Press Forward’s Post

I encourage you to take a look at American Journalism Project's latest impact report! "As you read, remember that beneath the figures and data lie reverberations that are less tangible, but more deeply felt: the restoration of a shared, trusted source of facts in a town torn apart by misinformation; a historically underserved community feeling represented by their local newsroom; citizens holding elected officials accountable after malfeasance is exposed; a resident approaching the ballot box with informed confidence. This is the power of local journalism."

NEW: In the 5 years since our launch, we’ve helped advance a corner of the local news industry that’s growing, thriving and showing promise as a path for sustaining local news. In our 2024 Impact Report, released today, we take a look at our progress. We’ve invested over $55 million in a portfolio of 44 nonprofit local news orgs - a portfolio that’s diverse in size, scope, reach and leadership. Some highlights from the report: - In the last year alone, our portfolio of 44 grantee organizations generated $86 million in revenue — a 36% increase over their 2022 revenue. This increase in revenue is an indicator that, with strategic investment and continued experimentation, nonprofit news has a viable future. - Year over year, the organizations in our portfolio are seeing a 58% median growth. - And this growth is leading to more journalism – last year, our portfolio of grantees employed 568 editorial and newsroom staff – an 18% increase over 2022. This report sheds light on how far we’ve come and sets the stage for what’s ahead, as we continue our pursuit to leverage philanthropy to build sustainable business models that will address the local news crisis at scale. See the full report ⬇️

Proving impact is hard. Luckily, Sean Kosofsky has tips to tell your organization's story to funders. ▶️ Watch the full video for 18 creative ways to show your 2024 impact. ➡️ https://bit.ly/47jFmCq

What do funders want to know about your impact? Last week I attended "Demystifying the Grantee-Funder Relationship" session at the Axelson Center's More Than Money conference. It included funder Clare Butterfield of Christopher Family Foundation, Mark Rodriguez of Lohengrin Foundation, and Sejal Shah-Myers of Springboard Foundation Here is one big takeaway I wanted to share regarding impact. One of the main asks from funders is to demonstrate your organization's impact, not a surprise. But the ask from this panel is that impact shouldn't be just 'trauma porn'. ➡️ It should be (ethically sourced) 📖 stories AND 🧮 numbers. We all know stories have the power to move people - and they represent the powerful impact your organization is making - but they have limitations. Strengthening your nonprofit's impact story means blending your quantitative and qualitative data together to connect funders in heart AND mind to the change you are making in the world - not just your outputs. It means telling the personal perspective AND showing how prevalent those experiences are. 💖This is what is so powerful about blending quantitative and qualitative data. It paints a full picture of your impact.💖 Are you blending quant and qual to tell the story of your impact (not just outputs)? What is most challenging about sharing this information?

Are you building funder relationships now that will benefit your organization in 2 years or even further into the future? 🌿 Last week, I spoke with a nonprofit leader who's already planning relationships for 2027. Impressive, right? This long-term approach to funder cultivation is essential but often overlooked. Cultivating funders is like farming. Just as a farmer wouldn't expect to sow seeds and see immediate results, effective funder relationships are cultivated over multiple seasons. Here are some quick tips to get started: ➡ Leverage mutual connections for advocacy ➡ Increase visibility in key circles ➡ Align proposals with funder priorities ➡ Engage funders with authentic, personalized updates. Remember, the groundwork you lay today can secure future funding! I explore insights like these in more detail in my newsletter. Join now to stay updated! ✨👇 https://lnkd.in/eTVkx6Mz

📢 Attention lean funders! Dive into our FREE Executive Summary, offering a sneak peek into the premier benchmarking resources within our Foundation Operations and Management Report. 💡 Discover valuable insights tailored for lean funders, guiding you toward impactful and efficient giving >> https://bit.ly/3vw9d8Y

I'm pleased to have been asked this year to join the board at Feet in 2 Worlds, where we passionately believe that “it matters who tells the story.” For two decades, they’ve been empowering immigrant journalists and journalists of color to share stories that highlight underreported issues in communities across the U.S. Our mission goes beyond storytelling. With the support of individuals like you, we’re nurturing the next wave of newsroom leaders through our editing fellowship program and deepening our commitment to investigative journalism with the launch of "Frequency of Deception/Frequencia de engaños," a deep dive into misinformation in Spanish-language radio. Another series we published this year, "Home, Interrupted," looked at how the climate crisis impacts immigrant communities, a subject often overlooked by mainstream media. Today, only 21% of newsroom leadership positions are held by people of color, while they represent 40% of the U.S. population. This disparity affects the stories told and their relevance to communities across the country. By supporting Feet in 2 Worlds, you can help to change this reality. Our editing fellowship serves as a launchpad for immigrant journalists, providing mentorship, skill enhancement, and vital experience that propels them into leadership roles. With your help, they are creating a media landscape that reflects diverse perspectives and brings immigrant voices to the forefront. I'm sure you've been deluged with requests for support lately, and it will likely continue through the holidays. But please consider supporting this good cause at https://lnkd.in/ecUMkjXV. From now through December 31st, every dollar you donate to Fi2W will be doubled, thanks to NewsMatch, a collaborative fundraising movement to support independent, public service journalism. Now more than ever, it's critical that we have diverse journalist voices in the media.

During a recent vacation I reconnected with a very successful friend from college. We discussed #corporate #board #service as a next step in his career, and he shared some thoughts on how to go about that I believe missed the mark (e.g., nonprofit as a stepping stone). Here is an article on some best practices and wisdom collected from past interviews on board service, which includes links within to the complete series. #business https://lnkd.in/eYmxj5gC

An interesting journalistic trend to watch is the battle happening between outlet owner/publishers and editorial staff around editorial endorsements and coverage in the final days of the election. Lots of outlets are breaking the long-held tradition of making endorsements driven by (arguably questionable) decisions made by the owner/publisher. Two examples from the last 48 hours: the Los Angeles Times (the editorial page editor and half the editorial board have resigned in protest) and the Washington Post (just today made a similar announcement, undercutting their "Democracy Dies in Darkness" brand message). If pitching over the next few weeks, keep this in mind - newsrooms are even more tense than usual, and internal politics will also be hitting a peak meaning journalists’ attention will be stretched. And, these tensions will last. TL;dr - Be kind. Be gracious (especially with follow-ups). Be strategic when pitching (and stick to hard, timely news). Buckle up, folks. Here we go. And, make that plan to vote at vote.org. 🗳️

Why who leads and who we promote/support/amplify matters.