Butler Family Fund
- The California Wellness Foundation
- The Cleveland Family Charitable Fund
- David Schleich
- Donald A. Pels Charitable Trust
- Emerson Collective, LLC
- Eugenie Ayse Perret
- Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund
- Field Foundation of Illinois
- Harold Simmons Foundation
- The Herb Block Foundation
- The IV Fund
- Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation
- Johnson Family Foundation
- The Joyce Foundation
- Julia Stasch
- Kathryn Price
- The Kendeda Fund
- The Kevin & Jane Quinn Family Fund
- Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund
- Manaaki Foundation
- Melrose Fund
- Nancy and Robert Cleveland
- New Venture Fund
- Nicholas B. Ottaway Foundation
- Robert Woodward
- The Sahsen Fund
- The Tow Foundation
- Virginia B. Clark
- William Talbott Hillman Foundation
We are also grateful to the many readers who have stepped forward to support our journalism through their personal contributions.
The Trace (formally incorporated as Trace Media Inc.) is a nonprofit, 501 c3 corporation, tax ID# 47-4175513.
Acknowledgement: The Trace developed this donor transparency policy in accordance with standards developed by the Institute for Nonprofit News.