Led by NewsMatch, 155 nonprofit news organizations unite on annual Giving Tuesday to strengthen their collective voices
Nov. 27, 2018: NewsMatch, the largest grassroots campaign for nonprofit news, is uniting newsrooms around the country on Giving Tuesday as part of a nationwide #GivingNewsDay to support trustworthy journalism. The day is intended to drive as many donations to nonprofit news as possible to sustain quality journalism that keeps communities informed. #GivingNewsDay will leverage the energy and momentum in the nonprofit community on Giving Tuesday to increase support for nonprofit journalism which covers vital issues facing our nation and local communities, from education to the environment to the economy. #GivingNewsDay is a chance for people to support the issues they care about and the journalists who report on them.
The Institute for Nonprofit News congratulates 49 INN members for their awards from the Facebook Journalism Project to bolster their coverage of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
As the Director of Technology, Adam is responsible for the planning, implementation and measurement of INN’s technology initiatives, including Project Largo, INN’s open-source WordPress content publishing system built specifically to support the needs of long-form news publishers.
Voting ballots have been distributed to the voting representative of each INN member. INN will continue to send reminders to the voting representatives until the deadline, June 22 at 4:30 p.m. PST.
Laura Frank of I-News Network, Robert "Rosey" Rosenthal of the Center for Investigative Journalism, the St. Louis Beacon's Margaret Wolf Freivogel and Chuck Lewis of the Investigative Reporting Workshop all return to their organizational oversight and support roles on the INN Board.
At yesterday's INN Annual Meeting, Board of Directors Chair Laura Frank announced the results of this year's election for member representative positions. This was the most diverse slate ever to run for the INN board, and it was a truly competitive process with seven candidates vying for four positions. The newest members of the board are Erika Dilday, CEO and executive director of INN member Futuro Media, and Ron Smith, editor/program director for INN member Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service and an instructor of practice in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication. Re-elected to the board were Marcia Parker, CEO and publisher of CalMatters, and Norberto Santana, Jr., publisher and editor in chief, Voice of OC. "Having the most diverse slate ever, in addition to healthy competition, for our board of director positions is another sign of the deep dedication our members have to INN and its mission to strengthen and support public service journalism," Frank said.
Starting in September, CrowdTangle will provide INN members with access to programs, resources, and 1:1 support to help them report on how content is being shared across social media. Over the past few years, CrowdTangle has seen investigative journalists globally use their online tool to discover stories and report on the spread of public content across social platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. As we get closer to the US 2020 election, while continuing to confront a global health pandemic, the ability to track and fact-check viral content is as critical as ever.
CrowdTangle has also recently built a new hub for investigative journalists that includes multiple resources for how to use CT in investigative journalism. This is accessible for any CrowdTangle user, so they can learn how to use the tool to find stories and report more broadly on social trends whether it relates to upcoming elections, COVID-19, or local stories. Outlets that don’t have access to CrowdTangle can apply to be immediately onboarded here or by reaching out to support@crowdtangle.com.
INN will continue to support digital and innovative technologies, networking among its members, and the pooling of resources for cost efficiencies among its members. It will also continue to promote the highest standards in journalism.
Cross is a journalism business consultant who has helped launch and position new initiatives in digital media and worked with both commercial companies and nonprofits to generate new revenue and craft communication strategies.
Kevin Davis becomes the first leader of the newly formed Investigative News Network. He joins INN most recently from The Wrap.com where he served as the chief operating officer.
INN Labs has great news for journalists who are looking for an easy way to add editors’ notes or other kinds of additional information to their articles that provide greater transparency and can build reader trust in their coverage.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
An optimal donation page is key in acquiring new donors and retaining them. The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) conducted an audit of member donation pages in summer 2018 to help members optimize donation pages ahead of year-end fundraising and has also aggregated additional resources that are currently available. DONATION PAGE OPTIMIZATION RESOURCES
With the start of NewsMatch, this is the time to create optimal donation pages to increase donations by year-end. Take advantage of more help from INN and friends in the following ways:
1. If you need web development help on your donation page, the INN Labs team can assist.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
LOS ANGELES, April 23, 2019 — Eleven mid-career professionals from nonprofit newsrooms have been selected for the second INN Emerging Leaders Council, a peer group nominated by their organizations for their potential to lead the growing nonprofit news sector. Council members meet for a year to work on news industry challenges using design thinking, expand their support and mentorship networks, and develop professional skills in product development, business and leadership. This is the second council formed since the program began in 2017. “There are growing opportunities and needs for a new generation of news leaders, and the Emerging Leaders Council creates a network supporting top talent for the field,” said Sue Cross, INN’s executive director and CEO. “This year's applicant pool and cohort are the most diverse we’ve seen — racially, ethnically, and also by the type of news outlet, reflecting the growth and variety in public service journalism.”
The Emerging Leaders Council is funded by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation as part of a broader INN initiative to build business, strategy and leadership skills in nonprofit news organizations.
In recognition of the essential role of nonprofit news organizations in covering the COVID-19 crisis, a rapid-response effort to support journalism will kick off on May 5 in conjunction with #GivingTuesdayNow — a global day of unity from GivingTuesday. More than 200 nonprofit newsrooms have been invited to create giving pages on NewsforGood.org, a new website created by the Institute for Nonprofit News to help donors find trusted local and investigative newsrooms to support. News Revenue Hub, the American Journalism Project, and NewsMatch are also supporting the campaign. “Nonprofit journalists are on the frontlines of this public health crisis,” said Sue Cross, executive director of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), which supports more than 250 independent news organizations across the United States. “We are seeing reporters in our network going above and beyond, taking risks, and breaking stories before traditional media outlets learn of them.”
