"Nonprofit groups that specialize in investigative reporting have had some big scoops, cracking the front page of such newspapers as The Washington Post and forcing officials out of their jobs. Now the question is whether these organizations can stay afloat on donations.As financially strapped newspapers have scaled back, charitable foundations have poured tens of millions of dollars into nonprofit watchdogs in hopes of keeping politicians and businesses in check. These groups figure to do a bigger share of the investigative legwork in the coming years.
But philanthropy probably can't maintain all of these groups forever. And some are still struggling to come up with a financially sustainable plan — just as old-school media are.
Consider the Center for Investigative Reporting, or CIR, which launched a new venture last year called California Watch with $3.7 million in donations from foundations and wealthy individuals. California Watch aims to cover such issues as education, immigration, public safety and the environment, filling holes left by newspapers."