WHAV launched its 2026 NewsMatch fundraiser on Monday, Nov. 2, marking what the station described as its most consequential campaign in its nearly 80 years of service to Greater Haverhill. The initiative joins 436 other nonprofit newsrooms across the United States in a national effort to secure funding for fact-based reporting.
National and Local Funding
The campaign seeks to build a donor base that sustains local news through a network of 19 local and national funders. This year's funding pool includes more than $7 million and features three new funders, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Local individual donations are considered critical to the success of the initiative, as they are required to unlock national matching funds. To incentivize local giving, Haverhill Bank has launched a $5,000 local community match. This match will effectively triple any new or additional donations provided by individuals for a limited time.
Supporting Local Reporting
WHAV President and CEO Tim Coco noted that the support from Haverhill Bank—an institution that has been part of the Haverhill community since 1877—is vital to the station's mission. For every $1 received in new or additional individual donations, WHAV will receive $3 to invest in local news coverage and reporting.
WHAV provides news through radio, a 24/7 live stream, and its Wavelengths eNewspaper. The station was founded by news professionals 80 years ago next March and was rededicated as a nonprofit public station 10 years ago.
Fundraising and Sustainability
Because the station has no endowment, it must secure funding annually to maintain its operations. The station relies on a pay-as-you-go model to deliver accurate, reliable, and comprehensive local news to the community.
Karen Rundlet, the executive director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News, said that NewsMatch helps news organizations develop fundraising habits that do not always come naturally to journalists. Rundlet noted that through NewsMatch, news organizations have grown in both their fundraising capability and the professional staff they can dedicate to the business side of their operations.
National Foundation Support
The 2026 NewsMatch campaign is supported by a wide array of national foundations. These include the Andrew Carnegie Foundation, Barr Foundation, Democracy Fund, Golden Globe Foundation, Henry Luce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, Kaphan Foundation, McKnight Foundation, The New York Community Trust – Westchester, Present Progressive Fund, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, The Tow Foundation, and the Wyncote Foundation.
How to Donate
Individuals interested in contributing to the campaign can make donations online at WHAV.net. Donations can also be made by mailing checks payable to WHAV to 30 How St., Haverhill, MA 01830.