Nonprofit newsrooms are providing an essential service during this pandemic, as daily and weekly newspapers in communities across the country are furloughing reporters or shutting down entirely.
“This crisis drives home the need for local, accurate information — and a nonprofit business model to support that journalism that relies on public support, not advertising,” said Jason Alcorn, managing director, strategy and operations at the American Journalism Project.
In recent weeks, larger members of the INN network like ProPublica and CalMatters have published groundbreaking stories that have been picked up by mainstream media outlets, while smaller organizations have used their innovative thinking and topical expertise to tell the stories their constituents needed to hear, for example:
When Detroit began suffering one of America’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreaks, the staff of Outlier Media expanded its text-based coverage of housing and public utilities for low-income residents to include healthcare, safety, and childcare.
As research director and editor, Roseman will run INN Index, an annual study and the most comprehensive source of data about the emerging nonprofit news field. INN's more than 300 members work as an innovation network reinventing and rebuilding journalism as a public service.
Spranger will provide direct services to our members by conducting research on potential philanthropic prospects and reporting research results to members.
The additional members signal growth in the organization of more than 100 nonprofit news organizations that produce a diverse range of journalism from local, state and regional news to single-subject enterprise reporting.
Business strategy, entrepreneurship and media executive Fran Scarlett has been named director of programs and services for the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN).
The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is pleased to recognize the launch of the Global Investigative Journalism Network as an independent nonprofit news organization.
Google News Initiative and INN released the Nonprofit News Guide to Earned Revenue — a comprehensive "playbook" showing nonprofit newsrooms how to grow revenue from display advertising, event sponsorships, sponsored content, and other earned revenue sources.
ByAdam Schweigert, Senior Director, Product and Technology |
The goal was to help them become more effective at managing technology at their organizations while also providing an introduction to design thinking and product management.
International business and strategy consultant Hsiu Mei Wong has been named to the board of directors of the Institute for Nonprofit News, a nationwide network of investigative and public service news outlets.
ByLisa Williams, Director of Revenue; General Manager, Impaq.Me |
INN's new sharefunding tool, Impaq.me has been tested wtih 12 nonprofit news sites. In a NiemanLab post, Ken Doctor shares how the Center for Investigative reporting has used the tool.
Join INN at Temple University in Philadelphia on Oct. 3 for a special one-day business planning intensive for nonprofit news leaders. You’ll get training and coaching from top advisers in two key areas for nonprofit newsrooms: Audience development and sales.
The Institute for Nonprofit News is launching an updated INN Learn site with new resources for people starting and running nonprofit sites. The biggest addition is the Startup Guide, where INN has collected answers to thousands of questions INN fields from folks exploring how to start a news organization. INN will continue to build these resources and collect new questions from founders during free monthly startup info sessions. The guide walks news site planners through key steps in starting a nonprofit news outlet. From building a mission to creating a board of directors, the Startup Guide is a resource for those asking the questions: Should I start a news outlet?
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, responding to a news media job market in crisis due to the COVID-19 virus, is collaborating with two non-profit news organizations to provide graduating students with paid internships and reporting grants to support their transitions to professional journalism. The Columbia Journalism School Internship and Grants Program will support as many as 25 full-time, 10 to 12-week paid internships at non-profit news media companies through a partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News. And separately, the Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting has established a dedicated $50,000 fund to award grants, each one generally under $5,000, so graduates can continue work on their theses or develop other freelance stories to be pitched for publication. The new investments in graduating students complement existing postgraduate fellowships and grants at the Journalism School which fund investigative reporting, international reporting, and coverage of the media at Columbia Journalism Review. The new effort recognizes that the media environment, constrained by safety practices to contain the COVID-19 virus, has created extraordinary challenges for the class of 2020, as news organizations reduce, postpone or eliminate internship programs and other positions.
LOS ANGELES — Nov. 7, 2017 — The Emma Bowen Foundation (EBF) and the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) are partnering to provide students of color with summer internships at up to eight nonprofit news organizations in 2018.
The Institute for Nonprofit News (formerly the Investigative News Network) announces eight INNovation Fund winners in its third round of funding for a total of $223,810.
With the INN Network Philanthropy Center, the Institute for Nonprofit News has created the first one-stop-shop for nonprofit newsrooms seeking to increase their success at fundraising.
Along with 40+ organizations that stand against political misinformation and manipulation, the Institute for Nonprofit News calls on Facebook to withdraw its cease and desist demand for the Ad Observer plug-in tool.
While some will continue to attack the media, we will continue to support our members as they deliver fact-based information about the issues essential to the well being of our people and our democracy.
INN members and other newsroom leaders who want to sharpen their branding and marketing positions and cultivate more major donors are invited to register for two special INN events in June:
June 13-14, 2018
Renaissance Orlando at SeaWorld
#INNDays2018
Thank You for attending INN Days 2018! About INN DaysSpeaker BiosIRE Conference
Save the date for INN Days 2019 on June 12-13 @ Marriott Marquis in Houston, in conjunction with IRE
INN Days 2018 was presented with the generous sponsorship of The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
Missed the event? Check out the tweets and read the recap from Nieman Labs. Plus, view the pix on our Facebook page.
The Institute for Nonprofit News is accepting nominations for the 2019 INN Emerging Leaders Council, an initiative to identify and support current and future leaders in nonprofit news. Generous support for the 2019 program year is being provided by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation. The nomination deadline is March 15, 2019.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
Twenty nonprofit news media outlets, including INN, welcomed back Emma Bowen Foundation Fellows into their organizations for a second summer. The program is part of INN’s strategic initiative to cultivate a diverse talent pipeline essential in propelling the nonprofit sector’s innovation and growth, with generous support from Democracy Fund.
