by Peter Weinberger | pweinberger@claremont-courier.com

The Courier officially began operating as a nonprofit in October 2021. During the nearly three intervening years, we have averaged about $75,000 in donations annually, which has been added to our overall yearly revenue of 10 to 12 times that amount. This incredible generosity has literally been the difference between being in the red versus the black.

We have received donations from just over 600 sources, the majority from Claremont. That’s an average donation of $122, a figure that is driven up considerably due to the generosity of about three dozen individuals and businesses who believe strongly in our mission of informing the public with fact based journalism. These larger contributions range from $1,000 to $5,000, with most donors contributing more than once per year.

The Courier never expected donors to pay all our bills, just to make a difference, and in turn, help our staff make a difference. And that is happening. But let’s not forget how our tens of thousands of subscribers have helped keep the Courier in the black since our founding in 1908. The Courier has become part of the fabric that makes Claremont, Claremont. And without our subscribers there would be no community newspaper and website.

I have not been shy about telling our readers the Courier needs resources to deliver the coverage Claremont expects. Donations and subscriptions will always be part of our business model. The other 50% of our revenue comes from local advertising dollars from hundreds of businesses and organizations who market their goods and services in our pages.

We want to thank staff, subscribers, donors, and advertisers who share the credit and responsibility in helping build a community we are proud of. And there are so many people who help the Courier do our part. We invite the community to join us at the Garner House at 5:30 p.m. Friday, September 27 to celebrate 116 years of publishing local news.

Purnima Chaurushiya
Not everyone in Claremont — including yours truly — knew Purnima Chaurushiya, a longtime resident and Courier subscriber who passed away earlier this year. But the family and friends in her rather large circle certainly knew her well. Read more about Purnima’s life in her obituary, which the Courier published on April 5, 2024, by going to claremont-courier.com and searching “Purnima Suresh Chaurushiya, M.D.”

Purnima Chaurushiya

Having passed from ALS at a young 70 years of age, Purnima lived life to the fullest. In 1979, she moved to Pennsylvania with her new husband Suresh, where she raised two girls while studying and passing her medical board exams to become a pathologist. After six years the Chaurushiya family moved to sunny Southern California for a job opportunity for Suresh.

The family moved to Claremont in 1988, where she began a 34-year career as a pathologist at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center. “She was known by her colleagues as an incredibly honest, hardworking, smart physician with high expectations for herself and everyone around her,” her family said.

She also became friend and confidante to many, achieving success along the way, rising to president of the medical staff at PVHMC in 2001, the first woman and person of color to do so.

Purnima was an outstanding cook and used her skills to raise money for the hospital, donating her popular home cooked dinner parties for auctions.

Judging from the enormous turnout at her celebration of life, there’s no question Purnima touched many lives in different ways. She was an avid Courier reader, so much so she asked her family to donate $50,000 to us through her estate. This was incredible news for the Courier, a generous act that will be remembered by our staff for years to come. If you could see the look on their faces … it was truly priceless.

The Courier thanks the Chaurushiya family for this incredibly generous gift. It will be used immediately to enhance our local news coverage.