Investing in the Future of Colorado News: Colorado Media Project Awards $405,000 to 17 Local News Organizations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 15, 2025

COLORADO - Colorado’s local news landscape is defined by resilience, innovation, and a deep commitment to community. Yet, news organizations across the state continue to navigate significant economic headwinds while simultaneously striving to meet the diverse information needs of their residents. In an era where access to reliable, local information is critical for civic health, ensuring the long-term viability and reach of these organizations is paramount.

Today, the Colorado Media Project (CMP) is proud to announce $405,000 in grants to 17 vital local news and community organizations through our Newsroom Sustainability and Closing Coverage Gaps open calls.

These investments are strategically targeted to address two fundamental needs: providing critical operational funding to help newsrooms develop stable, independent revenue models, and expanding reporting capacity in and for Colorado’s diverse, rural, and non-English speaking communities.

"A healthy local news ecosystem requires two things: sustainable business models and journalism that truly represents and serves every community," said Kimberly Spencer, Director of the Colorado Media Project. "These grants are strategic investments in both. By funding dedicated revenue-generating roles, we help newsrooms build a foundation for independence. By supporting reporting in and for underserved communities, we ensure more Coloradans have the information they need to engage in civic life."

Newsroom Sustainability Fund: Building Capacity for Long-Term Financial Health

The Newsroom Sustainability Grant is awarding a total of $205,000 to five organizations. This funding recognizes that excellent journalism cannot thrive without a strong business foundation. These grants are specifically aimed at investing in the roles and strategies focused on revenue generation.

The five organizations receiving sustainability grants are:

• Boulder Reporting Lab ($30,000): Serving the greater Boulder area with independent, digital-first local reporting. Funding will support a dedicated Sponsorship and Advertising Lead to monetize their popular newsletters and diversify earned revenue streams.

• El Comercio de Colorado ($45,000): A trusted leader producing original, bilingual content that serves and empowers the Hispanic community across Colorado. Funding will be used to add a dedicated sales staff member to diversify their client base and implement a digital advertising management system.

• KHEN-Tenderfoot Communication ($30,000): A community radio station and media platform serving Chaffee County. The grant will fund a Development Director focused on major donor cultivation, underwriting, and grants to strengthen their development infrastructure.

• Sopris Sun ($50,000): A nonprofit newsroom serving rural and bilingual communities in Western Colorado. This sustainability funding will support expanding part-time revenue-generating and community outreach roles into full-time positions and investing in a new, scalable email marketing platform.

• Zepol Media Partners, LLC (The Alamosa Citizen) ($50,000): The leading all-digital community news source for residents across the San Luis Valley. The grant will support hiring part-time staff focused specifically on membership growth and advertising accounts.

Closing Coverage Caps: Expanding Coverage for Underserved Communities

The Closing Coverage Gaps Grant is awarding a total of $200,000 to 12 organizations. These grants are designed to support and expand the reach of newsrooms serving traditionally underserved, linguistically diverse, and rural communities, ensuring they have the resources to expand civic coverage and engage more residents.

The 12 organizations receiving grants to close coverage gaps are:

• Afrik Digest Magazine ($10,000): Dedicated to amplifying the voices of African immigrants and African Americans in Colorado. Funding will support hiring a part-time Community Engagement & Development Coordinator and expanding civic reporting on issues like immigration policy and housing access.

• Aurora Sentinel ($15,000): Providing factual, nonpartisan news for the diverse Aurora region. The grant will be used to re-engage and expand La Ciudad, a bilingual newsletter serving residents of Aurora, Commerce City, and north Denver, through sustained social media presence and collaborations.

• Colorado Chinese News Inc. ($15,000): Serving the Chinese-speaking community and Asian American immigrants across Colorado. Funding will allow the organization to rehire a community reporter and a Marketing & Development Lead to expand local news coverage and civic engagement reporting.

• Colorado Times, LLC ($15,000): The longest-running Korean-language newspaper in the state, delivering bilingual journalism to Korean Americans. The grant will support the launch of the "Voices of Korean Colorado" project, a bilingual series covering civic issues, and increase short-form video content.

• Crestone Eagle Community Media ($25,000): Producing trustworthy local news in rural Saguache County and the wider San Luis Valley. Funding will be used to expand equity-focused coverage by recruiting more journalists of color and Indigenous writers, and to overhaul its digital infrastructure.

• Denver Urban Spectrum ($15,000): Focused on informing and empowering communities of color in the Denver area. The grant will support the hiring of a Digital Marketing Manager to streamline the organization's growing digital initiatives, including podcasting and social media, and maximize audience reach.

• Ethiopian Community Television (KETO 93.9 FM) ($25,000): A community-powered, immigrant-run radio station delivering multilingual news for Colorado’s Black African immigrant and non-English-speaking communities. Funding will help maintain new studio infrastructure, fill translation gaps, and expand civic content in languages including Amharic, Swahili, Somali, and Arabic.

• Mountain Dreamers (in partnership with Summit Daily News) ($10,000): An organization advocating for immigrants and social justice in mountain communities. Funding supports the operational capacity to expand and grow La Voz de Summit, including training a new bilingual, bicultural host and expanding relevant content.

• North Fork Valley Public Radio Inc. (KVNF) ($15,000): Serving rural, agricultural, and Spanish-speaking audiences on the Western Slope. Funding will increase the freelance reporting budget (elevating Indigenous, Hispanic, and agricultural voices) and launch a regular Spanish-language news summary.