All but one fellow returned to the same nonprofit news organization. Fellows, who are college students, are placed inside nonprofit news organizations for eight-week internships focused on news media business, technology and editorial. The list of participating INN members and fellows are:
BenitoLink
Francisco Romero
San Jose State University, Software Engineering
CALmatters
Adria Watson
Sacramento State University, Journalism
The Center for Public Integrity
Laura Zornosa
Northwestern University, Journalism and International Studies
Chalkbeat - Detroit
Imani Harris
Northwestern University, Journalism
Chalkbeat - New York
Camille Respess
University of Florida, Journalism
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Norah Mulinda
University of Virginia, Media Studies and Psychology
The Chicago Reporter
Elly Rivera
Northwestern University, Journalism
The Connecticut Mirror
Maya Moore
University of Connecticut, Journalism
The GroundTruth Project
Milan Polk
Northwestern University, Journalism
Institute for Nonprofit News
Nikita Advani
University of Southern California, Business Administration
International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
Zshekinah Collier
American University, Justice and Law
Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (Louisville Public Media)
Jewél Jackson
Syracuse University, Newspaper & Online Journalism with a minor in Communication & Rhetorical Studies
MinnPost
Tiffany Bui
University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Professional Journalism
The New Food Economy
Kamari Stewart
Pace University, Digital Journalism
Next City
Natalia Rommen
University of Pennsylvania, Communications and Political Science
Politifact
Sophie Austin
American University, Journalism
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
Domonique Green
Howard University, Graphic Design
Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting
Simmone Shah
Barnard College of Columbia University, English with a Writing Concentration
The Texas Tribune
Troy Closson
Northwestern University, Journalism
The fellows are already making an impact inside INN member organizations. For Jewél Jackson, a junior majoring in newspaper and online journalism with a minor in communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University and an editorial intern with the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, this is her first experience inside a nonprofit newsroom.
Encino, California — The Investigative News Network, a 501(c)3 membership organization of over 100 nonprofit news organization, announced today that it is refining its mission and changing its name to the Institute for Nonprofit News effective immediately.
The nonprofit news technology team at INN Labs is gaining new leadership with the appointment of Kay Lima as acting director and Paula Baradello to a new position as account manager.
CHICAGO — June 29, 2017 — The Institute for Nonprofit News, an incubator and support network for nonprofit newsrooms with 120+ members organizations across the U.S., is launching Amplify News -- a news distribution, placement and partnership hub to expand the reach and impact of news coverage from Midwestern communities.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
The Institute for Nonprofit News is partnering with the Missouri School of Journalism to create four graduate internships with support from the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation as part of a new diversity initiative this summer called the Knight Nonprofit News Internship Program. The internships are part of an INN initiative to develop a diverse workforce and advance the fast growth of nonprofit newsrooms.
Four graduate students will work in small newsrooms, which will position students to learn more about the business side of news and the emerging business models in journalism. The four INN member newsrooms who will be hosting the interns include VTDigger in Vermont, The Conversation in Boston, radio station KCUR in Kansas City, and inewsource in San Diego. Meet the students who will be interning inside INN member news organizations this summer:
Peng Chen, who is studying data journalism, will help with a variety of tasks, including data collection, reporting and studying analytics at VTDigger. Samuel Manas, who is studying investigative journalism, will help grow newsletter subscriptions and audience engagement at The Conversation.
Members of the Institute for Nonprofit News will soon have low-cost access to LexisNexis, a powerful reporting and research tool, thanks to a new partnership with the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation. As part of the partnership, INN members will have heavily discounted access to two key LexisNexis tools — LexisNexis News and LexisNexis Diligence — as well as a guaranteed price for the LexisNexis public records tool, SmartLinx. Members can choose from the available options to create the LexisNexis tool that makes the most sense for their organization. "In my time with INN, the single thing I've heard from members most often is, 'Can you help us get affordable access to LexisNexis?' I'm so glad that we can finally help nonprofit newsrooms get lower cost access to this powerful reporting tool," said Jonathan Kealing, INN's chief network officer.
LOS ANGELES — September 12, 2017 — INN announces the inaugural cohort of the LEAP initiative, an executive program designed to help senior leaders of established nonprofit news organizations navigate strategic challenges to advance their growth and impact.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
Six more leaders selected for LEAP Initiative to advance strategy and scale for nonprofit newsrooms
LOS ANGELES — The Institute for Nonprofit News announces the spring class of the LEAP initiative, an executive program designed to help senior leaders of established nonprofit news organizations navigate strategic challenges to advance their growth and impact. The six experienced executives selected for the spring class will work together to address their strategic challenges with support and guidance from INN as well as subject-matter experts and business coaches. The participants for the Spring 2018 session are:
The cohort met June 12 for their first meeting in Orlando, Fla. in advance of INN's annual conference, INN Days 2018, where they participated in business leadership workshops alongside INN's Emerging Leaders Council and major gifts training programs. Members also attended the conference. Led by INN Director of Programs and Services Fran Scarlett, the LEAP Initiative is a leadership program designed to help senior managers of well-established nonprofit news organizations seeking to update or change strategy or move to the next level of growth.
LOS ANGELES – October 08, 2019 – The Institute for Nonprofit News today released a case study on results of an INN pilot program that tested strategies and tools the nonprofit news field can use to increase major donor support for their work. The study found that even small investments in major donor programs can reap major results. For eight of the nonprofits in the pilot, the increases in major donor giving ranged from between 9 percent to 367 percent, and collectively they raised $1.7 million in net new revenue. Securing funding is the fundamental challenge of the emerging nonprofit news field. Gifts from individuals contributed provide nearly 70 percent of all U.S. nonprofits’ charitable donations in 2018, according to GivingUSA.
