Two-step application process opens today; grants will fund solutions in priority areas of Audience, Operations, People and Revenue
(Nov. 13, 2024) – Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reimagining local news, is today announcing its Open Call on Infrastructure, providing up to $20 million for solutions to newsrooms’ common challenges.
Rapid changes have impacted every facet of the news industry, including how outlets produce stories, reach audiences, raise revenue, and cultivate talent. At the same time, a dramatic decline in the number of professionals at local news outlets has left many dedicated journalists running on fumes. This grant opportunity seeks to fund bold solutions that will make launching and sustaining local news outlets easier.
“Sustainability is a key challenge for most newsrooms. Each one needs behind-the-scenes tools and systems that can easily and cost-effectively help them get news to communities. At Press Forward, we’re looking for bold ideas and solutions to these challenges that benefit the broader local news field,” said Dale R. Anglin, Director of Press Forward.
Press Forward is particularly seeking replicable, scalable, or new ideas that address four priority areas:
- Building Audience: How can newsrooms attract new audiences and diversify and deepen relationships with existing ones?
- Strengthening Operations: How can newsrooms share staff or use tools and technology to become more efficient?
- Cultivating Talent: How can working in the field become more attractive, diverse, inclusive, and sustainable?
- Generating Revenue: How can local news outlets create more revenue from a wider range of sources?
Eligible applicants include Journalism support organizations and newsroom-led coalitions and collaborations. Only non-profits are eligible to apply as the lead applicant. For-profit organizations can participate as part of a group application, though the lead applicant for the proposal must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Applications are now open at pressforward.news/opencall. The application deadline for Phase I is 11:59 a.m. ET January 15, 2025. Top-scoring applicants that are most aligned with Press Forward’s areas of interest will be invited to complete a full application in February, 2025.
Recipients, to be announced in late spring, will receive grants of $500,000 to $1.5 million to build, test, and/or scale their ideas. Successful proposals will benefit multiple newsrooms and organizations and have the potential to impact the sector at large.
Press Forward is a growing coalition of donors committed to reimagining local news. The funding for this open call comes from donors who contributed to Press Forward’s Pooled Fund, housed at The Miami Foundation. In addition to raising money and awareness for local news, Press Forward has launched 31 local chapters around the country over the past year, where local leaders are raising funds and gathering support to strengthen their community through local news.
About Press Forward
Press Forward is a nationwide movement to strengthen our democracy by revitalizing local news and information. Press Forward’s growing coalition of 60+ funders has committed to invest 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 housed at The Miami Foundation. For more, visit pressforward.news.
For press inquiries, please contact Marika Lynch, communications @ pressforward.news.