As Faculty Adviser to The State Hornet for three years, I have resisted the urge to post anything on The State Hornet website – this publication belongs to the students and should remain that way. But as the only annual constant at the Hornet, fundraising is one of the jobs I’m responsible for; which means this is my note to write. I also ran this by the editors and they said go ahead.
In 2024, Digital Editor Chris Woodard discovered the donation bar you see at the bottom of our website. It was a feature available from our website hosting provider and we set the first goal at a modest $1,000. After a few months (and a gracious $250 donation from the family of a copy editor), we surpassed the $1,000 mark; at which point, I extended the goal to $2,500.
Well, in September, we received a generous $1,000 anonymous donation that put us near our goal. It was then surpassed on Sept. 18. Which means it’s time to reset the counter.
Before I establish a new goal for us, I want to tell you where the money goes. For starters, all donations go directly into The State Hornet budget – we are a nonprofit organization funded by student fees. Every dollar this organization spends is tracked and recorded by The State Hornet Publication Board, which is made up of University employees, administrators, faculty, students and State Hornet editors.
As adviser, I personally oversee the budget numbers and ensure donations go back to our students and staff (we also have a financial analyst). We use donation money to help send students to journalism conferences (where we often receive awards) and replace equipment. In the last year, we have been able to purchase new camera lenses because of donations, which has greatly improved our photography. Donations also reduce our website hosting fee, which frees up money for other expenses.
On behalf of myself and the staff, I want to sincerely thank every person who has made a donation to The State Hornet. Your money is appreciated and always put to use for the benefit of students. As a State Hornet alum, this isn’t just a job to me: I care about The Hornet and its future success. I believe in our mission and supporting our student journalists in every way possible. It’s heartening to know readers agree.
We will now reset the counter, because the job is never done and news never stops. If you are interested in making a named donation or a more direct sponsorship, please contact me at [email protected]. We would love to name something after you!
Thank you for supporting our student journalists.
The State Hornet
Fernando Gallo
Faculty Adviser to The State Hornet
Sacramento State Class of 2008