LOS ANGELES — Dec. 11, 2017 — Members of the Institute for Nonprofit News can receive discounted charity registration and compliance services under a new partnership between INN and Charity Compliance Solutions announced Monday. Nonprofit news organizations are required to register in any of 41 states if they actively solicit donations or have donors residing in those states. As public support grows for nonprofit news organizations, those expanding fundraising through email and other campaigns often need to register in multiple states.. The growth of online donations has made compliance even more of a challenge, and many nonprofits find it more cost- and time-effective to work with a charity registration firm than handle their own registrations throughout the year.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
Twenty fellows participating in the Emma L. Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media program for students of color are helping Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) members, along with INN, this summer, as part of a new partnership.
This is the first time the foundation placed fellows who are college students and recent college graduates from its summer fellowship program inside nonprofit news organizations for eight-week internships focused on new media business, technology and editorial.
The Investigative News Network has joined more than 50 other signatories to a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder in opposition to the U.S. Department of Justice's unprecendent subpoenas of Associated Press reporting records.
The Institute for Nonprofit News is launching a pilot program funded by Google News Initiative (GNI) that will enable a cohort of well-established nonprofit newsrooms to increase their earned revenue from sponsorships. Currently, income from sponsorship of content or events makes up a small portion of revenue at most news nonprofits, but it has the potential to grow substantially larger.
The Policy for Editorial independence is intended to set expectations for donors to member organizations and maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue.
The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) has received $200,000 from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for general support of INN and for video training for INN member groups.
Today, INN announces eight newsrooms selected for the first-ever cohort for the Ignite Sponsorship, a pilot program funded by Google News Initiative that will enable well-established nonprofit newsrooms to increase their earned revenue from sponsorships. Currently, income from sponsorship of content or events makes up a small portion of revenue at most news nonprofits — in INN’s 2019 Index, revenue from earned sources made up on average 12% of the 108 reporting organizations’ total revenue. INN sees sponsorship as a significant revenue growth area for our members. “I’m really excited about the potential for members to build their organizational capacity to grow earned revenue and further reduce their reliance on foundation support, said Fran Scarlett, INN’s Chief Knowledge Officer. At the end of the program, INN expects cohort members, with the tools, training and coaching provided, to be able to increase their earned revenue by a minimum of 15% with a target of 30% growth by June 2022.
Investigative News Network CEO Kevin Davis expressed disappointment and concern over the vote by the Wisconsin State Legislature's Joint Finance Committee to evict a nonprofit, nonpartisan investigative journalism center from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
INN is excited to announce a new pilot distribution partnership with Nextdoor, the hyperlocal neighborhood communication platform. The company has seen a significant increase in user engagement since early March, with users taking to the platform to connect to their communities digitally during the pandemic. As part of this agreement, geographically-based INN members will share their content with Nextdoor, which will inject links to stories on member website into the Nextdoor news feed in places where it makes sense. All the traffic will be directed to member sites. “We’re very excited to have INN members’ high-quality content in front of more people who will appreciate it most — in the neighborhoods where the news is happening,” said Jonathan Kealing, INN’s chief network officer.
Challenges abound when conceptualizing a new nonprofit news outlet or navigating the early days of a launch. INN created the Nonprofit News Springboard to boost the skills of people facing those challenges through coaching on business planning, leadership, and funding strategies as well as connection with a supportive community of nonprofit news leaders. “Forming a value proposition, navigating fundraising and communicating vision is complicated, and early-stage nonprofit news leaders are called on to wear dozens of different hats,” said Sara Shahriari, INN’s director of leadership and talent development. “Springboard connects these leaders to each other and provides strategies and support to help their organizations thrive.”
This program is free of charge to selected participants and is funded through the generosity of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “INN’s objective for the Springboard program is to provide these news entrepreneurs with the fundamentals for success early in the life cycle of their organizations, to accelerate their journey through the start-up phase when organizations are most vulnerable,” said Fran Scarlett, INN's chief knowledge officer.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
Larry Horne joins the Institute for Nonprofit News on June 10 in a new role as development director, based in New York. Horne will lead INN’s revenue strategy with a focus on establishing a major gifts program and diversifying the grant funding portfolio that supports services, programs and growth for a network of more than 210 member newsrooms.
Horne brings more than 30 years of experience in fundraising and nonprofit management to INN, including senior roles at the National Coalition Against Censorship, The Public Theater, the Trust for Public Land, AIDS Service Center NYC and the Hedrick-Martin Institute. In addition to his work with the National Coalition Against Censorship, Horne's media involvement has included programming consulting work for KCET, a Los Angeles PBS station, the Independent Television Service, and documentary film production. Horne began his nonprofit and fundraising career as the founder and executive director of Outfest, an Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival, which he grew into a leading film festival during his 15-year tenure. Most recently, he was the senior capital campaign director at the Green-Wood Historic Fund, and prior to that, executive director of the American Friends of Blérancourt supporting the Franco-American Museum, Château de Blérancourt in Picardy, France.
Texas Tribune publisher and chief operating officer, Tim Griggs, joins the INN Board. His experience includes work with The Times and a Knight Foundation funded fellowship with the Tribune.
CHICAGO — March 19, 2018 — Northwestern University’s Medill School and the Institute for Nonprofit News will collaborate on a new course this spring offering graduate students experience building an audience for news and helping nonprofit publishers build engagement.
