Where your money goes

We believe quality information should be easily accessible. That’s why we make every story on the NoCo Optimist available for free. But high-quality news requires time, resources, and experience. Your support on Patreon allows the NoCo Optimist to:

• Hire more experienced writers and editors to present the story

• Pay to file public records requests for important information

• Devote more time to cover areas like local government, business, arts & entertainment and more

Thanks to the support of our Patrons, The NoCo Optimist is able to hire veteran Northern Colorado reporters, like Dan England and other freelancers, to cover important topics in the community. You can read some of their work for the NoCo Optimist here.

Patreon support also helps us obtain important — and sometimes costly — public records, like when we broke the story on decision-making among Weld County leadership during the coronavirus crisis. You can read that story, and learn more about how the use of Patreon money enabled it, here.

Support on Patreon allows us to hire photojournalists to capture important events in the community, so you can see what’s happening in your home. You can view work done this year by NoCo Optimist freelance photographers here.

Where we’re going

It’s been a full first-year at the NoCo Optimist, and we have more we hope to accomplish as support for the NoCo Optimist grows. Our goals for year 2 include:

• Hiring an arts & entertainment reporter to spotlight local artists, and tell you about the best events happening in Greeley and northern Colorado.

• Increasing coverage of local businesses.

• Publishing the NoCo Optimist digital issue twice weekly.

• A “top five bits of news” roundup so you can get the local news of the week in short, sweet bullet points every Monday morning.

• Outdoor & adventure coverage so you can hear about the best places and activities to take advantage of this place we call home.