The BINJ & Stars
Colleagues, friends, freelancers, and our first fundraiser (party pic edition)
It’s hard to believe that this was just a concept a few months ago. Since June, our small and growing team has taken the idea for the Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism, and set our mission and passion in motion. We have networked with publishers and independent media makers and surveyed the latter, all while launching public engagement initiatives and even running our debut feature. On top of that, we had our first party and fundraiser, and the result fell right in line with the outstanding love and support we have been getting all along.
Our first shoutout goes to the Plough & Stars in Cambridge, which proactively contacted us to ask how they might be able to help BINJ. The place has significant character and history (if you’ve never seen the documentary Heaven + Earth + Joe Davis, be sure to do that when you have a chance), and we packed it from the front to back for more than three hours.
For those who came to party, we can’t thank you enough. We asked BINJ freelance collaborators to join us and meet donors, and we appreciate their taking time off from what we know for many is a two-to-three job schedule. As for the donors on hand, the checks that they were generous enough to cut at the Plough event will pay for work by multiple reporters on at least two major features that will run over the next few months. If it’s impact you are looking for as a charitable contributor, then we have you covered.
Before we make this any longer than a party post needs to be, we’ll wrap this up with a bunch of pics (thanks to Derek Kouyoumjian and everyone else who helped on that front), and by saying that we plan on keeping this momentum going, and will need help from all of you to make that happen. Last but not least, thanks to Dorchester Reporter alum Lauren Dezenski, who came to hang out and then gave us a mention in Politico’s new Massachusetts Playbook (if you haven’t yet signed up, you can do that here). It takes a village, and for BINJ so far, it’s been great to see how many villagers are thrilled to help.