The Student Press Law Center will help INN member newsrooms based at universities deal with the unique set of challenges they face, including the navigation of relationships with universities and their policies, privacy issues, and the involvement of student reporters.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
A new leadership development cohort, serving senior leaders from INN members across the country, held its first meeting before INN Days 2019 in Houston, where group members participated in design thinking training and discussed common leadership challenges. Six people were chosen for the LEAD cohort after INN received feedback that people who were outside the group targeted by its Emerging Leadership Council could also be served by mentorship and training. Five of them were able to come together at the conference. “The group was formed because there were additional leaders further along in their careers that needed leadership and product development training when we announced the nomination for INN’s Emerging Leaders Council,” said INN’s Chief Knowledge Officer Fran Scarlett. All of the participants were nominated by their INN member organizations for their strength in nonprofit news leadership.
The Investigative News Networks (INN) is very pleased to announce the second year of our insurance subsidy program to assist member organizations in need and in good standing* Liability/Errors and Omissions’ insurance and/or Director and Officers’ insurance.
CatchLight, in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), is excited to announce the launch of the CatchLight Local Chicago Initiative — bringing Chicago-based news organizations, local visual journalists, and community members together to harness the power of visuals to better understand the long-term impact of COVID-19 on social equity in local communities.
The Democracy Fund has contributed an additional $200,000 to fund the fourth round of the program, which will enable a broader field of grant recipients.
Nonprofit online news outlets and public media in the U.S. are invited to apply for the fourth round of the INNovation Fund grant program, announced Tuesday by the Institute for Nonprofit News.
The Institute for Nonprofit News, formerly known as the Investigative News Network (“INN”), began in response to the need and demand for high quality public service journalism.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
INN announced the release of the most comprehensive study of nonprofit news today, INN Index, thanks to generous support from Democracy Fund and the Ethics & Excellence in Journalism Foundation. The study was based on a survey of INN members conducted in the spring of 2018. Key findings from the study are: single-subject news is one of the fastest-growing sectors of nonprofit media, more than half of nonprofit newsrooms are generating more than $500,000 in revenue a year and are starting to diversify revenue sources, and two-thirds of resources typically go to editorial operations. The study also found opportunities for the industry: diversifying revenue sources, investing in business development and growing targeted audiences. To view the executive summary and read the full key findings, visit http://inn.org/innindex or download the PDF here.
The Institute for Nonprofit News is pleased to announce the members of the 2020 INN Emerging Leaders Council, an initiative to identify and support leaders who will advance the nonprofit news sector throughout the next decade.
Every day, I send out a newsletter with the best of nonprofit journalism from the Midwest, with an audience mostly comprised of nonprofit news editors. As the audience development specialist for INN’s Amplify News Project, I try to include other links that I’m seeing from the journalism industry that could be helpful for smaller outlets trying to grow their audience—events, trainings, guides, etc. The links for journalism award submissions are among the most clicked-on resources I share. Consistently. It’s no secret that journalists love awards.
Vivian Schiller and Neal Shapiro, who have been media leaders at both mainstream commercial and nonprofit organizations, have joined the board of directors of the Investigative News Network (INN).
The Investigative News Network continues to move forward toward nonprofit status, fundraising and a CEO search largely through the volunteer efforts of members.
After more than two and a half years, the IRS has awarded 501(c)3 nonprofit status to the San Francisco Public Press, a nonprofit, noncommercial local news organization that publishes in-depth public-interest news daily online at sfpublicpress.org and quarterly in a print newspaper.
Jeffrey Woolverton has joined the Institute for Nonprofit News as Network Philanthropy Director, a new position. Woolverton will lead INN’s Major Gifts initiative to transform fundraising capacity and increase major gifts across the INN network of more than 250 nonprofit news organizations. He will create shared resources, built on industry best practices, for INN member newsrooms to increase their skills for major gift fundraising, including identifying and developing relationships with individual donors. “This is an exciting time for nonprofit news organizations in the INN network. I hope to highlight the impact INN members have in our communities and inspire donors to give generously to support our missions,” he said.
LOS ANGELES — Josh Darby has joined INN Labs as a senior developer, and will be serving as a lead solutions architect of INN Labs’ publishing tools, WordPress framework, and large-scale projects to ensure they reflect and meet industry and client goals. Darby previously held senior developer positions at The Penny Hoarder, one of the largest personal finance websites in the country, and at web development agencies where he worked on high-traffic projects for nonprofits, universities, and companies such as Disney, FOX, and Cisco. Darby's full-stack expertise includes WordPress development, PHP, MySQL, Javascript, and Python and is experienced in understanding client needs and implementing development best practices. Darby is certified in Google Analytics and HubSpot development. He looks forward to applying his skills to advancing innovative solutions in media.
Join an INN Town Hall:
Challenges & Possibilities in Nonprofit News
Journalism lost a thousand jobs last week, a gut-wrenching cap to the loss of 40 percent of newsrooms jobs since the early ‘90s. It’s particularly devastating to local news. Gannett cut some 400 people, a loss that will be felt and grieved not only by journalists, but throughout states and towns losing reporters and editors, often in places where reliable local news already was getting hard to find. But there is this, and it’s important to think about:
These cuts are falling on a different landscape now. Because civic leaders are no longer waiting for a perfect answer to the puzzle of how to pay for local news coverage.
Smith will serve as INN’s primary member and client liaison for news organizations working with INN on custom digital development, and she will direct the enhancement of Largo, INN's open source WordPress platform.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation today announced a $6 million investment in three organizations that seek to create a strong support system for local newsrooms across the country through business development, training, networking and capacity-building resources: Institute for Nonprofit News, LION Publishers: Local Independent Online News, and News Revenue Hub.
