The Valley Reporter Trust received federal 501(c)(3) status this spring, ushering in a new chapter for local journalism in the Mad River Valley.
Last December, final federal paperwork was filed to obtain the designation, which allows tax-deductible donations to the trust and enables it to apply for state, local and federal grants to support local journalism in the Valley.
The Valley Reporter, separate from the Valley Reporter Trust, worked with local community members to create both a Vermont nonprofit and federal nonprofit in 2025, recognizing that changes in the media landscape require new funding models to better support local journalism.
The Valley Reporter Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, allows readers and foundations whose mission includes supporting democracy and civic engagement through local journalism to make tax-deductible donations. The nonprofit will work to promote and support local journalism as well as civic engagement and education.
The trust is governed by a nonprofit board of community members including Kathy Cadwell of Fayston; Brian Shupe, Erika Nichols-Frazer and Tony Italiano of Waitsfield; and Eric Friedman of Moretown.
The Valley Reporter’s Lisa Loomis and the late Pat Clark are also founding board members. Board membership will change following Clark’s death June 1.
“We recognize that in Vermont and nationally, the newspaper industry’s economic model has been disrupted for two decades. Since 2005, more than 3,200 print newspapers have ceased production, most of them weeklies like The Valley Reporter,” Loomis said.
“Community journalism connects people and connects them to their government. It’s part civic activism, part education and part connection, and it holds local officials accountable.
“We’re passionate about local news, our community and our weekly paper recording the history of the Mad River Valley. Local media is best positioned to understand the people, issues and politics of this community. We love our work, and we’re deeply engaged in our community. This matters to us,” Loomis said.
The Valley Reporter has served the Mad River Valley since 1971. It is owned by publisher Loomis, who, along with Clark, took ownership after the death of Al Benjamin in 2015.
Clark joined the paper as a typesetter in 1981, and Loomis joined as a staff writer in 1985.
The newspaper and the trust will remain separate entities, and readers, subscribers and advertisers will see no changes to their weekly paper.
Donations to the trust may be mailed to Valley Reporter Trust, P.O. Box 119, Waitsfield, VT 05673.
The trust website, www.thevalleyreportertrust.org, is expected to be fully populated shortly. The email address is
Additional donation options, including Square and Venmo, will be available in the future.
