Proximate was founded in 2023 as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization fiscally sponsored by Movement Strategy Center. We are not owned by any individual or corporation. We are accountable only to you—our readers – and our advisory board.
Our revenue comes from multiple sources, including Patreon subscriptions, donations, foundation support, and earned revenue from reports and consulting. Proximate will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. Currently, that list includes:
We will accept limited anonymous donations (including via Patreon) only if such donations make up less than 10% of our operating budget and it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.
Proximate subscribes to the standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News, and our editorial policies follow the guidelines put forward by the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and The Trust Project.
Proximate retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and all sources of revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services or opinions.
We accept gifts, grants and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not on the basis of donor support.
Proximate may consider donations, grants and sponsorship opportunities supporting coverage of particular topics, but our staff maintains editorial control of the coverage, and such sponsored coverage will be clearly labeled as such. We will cede no right to review or influence our editorial content.
Unauthorized distribution of our content is prohibited.
Proximate is committed to publishing accurate information across all of our platforms, and we strive to quickly and transparently correct any errors.
Our writers seek and report the truth, minimizing harm by treating sources, subjects, colleagues, and members of the public as human beings deserving of respect. We investigate claims with skepticism and seek to independently corroborate claims made by sources or entities and make explicit the origin of information and data.
While we do not allow sources to review a story prior to publication, we may share relevant quotes or data with a source to confirm accuracy. Because of Proximate’s unique mission, we strive to include perspectives that are often not included in mainstream media, particularly those of people directly impacted by the topics on which Proximate reports. However, this focus in no way negates Proximate’s commitment to publish balanced, factual reporting and analysis, in addition to clearly labeled commentary and opinion.
The following Financial Conflict of Interest Policy (“Conflict of Interest Policy”) is an effort (i) to ensure that the deliberations and decisions of Proximate are made solely in the interest of promoting the quality of journalism, and (ii) to protect the interests of Proximate when it considers any transaction, contract, or arrangement that might benefit or be perceived to benefit the private interest of a person affiliated with Proximate. As used in this Conflict of Interest Policy, a Proximate Representative includes any director, advisory board Proximate, financial advisor, legal counsel or employee.
Duty to Proximate. Each Proximate Representative owes a duty to Proximate to advance Proximate’s legitimate interests when the opportunity to do so arises. Each Proximate Representative must give undivided allegiance when making decisions affecting the organization. Similarly, Proximate Representatives must be faithful to Proximate’s nonprofit mission and are not permitted to act in a way that is inconsistent with the central goals of the organization and its nonprofit status.
Gifts. No Proximate Representative shall personally accept gifts or favors that could compromise his or her loyalty to Proximate. Any gifts or benefits personally accepted from a party having a material interest in the outcome of Proximate or its employees by a Proximate Representative individually should be merely incidental to his or her role as a Proximate Representative and should not be of substantial value. Any gift with a value of $250 or more, or any gifts with a cumulative value in excess of $250 received by a Proximate Representative in any twelve-month period from a single source, shall be considered substantial. Cash payments may not be accepted, and no gifts should be accepted if there are strings attached. For example, no Proximate Representative may accept gifts if he or she knows that such gifts are being given to solicit his or her support of or opposition to the outcome or content of any Proximate publication.
Conflicts of Interest. The following are examples of conflicts of interest which must be promptly disclosed to the Proximate Board of Directors pursuant to Section 4 below by any Proximate Representative with knowledge of such conflict of interest:
(a) any real or apparent conflict of interest between a donor or the subject of a Proximate publication or report and a Proximate Representative;
(b) A Proximate Representative’s ownership of an equity interest in a person or entity that is or will be the subject of a Proximate publication or report; and
(c) failure to disclose to Proximate all relationships between the subject of any Proximate publication or report and any Proximate Representative or close relatives of the Proximate Representative.
Conflict Procedure:
(a) If a Proximate Representative or party related to a Proximate Representative has an interest in any contract, action or transaction to be entered into with Proximate, a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest exists. Any Proximate Representative having knowledge that such a conflict of interest exists or may exist (an “Interested Proximate Representative”) will so advise the Board of Directors promptly. An Interested Proximate Representative will include in the notice the material facts as to the relationship or interest of the Interested Proximate Representative in the entity proposing to enter into a contract, action or transaction with Proximate.
(b) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Board of Directors may authorize any committee appointed pursuant to the Proximate bylaws (a “Committee”) to act in lieu of the Board of Directors in determining whether an action, contract or transaction is fair to Proximate as of the time it is authorized or approved by the Committee.
(c) At any time that a conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest is identified, the Board Chair or a Chair of the applicable Committee will ensure that such conflict of interest is placed on the agenda for the next meeting of the Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable. The notice of such meeting of the Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, will include, to the extent available when the notice is sent, a description of the conflict of interest matter to be discussed. By notice before the meeting or at the meeting, the directors on the board or the Committee, as applicable, will be advised that a vote will be taken at the meeting and that, in order to authorize the relevant contract, action or transaction, an affirmative vote of a majority of disinterested directors present at the meeting at which a quorum is present will be required and will be sufficient, even though the disinterested directors constitute less than a quorum of the Board of Directors or the Committee.
(d) Reasonable effort will be made to cause the material facts concerning the relationships between the individuals and Proximate which create the conflict to be delivered to and shared with the Proximates of the Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, prior to the meeting to enable the directors to arrive at the meeting prepared to discuss the issue and vote on the matter. In the event it is not practicable to deliver the information prior to the meeting, it will be delivered to the directors at the meeting, and the directors can act upon the matter with the same authority as if notice had been given prior to the meeting.
