Colorado Media Project and Local Media Association are pleased to announce the 14 news organizations selected to participate in an intensive, six-month fundraising lab that brings the proven training of LMA’s Lab for Journalism Funding and CMP’s insights into Colorado philanthropy to independent news organizations across the state.
The 14 organizations selected for the 2024 CMP/LMA Colorado News Philanthropy Lab represent local newsrooms big and small, serving diverse communities across the state of Colorado, producing online, in print and broadcast – but all united in their focus on civic journalism. The lab will help these local news organizations develop and execute comprehensive programs to secure philanthropic support for their essential local journalism that is responsive to community priorities. The lab runs from July through December 2024.
The 14 news organizations selected are:
"Denver Urban Spectrum fills a vital niche in Colorado's media landscape," said Associate Publisher Brittany Winkfield. "As a BIPOC-led and -serving newsroom, we offer a unique perspective. The Lab will be an instrumental tool in helping us bridge the gap between what we currently provide and the evolving needs of our readers."
"The Colorado Sun’s recent conversion to a nonprofit newsroom opens new doors to seek support from philanthropic-minded individuals, foundations and major donors,” said Lauren Whynott, Director of Membership, Marketing and Audience Engagement. “Through our participation in the CMP/LMA Colorado News Philanthropy Lab, we will build our team’s capacity to connect our vital, in-depth reporting with mission-aligned donors who value an informed community.
"I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn from my peers and expert coaches on how to best engage funders from across Colorado and beyond,” said Kevin Mahmalji, Owner and Managing Editor of The Florence Reporter. “I hope to leverage my experience to further our mission of serving our small rural community through hyperlocal and impactful reporting.”
The Colorado cohort will be led by Liz White, former publisher of the Record-Journal (Meriden, Connecticut) and a graduate of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding and LMA Advanced Fundraising Lab. Newsrooms will receive one-on-one coaching from a team of coaches, including Jennifer Preston, Joaquin Alvarado, Joanne Heyman and White.
Colorado Media Project Director Melissa Davis and Associate Director Sam Moody will also support the cohort with Colorado-specific insights and connections to local philanthropy, including a new partnership with Colorado Gives Foundation.
“Each and every newsroom in this cohort is unique, and plays a vital role in the state’s information ecosystem,” said Melissa Milios Davis, Director, Colorado Media Project. “We’re excited to partner with LMA and our peers at Colorado Gives Foundation to help newsrooms navigate the philanthropic sector and position themselves both for community impact and for sustainability.”
Since 2018, Colorado Media Project has worked to build philanthropic support for local public-service journalism via the annual #newsCOneeds matching challenge, and in February CMP became a state affiliate of the Press Forward campaign. Nationwide, Press Forward aims to raise at least $1 billion over the next five years to strengthen local newsrooms across the U.S.
“We are excited to partner with CMP to bring the learnings and best practices of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding to these newsrooms in Colorado to help them sustain their important civic journalism,” said Frank Mungeam, who leads the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding.
The Colorado News Philanthropy Lab is made possible with support to LMA from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and contributors to CMP’s general fund, including Gates Family Foundation, The Colorado Health Foundation, Democracy Fund, and Bohemian Foundation. This is LMA’s second state-focused cohort in the nation, after launching a cohort in Pennsylvania in May in partnership with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.
Since 2020, the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding, made possible with continuing support from Google News Initiative, has helped more than 100 news organizations across the U.S. raise more than $23 million to support local journalism.
The selected Colorado publishers also receive scholarships to attend the 2024 CMP Summit and the Colorado Press Association’s 146th Annual Convention on August 22-24 in Denver. Local Media Association and Colorado Media Project will publish case studies on publisher lessons and successes from the lab that can be applied across the news industry.