CalMatters, a nonprofit news organization covering California state politics and policies, launched in 2015.

[1][2] Founders cited the decline in coverage of state politics in the decade leading up to the founding of CalMatters as a major motivation.

[3] As of 2017, it was becoming one of the largest nonprofit newsrooms in the country raising 90 percent of its funding from individuals with only some foundation support.

[4] It has also credited its partnership with the LA Times and Capitol Public Radio, among others, as helping to grow the organization quickly.

[7] In 2024, nonprofit news outlet The Markup merged newsrooms with CalMatters, citing complementary funders and expertise, with The Markup having a more technical and narrower focus on national and global technology policy.