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12/19/2014

Donate now to support vital open government and newspaper work

As you consider your year-end charitable giving, consider supporting both the Ohio Coalition for Open Government and the Ohio Newspapers Foundation. Each of these ONA-affiliated organizations are 501(c)3 nonprofits and are involved in vital work to protect and support the ability of open government and newspapers in the state of Ohio.

The Ohio Newspapers Foundation supports excellence and professionalism in all phases of Ohio journalism and newspaper publishing. Among the programs supported by the Foundation are a number of scholarships to attract new talent to our industry. Other work includes ONA internships, Newspapers In Education programs and training opportunities for ONA member papers. This year the Foundation began offering our first-ever series of free training webinars on news and advertising topics along with hosting the annual convention and circulation managers’ conference, which again drew rave reviews.

The Ohio Coalition for Open Government (OCOG) works to ensure that Ohio’s Sunshine Laws shine on all aspects of our state and local governments. In the last year  OCOG took the lead in a massive statewide, county-by-county public records audit project, which newspapers and media organizations across the state reported on. In addition, OCOG provided financial support in major Sunshine Law cases on accessing police records and preventing elected officials from using e-mail as a substitute for public meetings.

Like you, the ONA and its affiliate non-profit organizations face challenges with increased costs of providing service, so we urge you to consider a voluntary, year-end, tax-deductible donation. To donate to either OCOG or the Ohio Newspapers Foundation, contact Sue Bazzoli, Manager of Administrative Services, at sbazzoli@ohionews.org or 614-486-6677. You can also donate online to OCOG at http://ohionews.org/aws/ONA/pt/sp/ocog.

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