Journalism Grantmaking New Funding, Models and Partnerships to Sustain and Grow the Field
Journalism Grantmaking New Funding, Models and Partnerships to Sustain and Grow the Field
By Sarah Armour-Jones, Consultant to Media Impact Funders
September 2019 This report was produced with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 2019 by Media Impact Funders. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
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Media Impact Funders 200 W. Washington Square, Suite 220 Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-574-1322 mediaimpactfunders.org EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
s business models that previously A new Pew Research Center report supported newspapers and local news examines demographic differences in local Acoverage have collapsed, philanthropy is news consumption, coverage and trust and playing an increasingly significant role in shows that: supporting journalism—especially local and • Few adults pay for local news—only 14% investigative work, as well as identifying new overall and only 9% among those ages business models that will work in a competitive 30-49 report paying for local news. digital media landscape. According to the Institute • Only 50% of respondents said local news for Nonprofit News’ INN Index 2018, nonprofit media mostly cover the area where newsrooms receive nearly 60 percent of their they live. budgets from foundations, and an additional 30 • 57% of respondents with a high school percent from individual donations. education or less believe that local Journalism-focused philanthropy has nearly journalists are “in touch with their quadrupled since 2009, when just under 300 community,” whereas 72% of those with funders made $69 million in grants to just over a college degree do. 300 recipient organizations in the United States, Funders have a long history of supporting according to data from our media grants map, social issue media; since 2013, Media Impact developed in partnership with Candid (formerly Funders (MIF) has been tracking grantmaking Foundation Center and GuideStar). By 2017, over in the growing fields of media and philanthropy 1,200 funders made over $255 million in with our media grants data map, developed in journalism grants to 925 organizations. partnership with Candid. In 2016, we released a Philanthropy-supported journalism is not new, report on trends in media grantmaking, which but the scale of funding for journalism projects, revealed the field is growing rapidly and is far sustainability, experiments and collaborations larger than previously expected. is new, and growing. As the world grapples with Following that research, with support from increasing quantities of information sources, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we coupled with misinformation and waning trust examined the international funding picture in in media, funders are stepping up to help news our 2019 report, Global Media Philanthropy: What organizations rebuild trust with audiences, report Funders Need to Know About Data, Trends and on local communities, and advance important Pressing Issues Facing the Field. Having focused new journalistic collaborations on issues critical on broad national and international trends and to the public interest. data, MIF is creating a series of smaller reports This sense of urgency among the philanthropic to identify trends, questions and examples of sector is a positive sign amidst very challenging innovation around key issues of interest to our trends across newsrooms, particularly in small, members and supporters. rural communities and for local news overall.
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY HIGHLIGHTS: In spring 2019, we published Radio & Audio the U.S., with a special emphasis on community Grantmaking: Reaching New Audiences Through foundation support for local journalism. • Since 2009, 17,750 grants Old Platforms on audio and radio funding, and Presenting and identifying funding models were made to 2,369 U.S.-based organizations examined how both formats are being used to and best practices for supporting local for journalism-related reach new audiences, spark civic engagement journalism was identified as one of four key projects (excluding and dialogue across diverse communities, learning priorities during MIF’s year-long journalism education). examine science, advance disability education, strategic planning process. In addition, • Since 2009, 3,106 funders and much more. engaging with community foundations that gave $1.7 billion in With continuing concern about the state of support a range of media projects was identified journalism-related grants. Of that, $306 million was the news ecosystem among MIF members, this as a key area of concern. directed toward the report focuses on journalism philanthropy in Newseum. • Excluding grants to the Newseum, the top 9 journalism funders to U.S.-based organizations have given $550 million, via 1,776 grants since Data at a Glance 2009. • Of the $1.7 billion: »» $326 million was for Journalism-focused philanthropy has nearly investigative journalism projects quadrupled since 2009, when just under 300 funders »» $88 million was for constituency journalism made $69 million in grants to just over 300 recipient projects »» $42 million for citizen organizations in the United States. By 2017, over journalism projects »» $185 million for 1,200 funders made over $255 million in journalism advocacy journalism 1 projects grants to 925 organizations. »» $1.6 billion for projects in the journalism, news Despite significant shocks to the news announced the creation of two environmental and information, general category media ecosystem, there are promising signs journalism collaborative reporting networks of hope, and philanthropy is playing a to focus on solutions-oriented journalism critically important role in advancing new about the Delaware and Ohio River business models, reporting collaborations Watersheds, long plagued by the effects and innovative partnerships. of industrial pollution. The reporting For example, the William Penn Foundation, networks aim to establish a new model for along with the Lenfest Institute and the national-local newsroom partnerships, with National Geographic Society, have just the goal of creating long-term collaborative
2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
KEY HIGHLIGHTS: JOURNALISM GRANTS TO US BASED ORGANI ATIONS, 2009 201 (excluding Journalism Education) • Since 2009, 114 community foundations gave $68.5 million of the $1.7 billion (excluding Newseum grants), or 9 2 5 percent. • The top 10 community MILLION foundations that give journalism grants made $44.2 million in grants, 64 percent of total grants.