Today the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is launching the News Giving Roadmap — a unique, comprehensive program designed to expand the capacity of our members to build sustainable revenue from individual donors including annual gifts, mid-range gifts, major gifts and planned giving. With support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Park Foundation, the News Giving Roadmap represents the start of a significant investment in fundraising capacity-building for members. Now, INN members will be able to access tools, training and resources to help them advance from wherever they are on the fundraising spectrum to the next level. For start-up newsrooms, the first step might be establishing a donor database, while for more established organizations it might be building the skills to pursue major gifts or to launch a planned giving program.
To identify an organization’s fundraising experience and capacity, INN’s Network Philanthropy Director Jeffrey Woolverton has developed an online self-assessment that is free to all INN members. The answers to this assessment will enable him to offer a customized “roadmap” for each organization including but not limited to tools for donor management and fundraising planning, training in how to solicit major gifts and encourage planned giving, and shared resources such as access to donor profiles and wealth screening software.
Directors of the Institute for Nonprofit News have elected Laura Frank, president and general manager of news at Rocky Mountain PBS, as board chair for the nationwide network of investigative and public service news organizations.
We do wish we could have had a less abrupt transition and we were unable to achieve that. But also we know that INN is far more important than one staff member or one board, and we know we need to focus on our future and INN's next phase.
LOS ANGELES — Miranda Krapf has joined INN Labs as a project manager, responsible for client-facing communications, management of project scopes, timelines, and successful deliveries. This new role at INN Labs will strengthen the outcomes of all design and development projects. Krapf's first day was March 14, 2019. Krapf previously held positions as project manager and business analyst at the University of Minnesota, where she developed experience in web and digital project management, particularly for nonprofit organizations. In her previous role, she managed technology projects for scientific research labs, academic technology initiatives, a wide variety of web and digital projects, and extensive freelance web development. Krapf is skilled in all aspects of scoping, planning, implementing and reviewing technology and web-related projects and has years of hands-on WordPress experience.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
LOS ANGELES, July 17 — Investigative journalist Mark Horvit is joining the board of directors of the Institute for Nonprofit News, along with three member representatives elected to the board. Horvit is an associate professor at the University of Missouri School of Journalism with deep experience in investigative and nonprofit journalism. He directs Missouri’s State Government Reporting Program, where he is focused on creating a new model for statehouse coverage. He previously served as executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors and guided IRE through significant expansion. Three member representatives were re-elected at INN’s annual meeting in Houston on Thursday: Laura Frank, vice president of journalism at Rocky Mountain PBS; Anne Galloway, executive director of VTDigger; and Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics.
Local Media Division of NBCUniversal is seeking applications from nonprofit news organizations in specific markets to enter into cooperative news gathering agreements.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
ORLANDO — June 14, 2018 —Nancy West, executive director of New Hampshire Center for Public Interest Journalism, is joining the Institute for Nonprofit News board of directors as one of three directors elected at INN’s annual meeting. Along with West, INN member news organizations re-elect Marcia Parker, publisher and chief operating officer of CALmatters, and Norberto Santana, publisher of Voice of OC. West replaces Lee Keogh, editor-in-chief of NJ Spotlight, who did not seek re-election. The three will each serve two-year terms starting June 2018 and running through June 2020. Sixty INN members were able to vote for a total of five candidates with three votes each. Other candidates who ran were Tom Gallagher of Religion News Service and Daniel Heimpel of The Chronicle for Social Change.
The nonprofit news movement was launched with the idea that not only the powerful should get to speak through the megaphone of the news media. Yet the reality of nonprofit news organizations lags these ideals. We talk about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as essential to our mission, but how do we measure up? Today INN is releasing the latest report from our periodic survey of member newsrooms: INN Index 2020: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Nonprofit News. This study is a reality check, and we hope an inspiration for nonprofit news organizations to do more to reflect the diversity of their communities, fight racism and build inclusive audiences.
LOS ANGELES -- Feb. 27, 2017 -- The Institute for Nonprofit News is launching a new program to support leadership and skills development for future leaders of nonprofit news organizations. The INN Emerging Leaders Council will provide training, professional development and peer support for 10 mid-career individuals in nonprofit news who have demonstrated the potential to become top executives and leaders of the nonprofit news media sector in the U.S.
Nonprofit news organizations have grown rapidly across the U.S. About 10 percent of INN’s 120 member organizations reported in 2016 that they were in the process of or had recently completed succession planning to name new leaders, often replacing the founding journalists. “Succession is a milestone in ensuring these newsrooms are here for the long haul and can keep serving and informing their communities,” said INN Executive Director & CEO Sue Cross. “We are excited to encourage and support these emerging leaders who can take the helm of nonprofit news organizations in the future.”
The Emerging Leaders Council is funded by the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, part of EEJF’s generous support of INN programs to advance investigative reporting and professional development for journalists.
Michelle Morgante joins the Institute for Nonprofit News on Oct. 12 to facilitate connections among members and build added support for the nearly 4,000 people now working in INN member news organizations.
The tempest around the Internal Revenue Service's practice of targeting conservative political groups has overshadowed the plight of nonprofit news organizations seeking tax-exempt status. Journalism startups have suffered delays of up to 32 months in a process that normally takes no longer than six months.
Use this step-by-step guide to build your news organization’s NewsMatch campaign
The Institute for Nonprofit News has launched a how-to guide on working with web analytics to provide newsrooms participating in NewsMatch 2019 with easy-to-use tools and examples to develop their fundraising programs. Nearly 200 INN members are participating in the nonprofit news annual fundraising campaign, which runs Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. The weeks leading up to the Nov. 1 launch are a critical window to prepare newsrooms’ campaigns.
