Left Hand Valley Courier now a non-profit

The newspaper you are reading is now published by a newly formed nonprofit corporation, known as Left Hand Valley Courier.

For over 26 years, the Left Hand Valley Courier newspaper was published by a Colorado limited liability company, known as Lefthand Valley Publishing, LLC. Effective with the Jan. 3, 2024, online edition, the weekly newspaper, both online and in print every four weeks, is now owned and published by Left Hand Valley Courier.

Left Hand Valley Courier has applied for recognition by the IRS as a charitable educational organization under section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Generally, an application for recognition takes several months to process.

Not much has changed in the actual operation of the Courier. The owners of Lefthand Valley Publishing, LLC, donated ownership of the newspaper to the non-profit effective Jan. 1, 2024. The non-profit corporation is governed by a board of directors, with Mary Wolach Lopert, Karen Copperberg, and Jessica Walker serving in that capacity. Lopert and Copperberg, along with Bruce Warren and Vicki Maurer, have been owners of the LLC since its inception in 1997. Walker is a Niwot native who has contributed articles to the newspaper.

Warren will continue as Managing Editor of the newspaper, while Maurer will continue as Business Manager. Elise Marylander, who assumed the role of Editor in the fall of 2023, will continue in that position, while Alyson Varvel Bell will continue as Advertising Director.

"We are hopeful that our application for recognition as a charitable educational organization will be approved by the IRS within a few months," Warren said. "While revenue will continue to come from advertisers as well as online subscriptions, approval as a charitable organization would allow the newspaper to seek tax deductible donations and apply for grants which support local journalism."

"We are optimistic that we can follow the lead of other organizations to preserve local journalism in Niwot," Warren said. "Rising costs of printing and delivery, as well as the loss of advertising revenue since the pandemic, have convinced us that becoming a nonprofit is the best way forward."

The Courier was first published in April 1997, and the April 1 edition has become one of the most popular issues over the years. The nonprofit plans to continue with the newspaper's annual April Fool's issue around April 1, when everything from prairie dogs to local government officials are fair game for satire.

"While we are always looking for more reporters to cover local news and events, we currently have an exceptional staff of local residents committed to making sure Niwot does not become a 'news desert' in the future," Warren said.