2009 2017 JOURNALISM
GRANTS STARTING IN YEAR S 2009 201 *Totals may add up to more than 100% because grants can be assigned to more than one category
1 Grants information 2M excludes journalism CITI EN 2 M education, specifically JOURNALISM INVESTIGATIVE funding to the Newseum, JOURNALISM a journalism-focused M museum in Washington, CONSTITUENCY D.C. Funding totals are 1 B JOURNALISM based on available data JOURNALISM, NE S AND from July 2019 in Foundation INFORMATION, GENERAL Maps for Media Funding, 1 M and are expected to rise ADVOCACY when more funders report JOURNALISM their data.
3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
environmental reporting at a time when most facing journalism outlets big and small. local news sources cannot afford such important Announcements of layoffs and closures continue but expensive coverage. throughout the country, and many communities And the Colorado Media Project, created in lack a single source of quality news focused on response to the collapse of several Colorado local issues. However, the funder community papers, is the result of deep collaboration, has responded with urgency to this journalistic discussions among new journalism leaders and and civic collapse with a range of approaches— financial investments by several philanthropies. from increased funding to supporting new The new journalistic effort brings together partnerships that strengthen journalism overall. journalists, entrepreneurs, local citizens and Media Impact Funders offers a range of community leaders to share space, equipment resources for funders interested in learning and ideas, providing a roadmap for other more about journalism funding, impact communities facing the loss of local papers and assessment and data. MIF also facilitates the the need for creative solutions. Journalism Funders Network, a diverse group Funders are also creating new ways for of more than 50 philanthropic organizations independent news sources to raise funds from working in journalism and media. Through individuals and increase their fundraising convenings, original research reports and field- capacity through NewsMatch, a matching-gift building activities, MIF aims to strengthen campaign supported through an open connections among members and offer funders collaboration fund at the Miami Foundation. opportunities to discuss their current work In 2018, 154 newsrooms raised $7.6 million among peers. As part of that work, MIF also from individual donors, foundations and convenes a monthly journalism funders webinar companies. More than 50,000 new donors and an annual meeting to increase opportunities supported a nonprofit newsroom for the first for shared learning and networking. Go to time. mediaimpactfunders.org/journalism-funders/ to These inspiring examples are not meant to learn more. sugar-coat the significant and ongoing struggles
4 JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING New Funding, Models and Partnerships to Sustain and Grow the Field
By Sarah Armour-Jones, Consultant to Media Impact Funders
SEPTEMBER 2019 INTRODUCTION
Introduction A new Pew Research Center report examines demographic differences in local news consumption, As business models that previously supported newspapers coverage and trust and shows that: and local news coverage have collapsed, philanthropy is • Few adults pay for local news—only 14% overall and playing an increasingly significant role in supporting only 9% among those ages 30-49 report paying for journalism—especially local and investigative work, as well local news. as identifying new business models that will work in a • Only 50% of respondents said local news media competitive digital media landscape. According to the mostly cover the area where they live. Institute for Nonprofit News’ INN Index 2018, nonprofit • 57% of respondents with a high school education or newsrooms receive nearly 60 percent of their budgets from less believe that local journalists are “in touch with foundations, and an additional 30 percent from individual their community,” whereas 72% of those with a donations. college degree do. Journalism-focused philanthropy has nearly quadrupled Funders have a long history of supporting social issue since 2009, when just under 300 funders made $69 million media; since 2013, Media Impact Funders (MIF) has been in grants to just over 300 recipient organizations in the United tracking grantmaking in the growing fields of media and States, according to data from our media grants map, philanthropy with our media grants data map, developed in developed in partnership with Candid (formerly Foundation partnership with Candid. In 2016, we released a report on Center and GuideStar). By 2017, over 1,200 funders made trends in media grantmaking, which revealed the field is 2 over $255 million in journalism grants to 925 organizations. growing rapidly and is far larger than previously expected. Philanthropy-supported journalism is not new, but the Following that research, with support from the Bill & scale of funding for journalism projects, sustainability, Melinda Gates Foundation, we examined the international experiments and collaborations is new, and growing. As the funding picture in our 2019 report, Global Media Philanthropy: world grapples with increasing quantities of information What Funders Need to Know About Data, Trends and Pressing sources, coupled with misinformation and waning trust in Issues Facing the Field. Having focused on broad national and media, funders are stepping up to help news organizations international trends and data, MIF is creating a series of rebuild trust with audiences, report on local communities, smaller reports to identify trends, questions and examples and advance important new journalistic collaborations on of innovation around key issues of interest to our members issues critical to the public interest. and supporters. This sense of urgency among the philanthropic sector is In spring 2019, we published Radio & Audio Grantmaking: a positive sign amidst very challenging trends across Reaching New Audiences Through Old Platforms on audio and newsrooms, particularly in small, rural communities and for radio funding, and examined how both formats are being local news overall. used to reach new audiences, spark civic engagement and
2 Grants information excludes journalism education, specifically funding to the Newseum, a journalism-focused museum in Washington, D.C. Funding totals are based on available data from July 2019 in Foundation Maps for Media Funding, and are expected to rise when more funders report their data.
