logo logo
Donate
    • Membership
    • Donate
  • Social Justice
    • Racial Justice
    • Climate Justice
    • Disability Justice
    • Economic Justice
    • Health Justice
    • Immigration
    • LGBTQ+
  • Civic News
  • Nonprofit Leadership
    • Board Governance
    • Equity-Centered Management
    • Finances
    • Fundraising
    • Human Resources
    • Organizational Culture
    • Philanthropy
    • Power Dynamics
    • Strategic Planning
    • Technology
  • CONTENT TYPES
  • Leading Edge Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Webinars

New Philanthropic Initiative Aims to Scale Nonprofit Journalism

Jim Schaffer
October 12, 2018

October 10, 2018; NiemanLab

The American Journalism Project (AJP) is a new initiative with the goal of scaling sustainable business models for nonprofit newsrooms. AJP pledges to provide growth capital and intensive coaching and eventually catalyze $1 billion in annual financial support for independent local news. AJP has raised $400,000 to date from two sources so far, a mere down-payment on its audacious goal to raise $50 million to support 25 to 35 local news outlets that will implement “sophisticated commercial media strategy and tactics supported by a step-function increase in journalism philanthropy.” Even that $50 million is a small step on the group’s longer-term goal to raise $1 billion in capital to support local journalism.

The need for local news to support and strengthen democracy is something regularly examined by NPQ (and here) and by many others. Access to local news is a public good that benefits all. This type of community-based information is at once the most at-risk and the most necessary to nurture an informed and engaged citizenry. Others, like the Lenfest Institute for Journalism (and here), are supporting local news in communities of interest, such as Philadelphia. In its funding, AJP is applying a “venture philanthropy” approach that comes high levels of funding with hands-on education and mentorship.

Elizabeth Green and John Thornton (an experienced venture capitalist), the founders of Chalkbeat and the Texas Tribune respectively have joined forces to create AJP. The group aims to scale existing efforts “to support the local news our democracy deserves.”

Sign up for our free newsletters

Subscribe to NPQ's newsletters to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

After the 2016 election, Green told [reporter Christine Schmidt], “I asked myself what is the one thing I could do beyond what I’m already doing to stand up for democracy.” As a joke, she’d floated the idea of raising $1 billion to propel mission-driven local news to friends—but then she started to think about it more seriously. “You know when you’re trying to quit an addictive habit, you tell people, and then they hold you accountable?…I was like: My part can be using the skills I’ve used at Chalkbeat to take this clearly good idea and make sure someone accomplishes it. I had this side project of trying to organize people around it, like community organizing.”

AJP donors will be invited to support news projects AJP believes have long-term potential. A “venture philanthropy partner” will be attached to each AJP grantee. These experienced partners will help the grantees build their news organizations, source additional funding and business alliances, and help build the newsroom teams.

But there are many questions in our minds as we consider this model. Do we really want “patrons” of these new democratic entities to step in to remold the field we have fought so hard to create after turning loose the last set of capital holders? Is that better for democracy than just giving nonprofits healthy multiyear grants and pointing them towards their colleagues at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)?

The NiemanLab article opens with some of the ways local newsrooms have tried to survive financially over the past decade, and there are many. A venture capital approach does have its strengths, but it also can embed weaknesses. It will be interesting to watch the results—which, by the way, we will be able to do because of the excellent documentation of this emerging field now being performed by INN.—Jim Schaffer

About the author
Jim Schaffer

The founders of Covenant House, AmeriCares, TechnoServe and the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp were my mentors who entrusted me with much. What I can offer the readers of NPQ is carried out in gratitude to them and to the many causes I’ve had the privilege to serve through the years.

More about: Nonprofit JournalismNonprofit NewsPhilanthropy

Our Voices Are Our Power.

Journalism, nonprofits, and multiracial democracy are under attack. At NPQ, we fight back by sharing stories and essential insights from nonprofit leaders and workers—and we pay every contributor.

Can you help us protect nonprofit voices?

Your support keeps truth alive when it matters most.
Every single dollar makes a difference.

Donate now
logo logo logo logo logo
See comments

You might also like
Get Funds Flowing: Lessons from the Boston Foundation
Candace Burton
How to Fix the Nation’s DAF System—a $250 Billion Question
Jon Pratt
Trump Budget Bill Spells Trouble for Nonprofits
Isaiah Thompson
Outsourcing Cost of ‘Impact’ Data Could Mean 13 Percent More Bang for Every Charitable Buck
George E. Mitchell
New Survey Highlights Concerns of Black Women Voters
Rebekah Barber
Donor Base Continues to Decline, FEP Report Says
Aashna Miharia

Upcoming Webinars

Group Created with Sketch.
July 24th, 2:00 pm ET

Organizing in Divided Times

The Relational Infrastructure We Need to Protect Democracy

Register
Group Created with Sketch.
September 24th-25th, 2:00 pm ET

Advanced QuickBooks for Nonprofits

Expert Guidance for Experienced QuickBooks Users

Register

    
You might also like
A group of people standing in a circle with their hands together.
Get Funds Flowing: Lessons from the Boston Foundation
Candace Burton
A maintenance worker wearing a union t-shirt inspects subway car parts at Coney Island Yard, an industrial facility.
How to Fix the Nation’s DAF System—a $250 Billion...
Jon Pratt
US Capitol Building
Trump Budget Bill Spells Trouble for Nonprofits
Isaiah Thompson

Like what you see?

Subscribe to the NPQ newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

See our newsletters

By signing up, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of use, and to receive messages from NPQ and our partners.

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Copyright
  • Donate
  • Editorial Policy
  • Funders
  • Submissions

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

 

Non Profit News | Nonprofit Quarterly
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.