When you publish a local news site like Bucket List Community News, it’s easy to see the impact you’re having, but hard not to focus on the challenges. How will we raise enough money to keep this going? How can we get more people to contribute, find more sponsors, receive more grants, find major donors? It’s enough to keep a publisher up at night.
But then someone like my friend, Stephanie Himango (who always inspires me) pops up on my Linked In feed and suddenly I see things in a whole different light. She was talking about a podcast she listened to which suggested that instead of comparing what you’re doing to others, why not compare yourself to where you were a couple of years ago.
What a fresh way to look at things! And even if you continue to face challenges, congratulate yourself for weathering a storm and not retreating. As Stephanie said, “may your grit meet your grace.”
Two years ago, we were Bucket List Community Cafe, doing good work but barely getting noticed in the ecosystem. Now we are Bucket List Community News, a trusted voice in the community that informs and engages our Denver neighbors.
Here is this week’s Bucket Listicle of how far we’ve come.
1.)
We’ve rebranded and clarified our mission to serve the Denver Metro with neighborly stories and trustworthy voices to connect you to your community.
2.)
We’ve nearly tripled the number of people coming to our website. We’ve added newsletters, a monthly radio show on KGNU, vertical videos and more than doubled those visiting our social media.
3.)
By the end of 2026, we will have mentored over 100 students from five universities and the Denver Public Schools in journalism and journalism entrepreneurship.
4.)
Our team of aspiring journalists has won dozens of awards for our journalism in local and regional competitions, and they go up against more seasoned reporters.
5.)
We’ve built relationships with businesses and organizations throughout the community that now align themselves with trustworthy local news.
It’s quite remarkable when you consider all we’ve accomplished together. YOU are the key to our success. You’ve helped us build Bucket List and set us apart. You’ve let us know what we do matters to you, and through your contributions we can share our work for free.
We have just a little over a week left in our Spring Fling Fundraiser. Please give generously and remember your gifts up to $5000 are all matched. Let’s keep up the momentum, Bucket Listers!
Do you have a listicle in mind? Any ideas can be sent to ryland.c.scholes@gmail.com. And don’t forget to check out our events calendar on our website to see what else is happening in our area.
See you next Tuesday with another Bucket Listicle.
Vicky Collins
Publisher/ Bucket List Community News
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