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 6 TRENDS
dialogue across diverse communities, examine science and planning process. In addition, engaging with community advance disability education, and much more. foundations that support a range of media projects was With continuing concern about the state of the news identified as a key area of concern. ecosystem among MIF members, this report focuses on Journalism-focused philanthropy has nearly quadrupled journalism philanthropy in the U.S., with a special emphasis since 2009, when just under 300 funders made $69 million on community foundation support for local journalism. in grants to just over 300 recipient organizations in the United Presenting and identifying funding models and best practices States. By 2017, over 1,200 funders made over $255 million for supporting local journalism was identified as one of four in journalism grants to 925 organizations. key learning priorities during MIF’s year-long strategic
»» Since 2009, 17,750 grants were made to 2,369 U.S.- »» Of the $1.7 billion: based organizations for journalism-related projects »» $326 million was for investigative journalism projects (excluding journalism education). »» $88 million was for constituency journalism projects »» 3,106 funders gave $1.7 billion in journalism-related » grants. Of that, $306 million was directed toward » $42 million for citizen journalism projects the Newseum. »» $185 million for advocacy journalism projects »» Excluding grants to the Newseum, the top 9 »» $1.6 billion for projects in the journalism, news journalism funders to U.S.-based organizations have and information, general category given $550 million, via 1,776 grants since 2009.
JOURNALISMJOURNALISM GRANTS TO GRANTS US ASED TO US ASEDORGANI ATIONS ORGANI ATIONS (excluding Journalism(excluding Education) Journalism Education)
9 2 9 2 MILLIONMILLION
2009 2009 2017 2017 JOURNALISMJOURNALISM
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 7 TRENDS
GRANTS STARTING IN YEAR S 2009 201 *Totals may add up to more than 100% because grants can be assigned to more than one category
2M CITI EN 2 M JOURNALISM INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM M CONSTITUENCY 1 B JOURNALISM JOURNALISM, NE S AND INFORMATION, GENERAL 1 M ADVOCACY JOURNALISM
The scope of support is broad, as are the types of funders companies in 2018. More than 50,000 new donors supported making journalism grants. From experiments with new a nonprofit newsroom for the first time. business models and local coverage to state-based Community foundations, which are publicly supported investigative reporting and regional environmental philanthropic organizations that create permanent funds to journalism, community foundations, individuals and some support a range of activities to benefit the public in a given of the largest national foundations are increasingly working community, have long supported journalism projects, local collaboratively to stabilize and reimagine local and regional public media stations and national reporting efforts of interest journalism. to their donors. Knowing that an informed and engaged For example, individual giving and fundraising capacity- community can better hold power to account, advocate for building is being supported substantially through NewsMatch, broad community needs and create more representative founded in 2016 by the Knight Foundation and joined by government, support for local, quality journalism aligns well foundations including the Democracy Fund, Ethics and with the goals of community foundations. While not on scale Excellence in Journalism Foundation, Facebook Journalism with larger national funders and not often making headlines Project, Colorado Media Project, MacArthur Foundation, the for their work, community foundations have played a critically Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, important role in advancing quality news and information, the Wyncote Foundation, and the Present Progressive Fund and are increasingly key partners in inspiring news at Schwab Charitable. Through NewsMatch, 154 newsrooms collaborations, bringing their local expertise and convening raised $7.6 million from individual donors, foundations and power to the table.
