Your tax-deductible donation will be used to fund grant requests submitted by Ventura County locally owned adjudicated independent newspapers.
The Ojai Valley News Foundation's mission is to support Ventura County-owned, adjudicated, independent newspapers by expanding reporting coverage, promoting local media literacy and access, preserving newspaper history, and fostering professional relationships within the local independent news community.
Every day, the Ojai Valley News | VCSUN is here for residents, covering arts, culture, sports and the news that affects all of us in Ventura County.
Recently, we have broken stories on the mass killing of trees at county parks through the misapplication of an herbicide; the proposed RV park at Soule Park; the EPA’s suspension of a dangerous pesticide; and Ventura’s coastal-erosion project.
Recent countywide issues we have covered include the district attorney’s crackdown on rampant real estate fraud; a suspected serial killer; the water adjudication lawsuit; the Santa Susana Field Lab cleanup in Simi Valley; deepfakes; and much more.
Local independent newspapers face a daily challenge to exist. We need your philanthropic support to continue to bring you the level of news coverage you deserve to be an informed voter, to hold your government accountable, and to know how your tax dollars are being spent.
Your local newspaper is where democracy hits the road, empowering y
Local independent newspapers face a daily challenge to exist. We need your philanthropic support to continue to bring you the level of news coverage you deserve to be an informed voter, to hold your government accountable, and to know how your tax dollars are being spent.
Your local newspaper is where democracy hits the road, empowering you with information to build the community you want to live in.
The national newspaper consolidation that began in 1987 has done irreparable harm to public trust as local newsrooms have been gutted by chain-media. Compounding the damage, more readers consume news online, where the Big Tech monopolies of Google and Meta have become publishers themselves and taken full control of search and advertiser dollars. News websites alone are financially unsustainable. The old news business models have crumbled and, as access to fact-based local reporting declines, so do its value and efficacy in our communities.
We need your help to ensure that locally owned independent newsrooms grow and become sustainable in Ventura County.
With your support we can:
• Expand Reporting on local News,
Culture, Arts, Sports, School, Business, Government, Environmental, Emergency Disaster, and Investigative reporting coverage.
• Grow access to Reporting
• Provide Educ
We need your help to ensure that locally owned independent newsrooms grow and become sustainable in Ventura County.
With your support we can:
• Expand Reporting on local News,
Culture, Arts, Sports, School, Business, Government, Environmental, Emergency Disaster, and Investigative reporting coverage.
• Grow access to Reporting
• Provide Education programs
• Build audience awareness through outreach
• Technology transformation
• Preserve Ventura's news history
Together we can revive Ventura County's independent local newspapers.
Your donation can be earmarked for a specific locally owned adjudicated independent newspaper:
Ojai Valley News | Ventura County Sun,
Santa Paula Times,
Vida Newspaper,
Tri-County Sentry or The Fillmore Gazette.
Ventura County’s newspapers keep the public’s business in the sunlight. The power of knowledge enables our citizens to make infor
Your donation can be earmarked for a specific locally owned adjudicated independent newspaper:
Ojai Valley News | Ventura County Sun,
Santa Paula Times,
Vida Newspaper,
Tri-County Sentry or The Fillmore Gazette.
Ventura County’s newspapers keep the public’s business in the sunlight. The power of knowledge enables our citizens to make informed decisions. With your partnership, we can build a community through the power of information as we write history’s first draft.
Contact us with questions or to discuss donations of your time and asset gifts. Thank you to all who support local journalism.
News reporting provides the facts that lead us to truth. Ventura County’s newspapers keep the public’s business in the sunlight. The power of knowledge enables our citizens to make informed decisions. With your partnership, we can strengthen our community through information and a common story.
Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink offers a clear-eyed look at the current state of journalism in the United States with a focus on the insidious threat from a secretive hedge fund that has put America’s free press at risk.
How to Make a Planned Gift:
1. Consult Professionals: Work with your estate planning attorney, financial advisor, or tax professional to update your will, trust, or beneficiary designations.
2. Key Information for Your Documents:
• Legal Name: Ojai Valley News Foundation
• Tax ID (EIN): 99-0612586
• Address: 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023
• Status: A California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
3. Types of Planned Gifts:
• Bequest in a Will or Trust: A simple addition to your existing documents.
• Beneficiary Designation: Name us as a beneficiary on retirement accounts (e.g., IRA, 401(k)), life insurance, or bank accounts.
• Charitable Remainder Trust: Provides income to you or loved ones during your lifetime, with the remainder to the foundation.
• Gifts of Assets: Stocks, real estate, or other property – contact us to discuss tax benefits and appraisals. 
Sample Bequest Language: Use this customizable wording in your will or trust (always review with your attorney for state-specific compliance, e.g., California probate laws):
• Specific Amount: “I give and bequeath to the Ojai Valley News Foundation, a nonprofit corporation (Tax ID: 99-0612586), located at 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023, the sum of $ [amount] to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
• Percentage of Estate: “I give and bequeath to the Ojai Valley News Foundation, a nonprofit corporation (Tax ID: 99-0612586), located at 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023, [percentage]% of my residuary estate to be used for its general charitable purposes [or specify: ‘to support local investigative reporting in Ventura County’].”
• Residuary Bequest: “I give and bequeath the residue of my estate, after payment of all debts, taxes, expenses, and specific bequests, to the Ojai Valley News Foundation, a nonprofit corporation (Tax ID: 99-0612586), located at 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023, to be used for its general charitable purposes.”
• Contingent Bequest: “If [name of primary beneficiary] does not survive me, I give and bequeath [amount/percentage/residue] to the Ojai Valley News Foundation, a nonprofit corporation (Tax ID: 99-0612586), located at 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023.”
For restricted gifts (e.g., earmarked for a specific newspaper like the Santa Paula Times), add: “to support [specific purpose or newspaper].”
Next Steps:
• Notify Us: Letting us know about your planned gift helps with our long-term planning and allows us to thank you. It’s confidential and non-binding.
• Contact: Reach out to discuss your legacy.
Executive Director: Laura Rearwin Ward
Email: foundation@ojaivalleynews.com
Phone: 805-646-1476
Address: 206 N. Signal Street, Ste. G, Ojai, CA 93023 
Let us work with your company to invite proposals from Ventura County's local independent newspapers. Together we can gather specific requests for support that aligns with your company values and fits into your budget. With partnership you can see the direct results from your contribution to Ventura County's news ecosystem. Let's have a conversation.