Support the Training
Free access to trustworthy information about government should not depend on whether someone can afford a course, hire a consultant, or belong to a political organization.
Journal Tools is an independent library of practical training in journalism, public records, open meetings, the Constitution, local government, and the public issues that affect Idaho communities. The training is the heart of it. The goal is to help people read primary documents, ask better questions, check claims, and take part in civic life with more knowledge and less guesswork.
All training stays free. No payment is ever required to finish a lesson or use a public educational resource.
What it costs
Core training and site operations
$250 a month ($3,000 a year). Keeps the lessons maintained, funds ongoing development, and pays for server services.
AI-powered tools
$100 a month ($1,200 a year). Pays for the separate AI services some tools use.
Combined goal
$350 a month ($4,200 a year). These are working cost targets, not an audit.
Ten people giving $25 a month cover the core goal. Four more cover the AI tools. Seven people giving $50 a month cover all of it.
Give monthly
A monthly gift helps most because the costs come every month. You choose to start it, and you can cancel any time from your PayPal or Stripe receipt.
Contribute with Stripe (card)
Contribute with PayPal
$5 per month
$10 per month
$25 per month
$50 per month
$100 per month
Monthly gifts are never selected for you. Each button opens the payment provider's own secure page, where you see the amount and the monthly schedule before you confirm.
Give once
Contribute by Card (Stripe)
Contribute with PayPal
A single $250 gift covers one month of core operations. A $350 gift covers the full monthly goal.
Independence and what a gift is
A contribution buys continuity: maintained material, continued development, and stable hosting. It does not buy control. No donor receives promised coverage, selected facts, or a preferred conclusion. Errors get corrected when they are found, and the material has to stand on its sources and reasoning.
Contributions are voluntary. They give no special access or editorial influence, and they are not tax-deductible charitable gifts. This is an independently operated educational website, not a charity. It is also not a campaign, candidate committee, PAC, or ballot-measure fund, and gifts here are never used as one.
Payments are handled by PayPal and Stripe. This site never sees or stores your card number. Read the privacy notice, or contact me with a question or to ask for a gift to be corrected.