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, 2025:
Alexandra Ottaway Alvin H. Baum Family Fund Anne R. Avis and Gregory M. Avis Fund Arnold Ventures The Banjo Fund Brendan V. Sullivan, Jr. California Wellness Foundation Charles Dan Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation Daniel L. Skret David Schleich Donald Pels Charitable Trust D Squared Foundation Emerson Collective Eugenie Ayse Perret Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund Every Voice, Every Vote The Field Foundation of Illinois The Flower Child Fund Fund for a Safer Future Gene Bernstein Harold Simmons Foundation Ian Ayres Institute for Nonprofit News The IV Fund Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation Johnson Family Foundation Jonah Goodman Joyce Foundation Judy Wise Julia Stasch The Kendeda Fund The Lenfest Institute for Journalism The Levi Strauss Foundation MacArthur Foundation Manaaki Foundation The Melrose Fund Nancy and Robert Cleveland Neubauer Family Foundation Nicholas B. Ottaway Foundation Inc Patrick Yoest and Daphne Retter Paul M. Angell Foundation Polk Bros. Foundation Posner Foundation of Pittsburgh Public Welfare Foundation Robert Woodward The Sahsen Fund Sas Weber The Thompson Family Foundation TOMS The Tow Foundation William Kissinger William Kole William Penn Foundation 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.