Time flies, as the saying goes, when you’re having fun. It also passes quickly when you’re working hard and tackling significant problems nationwide. And for me, the past year with Press Forward has flown by at a remarkable pace.

From the start, Press Forward has redefined what’s possible for journalism philanthropy. As an unprecedented coalition of funders, it’s not just supporting local news — it’s fundamentally reshaping how communities invest in trusted information. With a $500 million-plus commitment, the initiative has united national and local funders, aligned grantmaking strategies, and prioritized equity in journalism funding.

As associate director, I’ve had the privilege of helping launch our local chapters, where funders and community leaders come together to build support for local news in their own backyards. Press Forward Director Dale Anglin and I have spent much of the past year traveling to meet chapters across the U.S. While every community is unique, the need we hear is the same: People want access to reliable local news and information. Our goal is to make that happen.

To mark Press Forward’s first year — the initiative publicly launched in September 2023, and I joined as associate director in April 2024 — I wanted to reflect on some of the biggest lessons we’ve learned so far.

1) It takes time — and deliberate outreach — to make the case. 

Raising money for local news is a relatively new idea with unique challenges and opportunities. Securing support from funders, donors, and philanthropists requires intentional outreach — building trust through one-on-one meetings, community events, and consistent messaging. Getting people on board takes time, and, for those coming from the fast-paced world of journalism, adjusting to this pace can be a challenge.

But the long game pays off. “Almost everyone we brought on board was skeptical in the beginning,” Nancy Van Milligen of Press Forward Northeastern Iowa shared at a fundraising panel during Knight Media Forum 2025. Shortly after launching their chapter in May 2024, she met with three wealthy individuals in the community. They each gave $5,000 — a modest start. But by November, after learning more about the importance of funding local news, they contributed a combined $200,000. “Don’t see that first visit as the only visit,” Van Milligen said. “You have to work your case, bring potential donors along, and let them know you’re counting on them.”

Laying this groundwork takes time, but the results are clear: Local chapters in North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, Illinois, and New Jersey have already made significant grants, with more funding flowing into newsrooms throughout this year.  As Jesus Garcia-Gonzalez of Press Forward San Antonio put it, “Take as much time as you need to do it well, and do it at the speed of your community.”

2) Everything starts from the ground up. 

Making the case to local funders begins with a deep understanding of a community’s news needs. That’s why most Press Forward chapters start by researching their local news ecosystem — mapping where and how residents get their news and information.

Press Forward San Antonio’s approach to this work stands out. They removed common barriers to participation in research surveys by meeting people where they are. Instead of asking residents to attend events, they traveled directly to underrepresented communities, provided translation and literacy support, and offered food and compensation for survey and focus group participants. “We didn’t ask people to come to us,” Garcia-Gonzalez said. “We went to them — we traveled distances and were able to be in their space, on their time.”

This kind of information-gathering is essential. By identifying coverage gaps and community needs, chapters gain a clear roadmap for where to invest, and how to make the greatest impact.

3) You can’t do this work alone.

Recognizing this early on is key to a chapter’s long-term success. From the beginning, Dale and I have observed that Locals can accomplish a lot with limited staffing. It’s impressive — but may not sustainable in the long run. This is hard, groundbreaking work, and to do it well (and for the long haul), chapters need to be realistic about their team’s capacity and develop a plan to fill in the gaps. (And for those outside of the Press Forward network, it’s worth noting that for most Locals, the time they devote to this initiative is in addition to their regular job duties.)

Capacity looks different for each chapter. It could mean hiring contractors, partnering with other funders, or collaborating with local universities. In South Florida, for example, the team hired a consultant with local roots and deep journalism industry experience, filling a critical need. In North Carolina, they brought on a communications firm to document success stories and help funders see the utility of funding local news.

And in Minnesota, the local chapter created host and grantmaking committees with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, including making connections with potential donors, reviewing grants, and offering guidance on strategy and policy.

No chapter can do this work alone, and trying to do everything in-house is a recipe for burnout. Press Forward South Florida’s Nikisha Williams sums it up best: “I knew enough to know that I didn’t know everything. And so we hired really well.”

4) There’s no one right way to do this work. 

One of the biggest lessons from working with Press Forward Locals is that there’s no single formula for success. What works in Central Appalachia might not work in Miami — even down to the language funders respond to. Every chapter is different, shaped by its community’s priorities and challenges, which means the solutions will look different, too.

The last thing we want to do is be prescriptive and say, “This is how you run a chapter.” That wouldn’t work. Instead, each local is finding creative, thoughtful, and sometimes surprising ways to build something that makes sense for their region. In Southwest Pennsylvania, for example, a university and five local foundations co-lead. In Southern Arizona, a group of concerned residents kickstarted their chapter and continue to serve on its advisory board. And in Silicon Valley, they’ve gotten creative with fundraising, organizing smaller “salons” within their community.

This learning-as-we-go approach requires curiosity and openness — qualities all our chapters have in common. And we’re doing our best to follow their lead.

5) Collaboration lightens the load.

We’re building something new here at Press Forward, which is, of course, challenging, but collaboration makes the work easier — and more rewarding. Every day, I see chapters working together in big and small ways, from sharing knowledge to coming together in a crisis, which is what we saw happen last fall in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

Lizzy Hazeltine and the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund (home to Press Forward North Carolina and Press Forward Charlotte) worked together with the Appalachian Funders Network (home to Press Forward Central Appalachia) to best support local journalists and other relief efforts after the storm. AFN — which already had a rapid response fund system in place — established the Appalachian Helene Response Fund, and Hazeltine and her team got to work amplifying their efforts while they deployed their own grants alongside. Together, the chapters were able to more quickly and effectively support “the people who were hurting the most,” Hazeltine said.

This kind of collaborative approach is built into Press Forward’s DNA. Having a network to lean on and learn from is absolutely essential, and we do our best to make it easy for chapters to join forces — whether by providing toolkits, organizing working groups, or hosting in-person convenings. No chapter has to figure it out alone, and doing this work together helps us all remain extra motivated, innovative, and hopeful.

One year down. Onto the next!

I’m proud of what Press Forward has accomplished in its first year, and I know there’s still plenty of work ahead. Revitalizing local news is a massive undertaking — one that requires patience, deep listening, creativity, collaboration, and persistence. These are the very qualities that define our local chapters.

As we enter year two, expect to see more resources for local chapters, more stories of journalism funding making a real impact, and many more grants at both the national and local levels. Here’s to building on this momentum and achieving even greater things — together.