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.

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