At least 100 newsrooms nationwide will receive
around $100,000 each over two years in unrestricted funds
Small newsrooms or coalitions that provide original reporting in underserved communities are now invited to apply for a two-year grant of around $100,000 from Press Forward, the nationwide $500 million movement to reimagine local news.
Local news outlets or coalitions that fill coverage gaps for communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached or represented — and have a budget under $1 million — are eligible to apply now through June 12 at pressforward.news. Both non-profit or for-profit entities are eligible to apply.
Press Forward’s Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps will provide at least 100 news outlets with an expected $100,000 each in funding. The funding will be unrestricted, general operating support, allowing news organizations to spend it as needed to sustain and grow their operations.
“This is an exciting opportunity for Colorado newsrooms and coalitions to apply for funding and potentially be recognized as national exemplars of serving their communities,” said Melissa Davis, Co-Chair of Press Forward Colorado. “We know there are some wonderful initiatives here in our state. We encourage eligible Colorado newsrooms to sign up for free coaching from Lenfest to vet your ideas. CMP also stands ready to help our grantees and partners craft their ideas and tell a compelling story of their impact.”
Press Forward will host an information session about this opportunity on Thursday, May 9 at Noon MT. Applicants are also invited to join a Q&A with Press Forward staff on Monday, June 3 at Noon MT to work through any remaining questions they may have, before the June 12 deadline.
Before applying, be sure to read all of the details — available on the Press Forward website — including full eligibility requirements, grant priorities and evaluation criteria, and review process.
Press Forward is offering all applicants a free, one-hour grant writing session with a fundraising coach, courtesy of the Lenfest Institute; you can sign up here. CMP is also here to support Colorado newsrooms and coalitions, as they plan and prepare proposals; contact Sam Moody at sam@coloradomediaproject.com for more information.
DON’T QUALIFY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY?
This Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps is one of two that will take place this year, with additional calls for proposals in subsequent years. The second, this fall, will focus on local news transformation, with funding guidelines being released in the coming months.
Local news organizations that do not qualify for this round are still encouraged to complete an organizational profile on the Press Forward grantmaking platform JustFund, which coalition funders can utilize to search and find potential grantees that fit within their priorities.
HOW PRESS FORWARD WORKS
Press Forward is a national movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. A coalition of funders is investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news and scale infrastructure the sector needs to thrive.
Press Forward is investing funding in four areas: strengthening local newsrooms, closing longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advancing public policy that expands access to local news, and scaling the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. Today, the coalition includes 57 local and national funders, a number that has doubled in six months, and works in through:
Aligned Grantmaking: Foundations and donors invest independently and directly in local news initiatives, according to Press Forward’s funding priorities. To date, aligned grantmakers have invested more than $54 million in local news.
Local Chapters: Located in 17 communities across the country, these chapters bring together place-based funders to increase the financial support of local news. Press Forward Colorado, housed at the Colorado Media Project, can provide newsrooms interested in applying with guidance on application and project design, and connections to local collaborators or partners.
Pooled Fund: Open Calls, like the Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps, are through the Pooled Fund, where funders invest in promising models and solutions for local news.
Press Forward is housed at The Miami Foundation. For more, visit pressforward.news.