• Sopris Sun ($20,000): In addition to its sustainability grant, this funding supports The Sopris Sun and Sol del Valle in expanding their digital strategist role to full-time. This will strengthen bilingual editorial production, grow audience engagement via WhatsApp and social media, and launch a Spanish-language community calendar.

• Telluride Community Radio (KOTO) ($20,000): Providing commercial-free community radio to the Telluride region. Funding will enhance KOTO's ability to cover underserved communities in their rural region, maintain on-the-ground reporting in outlying areas (including the West End), and continue consistent Spanish-language news segments.

• Wet Mountain Broadcasting Corp. (KLZR) ($15,000): A community radio station serving the Wet Mountain Valley. Funding will support a community survey to gauge reader interests, build newsroom capacity for in-depth local journalism by expanding staff hours, and grow collaborative efforts with local nonprofits.

Our Review Committees

We believe that funding decisions should be informed by the communities we aim to serve. Each application was rigorously reviewed and scored by a panel of community and philanthropic leaders. We extend our sincere gratitude to them for their time, expertise, and thoughtful deliberation.

Closing Coverage Gaps Review Committee:

• Amy Maillet – Community Member, Strategic Communications Director, Caring for Colorado

• David Proper – Senior Communications Officer, Colorado Health Foundation

• Justin Rushing – Co-founder, HBCU Digital Media Collaborative

• Latia Henderson – Director of Strategic Communications and Informed Communities, Gates Family Foundation

• Linda Shapley – Community Journalist and former Publisher, Colorado Community Media

• Sam Moody – Associate Director, Colorado Media Project Staff

Newsroom Sustainability Review Committee:

• Christian Monterrosa – Award-winning Photojournalist

• Justin Rushing – Co-founder, HBCU Digital Media Collaborative

• Melissa Davis – Network Manager, Press Forward

• Lynn Valencia – Community Member and longtime supporter of Colorado media

• Kimberly Spencer – Director, Colorado Media Project 

We congratulate the grantees and look forward to supporting their vital work in the coming year.

About the Colorado Media Project (CMP)

The Colorado Media Project (CMP) is a project housed at the Rose Community Foundation, dedicated to supporting a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable local news ecosystem across Colorado. CMP acts as a catalyst and funder, investing in innovative projects, strengthening newsroom capacity, and fostering collaboration to ensure all Coloradans have access to the trusted information they need to thrive and participate in our democracy. Learn more at coloradomediaproject.com.

Colorado Media Project's Statement on Upholding Press Freedom and the Vital Role of Public Media in Colorado

DENVER, CO – The Colorado Media Project (CMP), a nonpartisan philanthropic initiative working to ensure Coloradans have access to reliable local news and information, reaffirms its commitment to a free and independent press and to the critical role of public media in our state. This statement comes in response to a combination of recent threats to public broadcasting, including an executive order directing the defunding of National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and a recent vote by the U.S. House of Representatives to rescind funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). In response, NPR and its Colorado partners, including Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT Public Radio, have filed a legal challenge against these actions.

A free, independent, and robust press is essential to American democracy. Within this ecosystem, public media organizations like Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, KSUT Public Radio, and other vital Colorado-based public broadcasters serve a unique and irreplaceable function. They provide in-depth, fact-based reporting, diverse cultural programming, and essential local civic information that commercial models may not always sustain. Actions that could be perceived as politically motivated or that risk imposing a chilling effect on journalistic inquiry are a matter of profound concern. Such measures not only challenge the principles of a free press but also directly threaten the access to essential information for many Coloradans. This is especially true for those in rural and underserved communities where these public media outlets often serve as the primary, and sometimes sole, source of trusted local news, emergency alerts, and civic information.

Colorado Media Project stands in solidarity with Colorado Public Radio, Aspen Public Radio, KSUT Public Radio, and all public media organizations that champion journalistic independence. We are proud to support these and other key public media partners in Colorado, and we are steadfast in our belief that they must be able to operate without fear of undue government influence or retaliation for their reporting. While we respect the right of any administration to set policy, such policies must not infringe upon the constitutional protections afforded to the press or undermine the operational integrity of news organizations dedicated to serving the public interest. The ability of journalists to report on all branches and levels of government, thoroughly and without reprisal, is paramount for a well-functioning democracy and an engaged populace.

For years, CMP has invested in strengthening Colorado’s local news landscape, recognizing that access to reliable, high-quality information is crucial for all Coloradans. Our support for Colorado’s public media institutions, including CPR, Aspen Public Radio, and KSUT, is a core part of this commitment. These outlets are not just news providers; they are community institutions that foster dialogue, understanding, and connection. A media environment free from unwarranted interference is critical to their mission and to ensuring that the voices and stories of all Coloradans, regardless of geography, are heard and valued.

We trust that the legal process, spurred by the principled stand of NPR and Colorado’s own public media outlets, will carefully consider the fundamental First Amendment principles at stake and the profound impact any erosion of those principles would have on citizens’ access to information and the health of our public media institutions and our democracy. Colorado Media Project will continue to advocate for a vibrant, independent, and resilient news and information ecosystem, with strong public media as an integral part, serving all Coloradans and upholding the democratic values essential to our communities and our nation.

About Colorado Media Project:

The Colorado Media Project is a nonpartisan philanthropic initiative committed to ensuring Coloradans have the local news and information they need to thrive, and that our state’s democracy is well-served. CMP invests in, and works alongside, local newsrooms, journalists, and communities to build a stronger, more equitable, and more trusted Colorado news and information ecosystem.