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 8 TRENDS
O around a specific topic, and to see the different levels of support. This is a constellation view N
I AGO OMMUNIT TRUST OMMUNIT AIR IELD OUNDATION OUNT S OR GREATER OMMUNIT NE A EN OUNDATION IN
ONNE TI UT NE S ROJE T T E SAN RAN IS O OUNDATION
ART ORD OUNDATION OR U LI GI ING T E MIAMI OUNDATION
How Community Foundations Fit Into the Journalism »» Of $17 million in community foundation support for Funding Picture: investigative journalism, more than $6 million—or 35 percent—was directed toward two national investigative »» Since 2009, 114 community foundations gave $68.5 news outlets: ProPublica and the Center for Investigative million of the $1.4 billion (excluding Newseum grants), Reporting. or 5 percent. »» According to the data map, 8 states—Alaska, Utah, North »» The top 10 community foundations for journalism- Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Kentucky, West Virginia related work made $44.2 million in grants, or 64 and Delaware—do not have a single community percent of total community foundation support for foundation that makes journalism-related grants. journalism.*
*The top 10 community foundations for journalism funding: the Silicon Valley Community Foundation; San Francisco Foundation; Foundation for the Carolinas; Boston Foundation; New York Community Trust; Rochester Area Community Foundation; The Pittsburgh Foundation; Seattle Foundation; Miami Foundation and Tulsa Community Foundation
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 9 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GIVING FOR LOCAL JOURNALISM PROJECTS
Keeping it local
Funder: Austin Community Foundation Funder: Community Foundation for Grantee: Texas Observer Southeast Michigan Year: 2017, over 1 year Grantee: Center for Michigan Amount: $25,000 Year: 2016, over 1 year Purpose: For general support of the bi-monthly Amount: $75,000 magazine and texasobserver.org news site, which Purpose: For support of online journalism and focuses on exposing injustice in Texas and sharing nonpartisan public engagement programs. The Center’s impact-driven stories that are ignored or underreported mission is to encourage greater understanding of and by other media. involvement in policy issues among Michigan’s citizens and ensure their voices are heard.
O around a specific topic, and to see the different levels of support. This is a constellation view C F S M
MIC IGAN SU UR S AYNE NORT ESTERN ALLIANCE STATE UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY
DETROIT COMMUNITY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION TELEVISION FOR SOUT EAST FOUNDATION MIC IGAN D A TVS
MIC IGAN SOUT FIELD STATE UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR CENTERS MIC IGAN FOR YOUT
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 10 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION GIVING FOR LOCAL JOURNALISM PROJECTS
Collaborative news models
Funder: The Philadelphia Foundation Funder: Central Indiana Community Foundation Grantee: Spotlight PA (via The Lenfest Institute for Grantee: Chalkbeat Indiana Journalism) Year: 2015, over 1 year Year: 2018, over 1 year Amount: $25,000 Amount: $50,000 Purpose: For general support of Chalkbeat Indiana. Purpose: For investigative journalism support at Chalkbeat is a single-issue nonprofit news organization Spotlight PA, which serves as a collaborative focused on efforts to improve education. Emphasizing journalism resource for all newsrooms in the state of education at the local level, coverage is rooted in local Pennsylvania to investigate and tell stories of communities. To date, Chalkbeat reports from and about statewide importance. Current partners include The seven locations: Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, Philadelphia Inquirer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Newark, N.J., New York, and Tennessee. PennLive/The Patriot-News, PA Post, a project of WITF, and LNP Media Group/The Caucus.
Investigative reporting
Funder: Tulsa Community Foundation Funder: Silicon Valley Community Foundation Grantee: Oklahoma Watch Grantee: ProPublica Year: 2015, over 1 year Year: 2016, over 1 year Amount: $1 million Amount: $500,000 Purpose: For general support of Oklahoma Watch, Purpose: For general support of ProPublica, an whose mission is to produce in-depth and investigative independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces journalism on public-policy and quality-of-life issues investigative journalism focusing on abuses of facing the state. power and betrayals of public trust.
Advocacy journalism
Funder: The Miami Foundation Funder: Seattle Foundation Grantee: Voice of San Diego Grantee: Grist Magazine Year: 2017, over 1 year Year: 2018, over 1 year Amount: $25,000 Amount: $50,000 Purpose: For program support of Voice of San Diego, Purpose: For the diverse storyteller initiative at Grist a nonprofit news organization that exposes facts and Magazine, an independent irreverent news outlet and explains complex local public policy issues to inform network of innovators working toward “a planet that local citizens. doesn’t burn and a future that doesn’t suck.”
