2026 Sustainer Drive

In 1867, nine years before Colorado was even a state, a group of journalists gathered in Denver and lit a flame. They called it the Denver Press Club. And for 159 years, that fire has never gone out.

Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson and Harding have warmed their hands at this hearth. Generations of journalists, civic leaders, and community members have gathered around it, drawn by the same conviction that brought those first founders together: Honest, open dialogue is worth protecting, and that the free press and civic engagement deserve a permanent home.

Our sense of place matters. In a world increasingly defined by screens and fleeting digital interactions, there is something profound and irreplaceable about a physical space where people come together - face to face, shoulder to shoulder - to wrestle with the ideas and issues that shape our community. 

The Denver Press Club is that place. It always has been; the worn floors and storied walls that have held the voices of newsmakers and journalists and everyday Denverites alike. This is more than a building, it is a sanctuary for civic life, a living landmark where history is not something behind glass, but a place and a community to engage. 

It's Colorado's civic living room. 

That fire still burns today. But to keep it ablaze and burning brighter than ever, we need your help. 

Like so many historic institutions, the Denver Press Club has felt the steady, extraordinary pressure of rising operational costs. Utilities, building maintenance, staffing, programming - the costs of keeping this fire alive have grown and they have outpaced our revenue. We have kept this flame going, but merely keeping it going is no longer enough. We believe this hearth deserves to roar. 

That is why we are launching our first ever Sustainer Drive. We are asking you to add your log to the fire. A monthly gift, at any level, helps us close the gap that has held us back - and brings us one step closer to our long term goal: A dedicated operational endowment that would sustain this hearth for generations to come, so that no funding shortfall ever darkens it again. 

Every month, your gift keeps the fire burning. Every sustainer adds to the warmth and light. The tiers are as follows: 

• Friend of the Press Club ($25/month) - A digital badge/certificate to share on social media and the ability to dedicate your gift in honor of a journalist or press freedom advocate. 
• Press Club Proponent ($50/month) - Everything above, plus named recognition on the Club's website and in our newsletter, early registration for events, and a Denver Press Club commemorative mug.
• Champion of the Denver Press Club ($100/month) - Everything above, plus free access to regular Club events (excluding our Hall of Fame) throughout the year and a private annual conversation with Club leadership or a notable journalist about the state of the free press and the Denver Press Club alike.

This is more than a donation. It's a declaration that you believe in the free press and the need for civic engagement - and in the only place in Denver dedicated entirely to fostering it.