News Letter Journal Launches the Unabridged Fund to Strengthen Independent Journalism in Weston County
Philanthropic effort supported by the Wyoming Community Foundation and the Press Forward initiative
The News Letter Journal today announced the launch of the Unabridged Fund, a new charitable fund designed to strengthen, expand, and sustain the paper’s independent journalism for decades to come. Sponsored by the Wyoming Community Foundation, the fund opens ahead of Giving Tuesday after months of collaborative work to establish a long-term, community-centered path for supporting local news.
“The Unabridged Fund is unique in Wyoming,” stated Samin Dadelahi, CEO of the Wyoming Community Foundation. “The decline in community reporting and the financial instability of news organizations is visible across the country — including here in Wyoming. When eight newspapers in our state closed overnight just a few months ago, it was a stark reminder of how fragile our news ecosystem is.”
The Unabridged Fund builds directly on the News Letter Journal’s work through the Press Forward “Closing Local Coverage Gaps” grant, which helped the paper evaluate new revenue strategies to serve readers across Weston County and Wyoming. The idea for a dedicated fund emerged as a priority during the Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit in Philadelphia in May, where Publisher Bob Bonnar participated in national discussions on sustainable journalism models.
“Our mission has always been to serve this community with honesty, rigor, and the kind of journalism that protects the public’s right to know,” said Bonnar. “The Unabridged Fund strengthens that mission and gives us the ability to build on what we’ve already achieved. We’ve proven that even a small newspaper in rural Wyoming can be an industry leader. This fund allows us to keep pushing forward.”
The News Letter Journal — now in its 135th year — has earned statewide and national recognition for its accountability journalism, modern transparency tools, and commitment to giving citizens an unfiltered view of their government in action. Its digital platforms, including daily online news, a growing YouTube archive of public meetings, a weekly newsletter, and a government-focused podcast, have expanded the reach and influence of rural reporting far beyond Weston County.
Bonnar said the Unabridged Fund represents a forward-looking investment in both the newsroom and the community it serves.
“We tell a story here that the rest of the country doesn’t get to see — the real story of rural America, told from the ground level about the people who live it,” he said. “That story deserves to be shared widely and honestly, and it deserves to be told by a newsroom that has the resources and independence to do it right. This fund helps ensure that happens.”
The fund will support deeper reporting, expanded watchdog work, modern newsroom tools, digital growth, and continued innovation in public transparency. It also provides a stable foundation for long-term sustainability at a time when hundreds of newspapers across the country and in Wyoming have been shuttered or hollowed out.
“National news matters, but it can’t replace reliable information about our own communities,” Dadelahi said.
“We worked closely with our partners at the Wyoming Community Foundation to launch this fund before Giving Tuesday because the timing matters,” Bonnar added. “Our community deserves a newspaper it can count on — one that reflects its values, asks the hard questions, and stands as a rallying point for a brighter future in Weston County. With this fund, we can continue to be something the community is proud of.”
The Unabridged Fund is now open for contributions. Community members, alumni of Weston County, statewide readers, and supporters of independent journalism may donate securely at:
https://wyomingcf.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=6298
“As one of the best small newspapers in the country, we intend to keep raising the bar,” Bonnar said. “This fund is how we do that — with the community, for the community.”
About the News Letter Journal
Founded in 1890, the News Letter Journal is a 135-year-old independent newspaper serving Weston County, Wyoming, and the surrounding region. Recognized as an industry leader in rural accountability journalism, the NLJ delivers daily online news, a weekly print edition, in-depth government coverage, multimedia transparency tools, and statewide reporting through the Wyoming News Exchange.
About the Wyoming Community Foundation
The Wyoming Community Foundation works with donors to strengthen Wyoming communities by supporting charitable causes across the state. Through donor-advised funds, endowments, and community partnerships, WYCF helps organizations build long-term resilience and public impact.