Waterbury Roundabout and VTDigger’s parent nonprofit announce sponsorship as leg-up for fundraising, grant-seeking

August 20, 2021 | By Waterbury Roundabout and VTDigger

The actual Waterbury roundabout, namesake of our news site, is in full summertime bloom. Photo by Gordon Miller

The Waterbury community’s year-old online news outlet, Waterbury Roundabout Inc., and the Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., announce a fiscal sponsorship agreement to assist the new local news site as it works to become financially sustainable. 

The Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., is the sponsoring nonprofit for VTDigger.org, Vermont’s leading online statewide news organization. VTDigger offers a model that Waterbury Roundabout looks to as it aims to continue operating past the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The website WaterburyRoundabout.org launched in May 2020, several weeks after the community’s weekly newspaper, the Waterbury Record, folded early in the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Roundabout news site is registered with the Secretary of State as a Vermont nonprofit corporation, but it has not yet sought federal nonprofit status. Through the fiscal sponsorship arrangement, Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., will receive and in turn grant funds raised to support Waterbury Roundabout. Vermont Journalism Trust’s role will allow for contributions to be tax-deductible for donors and will allow Waterbury Roundabout to apply for philanthropic grants.

“We’re looking past the pandemic at how we can continue what we’ve begun and how to make it viable,” said Waterbury Roundabout editor Lisa Scagliotti. “Long-term, community news can’t rely on volunteers. We need to look in multiple directions for the revenue to make this project sustainable. We’re thrilled to have Vermont Journalism Trust as an umbrella organization to guide fundraising from individual donors and grants.” 

Anne Galloway, executive director of the Vermont Journalism Trust, said fiscal sponsorship is a key way the nonprofit can support the work of the Waterbury Roundabout, which is filling a critical need for information in the growing community of Waterbury. 

"We are proud to give Waterbury Roundabout the opportunity to accept donations for local newsgathering," Galloway said. "Lisa is a consummate professional with decades of experience in journalism. The Trust is excited about her team's community reporting."

Created to pick up local news coverage once the Record ceased publication, the Roundabout was started by news editor Scagliotti, news photographer Gordon Miller, and retired local newspaper editor Anne Imhoff who is an adviser. 

Student journalists in the University of Vermont’s Community News Service program played a key role as well. Students designed and helped launch the website and their reporting continues to be an important part of the Roundabout’s coverage. UVM senior lecturer Richard Watts oversees the internship program and is a partner in the Roundabout venture. 

News coverage also relies on professional freelance contributors and other local college and high school student reporters. 

The Roundabout’s reporting also helped launch the weekly Waterbury Reader produced by The Times-Argus. Since November 2020, the Reader has returned a free print newspaper to the community mailed to local addresses and on local newsstands each week. 

A fundraising campaign last fall with a temporary fiscal sponsorship through the New England Newspaper and Press Association was successful for the Roundabout. 

Having Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., in that role going forward will help establish ongoing contributions from readers and open up opportunities for grant funding. Also on the horizon are new chances to incorporate sponsorships and advertising from local businesses. 

“It’s going to take a combination of revenue streams to make this successful long-term. We’re off to a good start,” Scagliotti said. “Having Vermont Journalism Trust as a sponsor will help us find out what’s possible to keep this going.” 

To facilitate this process, Waterbury Roundabout has joined the online platform Network For Good as a way to manage and track fundraising. Supporters looking to contribute can go to WaterburyRoundabout.org’s homepage and click on ‘Donate.’ 

Network For Good’s fundraising page allows for tax-deductible one-time contributions or ongoing donations. Supporters will receive a confirmation with information for tax purposes. 

It’s also still possible to support Waterbury Roundabout by mailing a check made payable to Vermont Journalism Trust, Ltd., with “Waterbury Roundabout” in the memo line. Mail to Waterbury Roundabout, P.O. Box 626, Waterbury, VT 05676.