Deadline: 12 June 2024
The Press Forward’s first open call will address longstanding inequities in journalism coverage and practice in the U.S. by investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting to underserved communities.
Press Forward will move resources to newsrooms and organizations that are improving diversity of experience and thought along with the availability of accurate and responsive news and information in underserved communities.
Funding Information
- Press Forward intends to offer grants of around $100,000 to at least 100 newsrooms.
- All grants will be unrestricted. This means all grants will be made with the intention of serving as mission building, general operating support.
- Grants will be awarded in two installments (two payments of around $50,000).
- The expected grant period will be two years, Sept. 1, 2024 – Aug. 31, 2026.
- Grantees will be required to submit a short report after year one in order to receive the second grant installment.
- Press Forward reserves the right to award amounts outside of this dollar range.
- Grantees will be eligible for and encouraged to participate in grantee capacity building opportunities throughout the life of the grant.
Eligibility Criteria
- Eligible applicants must be local news outlets focused on providing and producing original local reporting. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements:
- An operating budget of less than $1 million for 2024
- A commitment to editorial excellence, editorial independence, and transparency
- Applicants can be:
- 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or for-profit organizations
- For-profits with an established 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor (note: fiscal sponsor is not required for for-profits to apply)
- University or college student newsrooms producing original reporting that is community-facing
- The following types of organizations are not eligible to apply:
- Outlets in which the majority of content is not focused on local news
- Start-up organizations that have not been publishing since at least September 1, 2023
- 501(c)(4) organizations
Evaluation Criteria
- They encourage applicants to review these criteria as they prepare their grant applications, as Press Forward will prioritize applications that demonstrate the following:
- Addressing gaps in coverage: They will prioritize organizations that are producing and delivering news and information to underserved audiences, such as communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached, or represented.
- Community-centered: They will support news outlets that can demonstrate a commitment to community listening and audience research, especially those intentionally gathering audience feedback to guide their work.
- Collaboration: They will prioritize organizations that have evidence of strong networks and partnerships with members of their community.
- Sustainability: Using LION Publishers’ definition of sustainability as a framework, they will prioritize outlets that are intentional about their editorial impact, operational resilience, and/or financial health. They will support organizations that have a clear plan for how they will use this investment as a foundational step toward developing and maintaining a long-term business model.
- Leadership: They will support leaders who reflect the community served, listen to the community, and have a clear vision for how to effectively serve the local news needs of the community.
For more information, visit Press Forward.
