Dear reader:

Those of you who have been with us awhile know that this time of year is a critical time at The Palm Springs Post. It's the last of two fundraisers we do each year and our final chance to give it everything we've got to rally support and funding for The Post and the high quality-journalism you deserve.

I'll save you the spiel on what The Post is about — you probably know us better than we know ourselves at this point. Instead, let me tell you what your support means to us and what exactly "reader support" goes towards:

• Funds raised during last year's campaign helped support our reporting into the possible misuse of funds earmarked for a planned universal income program in the city (the alleged culprit was recently charged with multiple felonies) and also our look into what appeared to be open public meeting violations by a city commission (the commission was eventually put on hiatus). It takes time to do journalism like this responsibly. It also takes money to pay reporters to cover the "regular" news so that Kendall and I have that time.

• This year Maggie Miles joined our team part-time and immediately made an impact in our community with her writing. Her "Pain Street" article on troubles faced by downtown merchants and their employees was some of the best deep-dive journalism we've ever done, and it showed why The New York Times chose her as its Coachella Valley correspondent. Your support made that happen!

• In 2025, with your help, we plan to relaunch our popular Palm Springs Profiles series (Maggie gave us a kickstart on that in November), continue to explore every nook and cranny of City Hall, pay closer attention to our robust community calendar, and much more. We can't do it without your help.

We're a 100% local and scrappy little newsroom that doesn't hide our content behind a paywall. Because of that, I'm sincere when I tell you that we truly cannot operate without the direct support from our readers and community partners. With your help, we can finish 2024 strong and hit the ground running at full speed next year.

If you're already a supporter, THANK YOU! If not, or if you're feeling extra charitable or grateful for us, this is your chance: Do you want to give to one of those typical corporate news outlets, whose coverage "includes Palm Springs" or hides its content behind a paywall? Or would you rather back an independent, fact-based news outlet dedicated only to you done by neighbors you trust?

I appreciate your consideration. If you're on the fence about donating and there's something we can do to improve your experience with The Post, please let me know.

With gratitude,