The Day's Giving Tuesday campaign is off to a strong start.

The newsroom is planning an investigative project into economic mobility in the region. The donations that The Day's Community Journalism Fund received beginning Tuesday and through the end of the year will serve as seed money as we seek philanthropic funding for the first prong of our project, called the Housing Solutions Lab.

Two anonymous donors have pledged to match the company's $5,000 fundraising goal, and another friend of The Day, Leeland Cole-Chu of Salem, offered to up the ante by $1,000.

The Day surpassed its original goal of $5,000 early in the day, received $6,970 by dinnertime, and is continuing to raise funds. 

The newspaper has adopted an ethics policy to ensure the integrity of our donor-funded journalism:

The Day maintains full editorial control over the stories and other content paid for by The Day's Community Journalism Fund: Housing Solutions Lab. Funders do not have special access to the newsroom or input into what investigations are pursued.

Donors are not informed about the reporting process, nor are they allowed to review content prior to publication.

The plan is to dedicate three journalists to the project full time and produce stories, videos and podcasts to tell the stories of the region's housing market's past, present and future. The Day is committed to helping solve the housing crisis in addition to bringing to light key factors that prevent everybody in the area from having a safe and affordable place to live.

Without donations, The Day would not have the resources to tackle an intensive project like this.

"I am humbled and honored by the support of this important initiative by our readers," said Timothy Dwyer, president and publisher of The Day. "Their generosity sends a strong message underlining how crucial the work of a locally owned independent newspaper is to our community."

To donate, go to https://givebutter.com/thedayhousing.