The community news project was set-up in San Francisco in 2008, but will now cover Seattle in addition to Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
The site for each area allows individuals or journalists to submit pitches for news stories and investigations. Members of the site's community can then vote for which pitches they want to be carried out by donating small or large sums to finance a journalist.
Once an assignment is completed the story is edited and checked by the site's editors, who also work on wider syndication for the report through other local news outlets.
As part of its Seattle launch, the Knight News Challenge winner is working with local news site the Seattle Post-Globe to raise money for a $500-assignment assessing local authority plans to end homelessness in the area. Seattle Spot.us will also work with InvestigateWest, an independent, non-profit news organisation based in the Seattle area.
As part of the launch the new site will partner with three local journalists who will contribute to assignments and reports.
According to a press release, more than 800 people have funded stories through Spot.us since its launch in 2008 and reports have been distributed through both local and national news outlets, including an investigation in the New York Times.
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