Empowering Local Journalism with Modern Financial Tools

The Clarkston Times is a nonprofit newsroom serving a small but passionate community in Clarkston, Georgia. With a mission centered on civic engagement, transparency, and public accountability, the Times covers everything from city hall meetings to investigative stories that hold local officials accountable.

Like many independent media nonprofits, Clarkston operated with limited resources and a lean team. Journalists were often covering stories, managing subscriptions, coordinating fundraising events, and — more often than not — paying for travel, supplies, or freelance costs out-of-pocket. Receipts lived in glove compartments or Gmail inboxes.

From Chaos to Clarity: Cards, Categories, and Control

The team started by issuing virtual cards to each staff member and tying each one to specific cost centers — like Investigative Journalism, Editorial Operations, or Community Events. They established soft budgets and hard spending caps for each area and could immediately monitor how much had been spent in real time.

Instead of collecting paper receipts or emailing spreadsheets, staff now snap a photo or forward a digital receipt via text or email. Givefront’s platform automatically matches the receipt to the correct transaction, categorizes the expense, and flags anything that may be inconsistent with the organization’s policies or IRS 990 requirements.

The Times also built pre-approval workflows into Givefront — particularly helpful for large expenses like equipment purchases or freelancer invoices. Requests flow to the right person instantly, and approvals can be granted via Slack or email with full audit trails.

Reporting That Tells the Whole Story

One of the most transformational aspects for Clarkston was reporting. Prior to Givefront, grant compliance reporting took weeks. With everything tracked by fund and program, the Times can now generate accurate reports — complete with categorized transactions and attached receipts — in just minutes.