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 11 CONCLUSION
oriented journalism about the Delaware and Ohio River Signs of hope through collaboration, Watersheds, long plagued by the effects of industrial pollution. new models The reporting networks aim to establish a new model for A range of promising projects have emerged from the national-local newsroom partnerships, with the goal of collapse of the journalism industry and its earlier business creating long-term collaborative environmental reporting models, offering examples for funders of all sizes to support at a time when most local news sources cannot afford such essential journalism work. important but expensive coverage. The New England Center for Investigative Reporting, an investigative journalism nonprofit whose reporting has led As the Poynter Institute explains in a July 2019 article, this to the exoneration and release of multiple wrongly convicted type of collaboration in environmental reporting is gaining Massachusetts men, ushered in reforms to the state child ground. welfare system and much more, has merged formally with » WGBH News, part of Boston’s flagship public media station. » The Pulitzer Center’s Connected Coastlines is a collaborative reporting effort on climate science in A recipient of minimal foundation funding, the organization U.S. coastal states. The project is supported by the has substantial individual support and was a 2018 NewsMatch Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of recipient. Now with its formal merger with WGBH News, the Science Education, and will create a group of organization will benefit from WGBH’s robust fundraising independent newsrooms and journalists to cover capacity, and WGBH will expand its investigative reporting climate change’s impact on coastal populations. capacity, particularly at the state and regional level. »» A collaboration between The Texas Observer and The Lenfest Institute, whose mission is “to develop and Quartz “explores the complexities of border water support sustainable business models for great local in a hotter, drier world” through their nine-part series, “Shallow Waters.” journalism,” is making enormous contributions to local »» In Florida, several newspapers, including Tampa journalism through benefactor H.F. Gerry Lenfest’s $60-plus Bay Times, Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel, and million in funding, along with partnerships with a host of WLRN Public Media have announced collaborative other funders. In 2016 alone, $26 million was raised for a efforts to report on climate change after several matching gift campaign. According to Nonprofit Quarterly, worked together successfully on a project about funders include “$2 million from the Wyncote Foundation; sea-level rise. $3 million from David Haas, a board member of the William »» InsideClimate News has created a National Penn Foundation; and a total of $6.5 million from a range Environment Reporting Network and is “hiring experienced reporters based in key regions of the of donors along with the Knight Foundation, the Kopelman nation to write stories, train local reporters, and Foundation, and Independence Blue Cross.” collaborate with newsrooms to produce more The Lenfest Institute is advancing national and local in-depth environment reporting.” The project was partnerships covering issues critical to local communities. supported by Grantham Foundation for the For example, the William Penn Foundation, along with the Protection of the Environment, the Park Foundation Lenfest Institute and the National Geographic Society, have and the Wallace Global Fund, along with the just announced the creation of two environmental journalism Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s $1 million collaborative reporting networks to focus on solutions- grant announced at the Golden Globe Awards.
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 12 CONCLUSION
Perhaps more than any other recent story, the creation philanthropies. The new journalistic effort brings together of the Colorado Media Project exemplifies robust and journalists, entrepreneurs, local citizens and community exciting new approaches to supporting journalism. Created leaders to share space, equipment, and ideas, providing a in response to the collapse of several Colorado papers, roadmap for other communities facing the loss of local CMP is the result of deep collaboration, discussions among papers and the need for creative solutions. new journalism leaders and financial investments by several
Media Impact Funders offers a range of resources for funders Conclusion interested in learning more about journalism funding, impact These inspiring examples are not meant to sugar-coat assessment and data. MIF also facilitates the Journalism Funders the significant and ongoing struggles facing journalism Network, a diverse diverse group of more than 50 philanthropic outlets big and small. Announcements of layoffs and organizations working in journalism and media. Through closures continue throughout the country, and many convenings, original research reports and field-building communities lack a single source of quality news focused activities, MIF aims to strengthen connections among members on local issues. However, the funder community has and offer funders opportunities to discuss their current work responded with urgency to this journalistic and civic among peers. As part of that work, MIF also convenes a monthly collapse with a range of approaches—from increased journalism funders webinar and an annual meeting to increase funding to supporting new partnerships that strengthen opportunities for shared learning and networking. journalism overall. Go to mediaimpactfunders.org/journalism-funders/ to learn more.
JOURNALISM GRANTMAKING 13 Media Impact Funders 200 W. Washington Square, Suite 220 Philadelphia, PA 19106
Phone: 215-574-1322 Email: [email protected] Website: mediaimpactfunders.org Twitter: @MediaFunders