(e) The Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, will invite all parties to the conflict of interest to attend the meeting, to make presentations and to be prepared to answer questions, if necessary. The Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, will also invite outside experts if necessary.
(f) At the meeting, providing a quorum is present, the conflict will be discussed to ensure that the directors present are aware of the issues and the factors involved. The interested directors may be counted for purposes of a quorum, even though they may not take part in any vote on the issues.
(g) The Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, must decide, in good faith, reasonably justified by the material facts, whether the action, contract or transaction would be in the best interest of Proximate and fair to Proximate as of the time it is authorized or approved.
(h) All interested directors must abstain from voting and, if desired as determined by the disinterested directors, leave the room when the vote is taken.
(i) Upon determination and vote that there is or has been a conflict of interest, the Board of Directors may take any action it deems appropriate to protect the integrity of Proximate, including but not limited to removal of the person with the conflict from any position or office in Proximate.
(j) The Board of Directors or the Committee, as applicable, will maintain a written account of all that transpires at the meeting and incorporate such account into the minutes of the meeting and disseminate it to the full Board of Directors. Such minutes will be presented for approval at the next meeting of the Board of Directors and maintained in the corporate record book.
(k) To the extent that the conflict of interest is continuing and the contract, action or transaction goes beyond one (1) year, the foregoing notice and discussion and vote will be repeated on an annual basis.
Personal Loans. Proximate may not loan to, or guarantee the personal obligations of, any Proximate Representative.
Your privacy is important to us. It is Proximate's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect from you across our website, Proximate, and other sites we own and operate.
We only ask for personal information when we truly need it to provide a service to you. We collect it by fair and lawful means, with your knowledge and consent. We also let you know why we’re collecting it and how it will be used.
We only retain collected information for as long as necessary to provide you with your requested service. What data we store, we’ll protect within commercially acceptable means to prevent loss and theft, as well as unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use or modification.
We don’t share any personally identifying information publicly or with third-parties, except when required to by law.
Our website may link to external sites that are not operated by us. Please be aware that we have no control over the content and practices of these sites, and cannot accept responsibility or liability for their respective privacy policies.
You are free to refuse our request for your personal information, with the understanding that we may be unable to provide you with some of your desired services. Your continued use of our website will be regarded as acceptance of our practices around privacy and personal information. If you have any questions about how we handle user data and personal information, feel free to contact us.
User's responsibilities
The user undertakes the responsibility to make appropriate use of the contents and information offered on the site with enunciative, but not imitative, behavior: A) Not to engage in activities that are illegal or contrary to good faith and public order; B) Not to spread propaganda or content of a racist, xenophobic or gambling nature, any type of illegal pornography, terrorist claims or against human rights; C) Do not cause damage to physical systems (hardware) and unattainable systems (software) of Proximate, its suppliers or third parties, to introduce or disseminate computer viruses or any other hardware or software systems that are capable of causing the damage previously mentioned.
This policy is effective as of 8 August 2023 19:05.
As is common practice with almost all professional websites this site uses cookies, which are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer, to improve your experience. This page describes what information they gather, how we use it and why we sometimes need to store these cookies. We will also share how you can prevent these cookies from being stored however this may downgrade or break certain elements of the site's functionality.
We use cookies for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, in most cases there are no industry standard options for disabling cookies without completely disabling the functionality and features they add to this site. It is recommended that you leave on all cookies if you are not sure whether you need them or not, in case they are used to provide a service that you use.
You can prevent the setting of cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser Help for how to do this). Be aware that disabling cookies will affect the functionality of this and many other websites that you visit. Disabling cookies will usually result in also disabling certain functionality and features of this site. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not disable cookies.
This policy is effective as of 8 August 2023 19:05.
By accessing the website at Proximate you are agreeing to be bound by these terms of service, all applicable laws and regulations, and agree that you are responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, you are prohibited from using or accessing this site. The materials contained in this website are protected by applicable copyright and trademark law.
The materials on Proximate's website are provided on an 'as is' basis. Proximate makes no warranties, expressed or implied, and hereby disclaims and negates all other warranties including, without limitation, implied warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property or other violation of rights.
Further, Proximate does not warrant or make any representations concerning the accuracy, likely results, or reliability of the use of the materials on its website or otherwise relating to such materials or on any sites linked to this site.
In no event shall Proximate or its suppliers be liable for any damages (including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption) arising out of the use or inability to use the materials on Proximate's website, even if Proximate or a Proximate authorized representative has been notified orally or in writing of the possibility of such damage. Because some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on implied warranties, or limitations of liability for consequential or incidental damages, these limitations may not apply to you.
The materials appearing on Proximate's website could include technical, typographical, or photographic errors. Proximate does not warrant that any of the materials on its website are accurate, complete or current. Proximate may make changes to the materials contained on its website at any time without notice. However Proximate does not make any commitment to update the materials.
Proximate has not reviewed all of the sites linked to its website and is not responsible for the contents of any such linked site. The inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement by Proximate of the site. Use of any such linked website is at the user's own risk.
Proximate may revise these terms of service for its website at any time without notice. By using this website, you are agreeing to be bound by the then current version of these terms of service.
These terms and conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Washington, DC and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts in that State or location.
This policy is effective as of 8 August 2023 19:05.