The Google News Initiative and Abrams Foundation are investing a combined $1 million in the 2020 NewsMatch fund, bringing the program’s total investment in nonprofit news organizations to more than $5 million this year. The Google News Initiative’s $750,000 contribution will provide added support to the participating 266 newsrooms: every organization that raises $11,500 from its audience will receive an equal matching gift from NewsMatch and a $2,500 “GNI Bonus” totalling $14,000. GNI funding will also enable an award to newsrooms that bring on 100 first-time donors during the campaign cycle, from November 1 to December 31. As part of the GNI partnership with NewsMatch, all participating newsrooms will receive coaching and personalized support across GNI tools and training, including News Consumer Insights and the GNI Digital Growth Program. “The Google News Initiative has been focused on critical investment areas required for a healthy news ecosystem, including cultivating a new class of digital news startups and growing subscriptions and contributions for quality journalism,” explained Ben Monnie, the director for Global Partnerships Solutions at Google.
NewsMatch, the largest grassroots fundraising campaign to support nonprofit news organizations, launches today in newsrooms across the country and online at newsmatch.org. The campaign doubles donations to 155 nonprofit newsrooms in nearly every state across the country, starting today and running through Dec. 31, 2018.
Nonprofit finance executive Chip Potts joins INN this week as director of finance and operations, supporting the growth of the INN membership network, overseeing INN's fiscal sponsorship program and expanding the portfolio of business services and benefits for INN members. Potts previously was associate director and CFO of the Santa Monica College Foundation. He has more than 30 years of accounting experience, starting with a Washington CPA firm that specialized in audit reporting for nonprofit organizations and government contracting. He ran his own accounting and tax practice for 12 years in Arlington, Virginia before moving to California and joining the college foundation nine years ago. Potts brings INN and network members broad nonprofit experience in volunteer fundraising, board participation and civic leadership.
Two veteran journalists from nonprofit news organizations are running for opens seats on the INN Board of Directors this year. Elections will be happening on June 3, 2015.
Jules Shapiro joined the INN team this week in a new role to direct and lead INN’s marketing and communications strategies and editorial calendar for INN members, INN Labs, the general public and the greater nonprofit journalism community. She has a special focus on marketing member benefits and services along with advocating for nonprofit news across all marketing and communications channels.
LOS ANGELES — June 26, 2017 — Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the center for Responsive Politics and its OpenSecrets.org web site, is joining the Institute for Nonprofit News board of directors as one of three directors elected at INN’s annual meeting.
PEW releases a study of the for profit and nonprofit newsrooms, examining 46 newsrooms to examine transparency in funding and evidence of reporting bias.
ByLisa Williams, Director of Revenue; General Manager, Impaq.Me |
Entrepreneur Rafat Ali is joining the board of the Investigative News Network. Ali, who is currently the CEO of Skift, a media startup that covers the travel & leisure industry, was also the founder of PaidContent, one of the leading publications covering the business of online media. "We are delighted that Rafat Ali is joining the INN board," said Brant Houston, chair of the board of directors. "His stellar talent and knowledge in digital media - and his terrific entrepreneurial skills - will contribute greatly to the future of INN." "I am very excited to be joining INN's board and helping in any way I can," says Ali.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, INN’s partner for media law resources and pro bono assistance, recently introduced three new, free mobile apps that INN members likely will find indispensable in the field, both for on-demand legal guidance and for the reporting resource, StoryBase.
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 22, 2020 - Sara Shahriari has joined the Institute for Nonprofit News in a new role as director of leadership and talent development. Shahriari will lead three key initiatives – increasing the number of INN member newsrooms led by people of color or serving under-represented communities, growing the organization’s leadership training and mentoring programs, and expanding internship and fellowship programs.
Shahriari comes to INN from nonprofit news organizations. Most recently, she was managing editor of Georgia Public Broadcasting, and before that, assistant news director at KBIA, the NPR member station at the Missouri School of Journalism. She also was an assistant professor at Missouri and hosted an award-winning weekly public affairs program.
As Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot marks the first six months of her tenure, a collaboration of seven local news organizations is launching a series of articles addressing the Lightfoot administration’s progress toward its stated goals.
INN has three great opportunities for leaders of nonprofit news organizations who want to build the future of our network and this emerging news media space.
Sharene Azimi is a specialist in strategy and communications for cause-oriented organizations. As Communications Director for INN, she works to increase awareness of the growing field of nonprofit news. "I am amazed and encouraged by the growth of nonprofit journalism over the past decade," Azimi said. "I look forward to sharing the story of how nonprofit news organizations have fulfilled the need for information in communities around the country, and how they have uncovered truths that traditional news outlets have missed." Prior to joining INN in 2020, Azimi spent a decade as founder and principal of Mission Communications, providing organizational strategy, branding, communications planning, and marketing services to non-profits, universities, and foundations.
Spotlight News and the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) announced today that many of INN’s 250 member newsrooms will be aggregating their 2020 election coverage on Spotlight. Launched late last year, Spotlight News offers news publishers digital tools for both desktop and mobile applications and pledges to return to them 70 cents of every advertising dollar their content generates on the platform. Aspiring to be "the Netflix for news," Spotlight launched as a free experience for readers, who can create customized news feeds defined by publishers or by areas of interest. Through this arrangement with Spotlight News, INN members will feed their coverage into the Spotlight platform, where it will be featured on an Election 2020 dashboard along with coverage from other news outlets. "We are thrilled to be adding these widely-respected journalism names to our rapidly-growing digital platform," said Spotlight founder and CEO Tamer Morsy.
