Dear Friend of the First Amendment,
The New England First Amendment Coalition, a leading voice in the region for the protection of press freedoms and access to public records, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.
Please join us in celebrating this decade of advocacy by making a tax-deductible donation and helping us pursue our vital mission for years to come.
A small group of journalists formed NEFAC in 2006 to address a common 
problem: a disturbing trend toward restricted access to public records and government meetings. Secrecy was becoming the norm. Veteran reporters found it difficult to learn about government and feared the task of doing so was near impossible for private citizens. So they created a nonprofit to help broaden access to public records and open meetings.
Today NEFAC is governed by an active, all-volunteer board of more than 30 reporters, editors, publishers, attorneys and media professionals.
We advocate daily on your behalf so you can know more about your government and speak freely about things that matter to you. At 10 years old, NEFAC is beginning to hit its stride. Help us celebrate.
Celebrate six New England First Amendment Institutes. We offer every fall a three-day investigative journalism institute for 25 journalists and editors working in the region – at no cost to those who attend. This program is unlike any other workshop because of its limited size and academic setting. More than 150 journalists have attended our institutes and have taken the skills they learned back to their newsrooms to share with colleagues.
Celebrate public record advocacy throughout the region. For the last several years, NEFAC has been one of the leading advocates for public records reform in Massachusetts. In Rhode Island, we are a vocal proponent of releasing documents related to the 38 Studios bankruptcy. When an unarmed man was shot in Winooski, Vermont earlier this year, our coalition demanded the release of video footage showing the shooting and called for increased transparency within the state’s law enforcement.
Celebrate local First Amendment and right to know heroes. Since 2011, we have been honoring those who have dedicated their careers to the principles of the First Amendment. We are recognizing local right to know champions in New England communities and the journalists who are battling every day to keep their readers, viewers and listeners informed.
Celebrate a decade of legal victories protecting your right to publish the news and speak your mind and of providing free educational programming for New England communities.
Celebrate what will be – with your help – another 10 years of advocacy for the First Amendment and the public’s right to know. Please make a donation today.
Sincerely,
Justin Silverman
Executive Director