The Current, the nonprofit newsroom covering Coastal Georgia, has received a transformational grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of the organization’s support for creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant and peaceful world.

The funding — $400,000 over three years — will help strengthen The Current’s mission of publishing in-depth, independent journalism that empowers Georgia’s diverse communities to become more civically engaged.

“Democracy needs an informed and engaged citizenry. The Current’sdata-driven reporting helps all our readers understand the social, economic and environmental challenges we share,” said Margaret Coker, editor-in-chief for The Current. “With this incredibly generous gift from the MacArthur Foundation, we can expand our mission of shining a light on problems, sparking community conversations and improving lives.”

Launched in 2020, The Current is now among the most-read news sources in the 15 counties comprising Georgia’s First Congressional District, with more than 55,000 online readers and 25,000 subscribers to its text-based publishing platform.

The MacArthur Foundation has a long track record of supporting environmental causes and nonprofit newsrooms across America. The group’s president says he hopes the gift encourages more Georgians to support local newsrooms like The Current.

“One of the most important stories of our time centers on the existential crisis climate change poses to humanity, along with the positive health benefits and economic opportunities inherent in the clean energy transition,” said MacArthur President John Palfrey. “We need more independent journalism focused on climate and clean energy issues, a more diverse field of reporters covering the story from communities most impacted by climate change, and more cross-newsroom collaborations to reach wider audiences and leverage shared resources.”

ABOUT THE CURRENT: The Current is a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that provides original, data-driven watchdog journalism affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia. It is an independent organization whose professional journalists work to increase awareness and accountability through data-based and solutions-oriented reporting that affects all our diverse communities. It is funded by donations from its supporters and readers.

To support The Current’s in-depth, independent journalism, please donate online or write a check and mail it to the following address:

Grey Matters Project DBA The Current
P.O. Box 8681
Savannah, GA 31412

The Current’s tax ID number is 84-2657297. Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by U.S. law. For questions or more information, please contact Jeffrey Woolverton at (218) 310-7435 or [email protected].