Massachusetts Daily Collegian

Dear students, faculty, staff, and cherished alumni!

Your student-run and editorially independent campus newspaper needs you, once again, in our annual UMass MinuteFund campaign! Since 1890, the Massachusetts Daily Collegian has served the greater UMass Amherst community with pride and purpose, and our success is attributed to donors like you that make our journalism possible. 

Last year, we had this event and fundraiser during our final months of stressful financial situation following the pandemic. I am thrilled to announce that we raised a total of … drum roll please… $14,000 in April 2023 through our Minutefund and UMass Gives challenge winnings! We could not be more thrilled by the support we have received from our alumni, family, and friends who donated!

Due to your generosity, in the semester year, we have been able to...

• Print and distribute bi-weekly magazines throughout Amherst and the greater Pioneer Valley and 5 College region
• 100% relieve our long-winded debt and stabilize our finances
• Ensure financial sustainability & promotion efforts (with a lack of print on campus) 
• Fund our sports reporters' trips to TN, ME, and DE 
• Develop our photos and video department by increasing accessibility to camera equipment for all staff 
• Purchase other necessary office supplies 

With additional donations we hope to…

• Increase quantity and frequency of magazines to expand outreach to Amherst and surrounding areas.
• Enhance our podcast studio to create more professional multimedia content. 
• Expanding our site’s ad revenue capabilities and PR promotional efforts.
• Reserve funds for writers to travel to more UMass sports championships (Mississippi State University & University of Georgia), news events, and conferences in future years (College Media Association)
• Apply to awards to increase prestige and professionalism.

With your donations, we can continue conducting powerful watchdog journalism and training high-level professional journalists. There is no other news outlet more dedicated to the unique needs of the University and Amherst community than the Daily Collegian. 

Please donate what you can. While we are overwhelmed with gratitude when anyone is able to give more than $50, we deeply appreciate those who can give even the cost of a cup of People’s Market coffee. All donors donating a minimum of $50 will be given a shoutout on our next Collegian magazine’s donor wall. 

If you have any questions, concerns, or words of advice on how we can make this campaign as successful as possible, please reach out to collegian@umass.edu. We sincerely appreciate any help to grow and develop our paper to be the best it can be!

Thank you, 

Daily Collegian Staff