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As we near the end of what turned out to be a foundational year for The Latino Newsletter, we will be on holiday hours until around January 12, so we will publish no more than three times a week until then. It's important for all of us to look back, reflect on the last 12 months, and rest.
Over the last couple of months, I have been shedding many of the founder-level startup tasks I handled in 2024, when The Latino Newsletter was a two-person core team. Now that I have scaled back my time with the long-term goal of staying behind the scenes, that core team of two at the end of 2024 is now a core team of 10 at the end of 2025.
This is a critical time for the future of The Latino Newsletter, and as proud as I am about what we have accomplished over the last 20 months, there is a sense of renewal for where this outlet will go next. Part of that sounds very thrilling as much as it sounds terrifying.
This coming May, The Latino Newsletter will start celebrating its two-year anniversary. The fact that I can say that has everything to do with the 290 donations we’ve received and our current funders. All of this has allowed us to form a nonprofit media organization that creates new lanes and opportunities for journalists whose work reflects the complexities of Latino communities. There is no doubt in my mind that the more we publish and support the work of excellent journalists, we will thrive.
Last Friday, I shared with my fellow Board members that we had exceeded the goals outlined in The Latino Newsletter’s 2025 strategic plan. We expanded our editorial output, launched new reporting teams in Boston and Puerto Rico, moved our podcast into its second season, and began laying the groundwork for new long-form projects, including our first major production — American Colony. We also completed key organizational milestones, including fully operationalizing our 501(c)(3) status, filing our first 990, and continuing our work on compliance and tech infrastructure.
Across our newsletter, website, podcasts, and distribution platforms, The Latino Newsletter generated more than 675,000 impressions, views, and plays in 2025. Across all our social media channels, our audience is at around 24,000 followers, and we are seeing incredibly strong growth on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
We are operating from a solid position. The challenge ahead for us is not solvency, but timing. To enter 2026 responsibly and without pressure, we need to align fundraising capacity with the scale of the newsroom we have built. That work is already underway, and the initial response is promising.
The point of sharing this now is simple: the mission of The Latino Newsletter is no longer abstract. It is measurable, established, and at a moment where committed support will shape what comes next.
So we take some time to rest and reflect on all that The Latino Newsletter accomplished this year.
I wish you a holiday season of peace and all you hold dear in your heart.
Our next edition will publish next Monday, December 29.
Help us reach our $50,000 goal by December 31 to power next year’s reporting, community storytelling, and a new audio documentary on Puerto Rico. We are just $30,000 away from our year-end goal!
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What We’re Reading
SCOTUS Blocks National Guard Deployment: From the Associated Press, “The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to allow the Trump administration to deploy National Guard troops in the Chicago area to support its immigration crackdown, a significant defeat for the president’s efforts to send troops to U.S. cities.”
Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder of The Latino Newsletter. He is also its current part-time publisher and executive director. He edited and published this edition of The Latino Newsletter.
Consider donating to The Latino Newsletter. Any contribution, no matter how small, helps keep this newsletter free and accessible to all. ¡Gracias mil!