Hi, I’m Tom Ballard, and I’m passionate about supporting ProPublica, an independent nonprofit newsroom dedicated to investigative journalism for the public good. My first lessons in the power of independent media came from the anti-war movement in the 1960s. As a young person, I watched as the nightly news neglected to cover our protests or speak to our demands. And I felt the tides turn as brave journalists started asking crucial questions and reporting the facts.

Trusted, holistic fact-based reporting is no less critical today. In a crowded media landscape, I count on ProPublica to tell the deeper story – to tell me what happened and the context that made it possible. Through their investigations, I can better understand the reasons behind a problem, the decisions that got us here, and what it might take to make things better. That level of attention and nuance is critical, and is often in short supply. ProPublica makes their hard work and insight available to all. And for that, I’m compelled to offer my support.

Join me this December and help ProPublica continue to use the moral force of investigative journalism to hold power to account. To encourage you to join in this worthy fight, I'll match donations made here up to $15,000. I want to see ProPublica even stronger, and I'm backing that up with my own money. In the face of chaos, let’s stand with the facts.