LOS ANGELES, April 24, 2017 — Ten mid-career professionals have been selected for the first INN Emerging Leaders Council, a peer group of leading business and news leaders who will meet for a year to work on news industry challenges, build support networks and develop professional skills. INN congratulates:
Jahna Berry, Director of News Products, Mother Jones
Natalie Choate, Director, Media Relations and Partnerships, The Texas Tribune
Lauren Fuhrmann, Associate Director, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Sarah Garland, Executive Editor, The Hechinger Report
Dave Levinthal, Politics Reporting Team Leader, The Center for Public Integrity
Ben Nishimoto, Director of Philanthropy, Honolulu Civil Beat
Brad Racino, Assistant Director, inewsource
Amber Rivera, Engagement Editor, Inside Energy
Paula Saha, Director, Audience & Donor Development, NJ Spotlight
Halle Stockton, Managing Editor, PublicSource
Jason Alcorn, council coordinator and nonprofit news advisor
Council members are mid-career professionals nominated by their organizations for demonstrating potential to lead their organizations and the growing nonprofit news sector. “The range of entrepreneurial talent rising in nonprofit news to create new types of journalism is incredibly exciting for the future of news,” said INN Executive Director & CEO Sue Cross. “We saw a very strong field of candidates and will work to expand this program to meet the breadth of interest and ability among our members.”
The group will be led by peer and member Jason Alcorn, a nonprofit news consultant and advisor. “We need insightful, innovative leadership that represents the diversity of news and diversity of the communities we serve, and this group reflects that,” said Alcorn.
Voices raised. Knowledge gained. Accountability. Inspiration.
Come read the stories that we all know about this year thanks to the work of nonprofit newsrooms.
Nonprofit newsrooms are reporting from all 50 states. That’s increasingly important as major news media cluster in New York and DC and hollow out reporting ranks throughout the country.
Announcing: Business strategy & planning help for nonprofit newsrooms! INN is excited to launch The INN Box: Business & Strategy Office Hours for INN member news organizations, starting Feb. 1. Most INN members went into business because of their passion for investigative and public service journalism, yet to sustain the organization, they’ve had to expand their business acumen. This juggling act can be challenging.
The Investigative News Network (INN) has received approval of non-profit 501(c)(3) status from the IRS, allowing the organization to directly receive grants from foundations and donations from individuals and continue its mission of supporting investigative journalism.
Today, the Institute for Nonprofit News joins journalists across the country in asking you, the public, to stand up for your rights to free speech and an open government.
This started as a campaign by the Boston Globe to ask the President of the United States to knock off attacking the news media. But the President’s attacks on the press aren’t ultimately about the press.
Anne Galloway of Vermont Diggers joins the INN Board of Directors, led by Brent Houston. The Board of Directors is elected in part by the member organizations.
ByJules, Director of Communications and Marketing |
More than 60 registrants tuned in live to INN's first Town Hall meeting last month to address the possibilities and what it takes to start your own nonprofit news organization. The hour-long presentation and discussion was led by INN CEO and Executive Director Sue Cross and INN's Chief Knowledge Officer Fran Scarlett. If you registered and missed the event or want to listen in on demand, view the video here or watch the recording embedded below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMiGjrl39Ls&feature=youtu.be
If you're interested in more information about starting your own nonprofit news organization, sign up for an INN Info Session for Start-ups, which are every other Wednesday. You can also learn more about the growing nonprofit news industry by reading INN Index, the most comprehensive study to date about nonprofit news here.
Public media strategist Courtney Hurtt joins the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) as the program manager for NewsMatch, the largest grassroots funding campaign for nonprofit journalism. Previously, she led collaborative initiatives to diversify audience and revenue for WDET, Detroit’s public radio station. As associate director of product strategy and operations, Hurtt created “Framed by WDET,” an award-winning series of community exhibitions that have appeared in more than 25 locations. “Independent journalism is an essential service that helps people navigate the world around them,” said Courtney Hurtt. “I am excited to step into a role at NewsMatch and scale support for nonprofit media organizations that provide the news and information that communities rely on.”
Hurtt will manage the NewsMatch program, which combines a matching gift campaign with tools, training and fundraising development for nonprofit, nonpartisan newsrooms that provide public service reporting.
RC comes to INN most recently from a marketing firm in Portland, Maine, where he's held roles as a developer, project manager, and product manager, focusing primarily on data-driven marketing programs and website performance metrics.
Mara Jezior is joining INN as membership and development coordinator, responsible for building the member community and strengthening INN’s individual and corporate development initiatives.
Across America over the last year, reporters in nonprofit newsrooms broke thousands of stories while pursuing journalism in the public interest. Here are some of the best from the 120 member newsrooms of INN: Fact-based and community-focused. Transparent and non-partisan. Reporting for you. Reporting by InDepthNH.org in New Hampshire helped free a man who was locked up for seven years even though he wasn't convicted of a crime — with most of those years spent in the state prison's psychiatric unit.
Images that tell powerful stories about homelessness, immigration and gun laws captured the top INN Impact Prizes for Nonprofit News Photos honoring photographers for their work in 2017.
INN Labs is issuing a major update to the Pym.js Embeds WordPress plugin, formerly known as the Pym Shortcode plugin, that improves presentations of data journalism.
As data journalism gains importance, this plugin can substantially increase the readership for news reports that feature data and save journalists time in presenting it.
The plugin enables news consumers to seamlessly engage with data journalism interactives across all devices using responsive design.