The 51st is a worker-led nonprofit news source for DC, producing local journalism through a weekly newsletter meant to make people’s lives better. It was co-founded by six former DCist and WAMU employees after the closure of DCist in February 2024. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, The 51st published hundreds of news stories on local happenings, explainers that demystify local politics, roundups of ways to volunteer and enjoy the city, and features that highlight people and places that make DC tick. The 51st’s Community Connector program centers communities that are frequently marginalized by mainstream media and positions them as active participants in their newsmaking process. With local news shrinking, The 51st ensures that a newsroom, when run by journalists, can truly serve a community’s needs.

Information coming soon

Awards & Recognition

n/a

Press

  • No stories found

Budget (FY2026)

  • $3 million or higher
  • $1 million to $3 million
  • The current budget for The 51st is: $500k to $1 million
  • Less than $500k

Catalogue charities range in size from $100,000 to $3 million. This graphic indicates the budget range of the organization featured here. If you see an organizational budget above the $3 million mark, that is because the featured charity has grown in size since it first appeared in the Catalogue. We proudly present on our website the work of these "growth" charities.

About Spur Local

Every year, 190+ local nonprofits (with budgets under $4M) apply to join the Spur Local network. 170+ community volunteers assess these applications for impact. 100% of organizations are site visited and financially reviewed. Finally, 76+ critical, local nonprofits are selected for inclusion in Spur Local's annual print and digital catalog, and enter a four-year partnership with us. Since 2003, we have raised over $65 million for nonprofits across the Greater Washington region. We charge no fees and raise funds separately to support our work.

Spur Local looks to friends like you to keep our services independent and entirely free of charge. Consider a small contribution to Spur Local to cap off your gift and help the causes you care about get the full support they deserve!

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