Colorado Media Project (CMP) and Local Media Association (LMA) are pleased to announce a new partnership that will bring the proven, in-depth training and coaching program of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding to local newsrooms across Colorado.
Community-based, locally controlled Colorado news organizations are invited to apply to join the Colorado News Philanthropy Lab — a state-centered cohort to help newsrooms develop local journalism projects that are responsive to community priorities and can be funded through philanthropy.
Applicants must be producing original, local news for Colorado audiences at least weekly; priority will be given to newsrooms with philanthropic giving programs that are less than five years old. Local news partnerships or coalitions are also encouraged to apply, particularly if they have a joint initiative that they are seeking to fund via philanthropy.
“With so many Colorado newsrooms interested in pursuing philanthropic funding from foundations, major donors and individuals, it’s both timely and important to understand what inspires mission-driven support for local journalism,” said Melissa Milios Davis, Colorado Media Project Director. “As the local home of Press Forward — a national movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news — we’re excited to partner with LMA and also the Colorado Gives Foundation to help Colorado newsrooms navigate Colorado’s philanthropic sector and position themselves both for community impact and for sustainability.”
“Going through the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has been a transformative experience for so many local newsrooms across the U.S., helping them better serve their communities and sustain their civic journalism,” said Frank Mungeam, who leads the lab as LMA’s chief innovation officer. “We are thrilled to partner with CMP to offer this in-depth experience to publishers across Colorado.”
Applications to join the Colorado News Philanthropy Lab are now open and will be accepted through June 19 at 5 p.m. MT.
Up to 12 Colorado newsrooms, partnerships or coalitions will be invited to participate in the program, which will start in early July and run through the end of 2024.
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 $22 million to support local journalism since 2020.
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.
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. In May, LMA launched a state-focused cohort in Pennsylvania in partnership with the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.
Newsrooms in the new state-based cohorts will learn best practices documented in LMA’s industry report Pathways to Philanthropy, and the just-released report, Sustaining Philanthropy for Journalism.
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. LMA staff and a team of coaches, including former Knight Foundation director of journalism Jennifer Preston, will also provide one-on-one coaching support to newsrooms.
Each newsroom in the cohort will work with LMA coaches and CMP staff to:
Set a fundraising goal in consultation with the coaches, that is in line with that publisher’s market size
Develop a list of fundraising prospects, and develop a pitch deck and campaign materials to promote their newsroom and their project
Meet with funders and other lab participants in person at the CMP Summit on August 22
Prepare for special fundraising opportunities (Democracy Day, #newsCOneeds) with support from CMP and the Colorado Gives Foundation
Contribute best practices and lessons learned for case studies and an industry playbook published in 2025
Preference will be given to Colorado news organizations that:
Have strong local leadership with deep ties to the community
Are focused on high-quality local journalism
Have leadership-level buy-in to participate in this lab and an organizational commitment to dedicate staff time and resources (more below)
Value staff and leadership diversity
Are relatively new to raising philanthropic support for local news (membership and/or grant programs of less than five years OR new staff members who could benefit from this training and cohort)
For interested local news leaders seeking additional details, the recording of CMP’s June 6 information session can be viewed below:
For more information, please contact Sam Moody, CMP Associate Director, at sam@coloradomediaproject.com.
Fine Print / FAQ
Who is eligible to apply for the Colorado Lab for Journalism Funding?
Locally owned and/or controlled Colorado-based newsrooms, whether nonprofit and for-profit
Have been producing original, local journalism for Colorado audiences for at least six months
What commitments are required of newsrooms participating in the Colorado News Philanthropy Lab?
July through December 2024: Three mandatory 75- to 90-minute meetings on Zoom monthly — twice a month with the large group and once a month for one-on-one or small-group coaching sessions
Thursday, August 22: Full-day summit with CMP funders, grantees, and community members (in-person, Denver area)
August through November: Some work within your community to identify and meet with local stakeholders and funders
January through March 2025: Once-monthly alumni group check-in calls for three months after the Lab
How does the Colorado News Philanthropy Lab relate to CMP’s #newsCOneeds campaign, Colorado Gives Day, Giving News Day, and/or previous philanthropic training provided by CMP, News Revenue Hub and/or COLab since 2018?
The 2024 Colorado News Philanthropy Lab is a brand new cohort opportunity, presented by LMA in partnership with Colorado Media Project and the Colorado Gives Foundation. Participation in this lab is not required to participate in the year-end #newsCOneeds campaign or to receive a matching grant from CMP.
Does CMP still plan to support the #newsCOneeds campaign and offer matching grants to Colorado newsrooms in 2024?
Yes. More information about the 2024 #newsCOneeds campaign will be announced later this summer. You do not need to participate in the LMA lab to participate in the #newsCOneeds campaign. However the 2024 LMA lab will be an in-depth opportunity for Colorado newsrooms and/or coalitions to learn more about philanthropic giving, and prepare projects and pitches that are responsive to community needs and well-positioned for philanthropic giving campaigns.
What is Colorado Media Project’s role in the Colorado News Philanthropy Lab?
CMP is helping to underwrite the cost of at least 12 newsrooms to participate in the state-level cohort with intensive support from LMA trainers and coaches. CMP staff will also support cohort member connections with local and national funders and community members at the CMP Summit on August 22 and via community-based focus groups or convenings.
How is the Colorado Gives Foundation involved in the lab?
Colorado News Philanthropy Lab participants will have the opportunity to set up fundraising pages, campaigns and special appeals on the Colorado Gives platform during the lab. CMP plans to run its annual #newsCOneeds matching campaign in partnership with the Colorado Gives Foundation in 2024 and beyond.