Was happy to report on this for @lenfestinstitute.org www.lenfestinstitute.org/solutions-re...

As local news faces tough business realities, philanthropy has become an essential revenue stream. A new Wyncote Foundation report breaks down how philanthropy is powering successful digital publishers — and what it takes to build a sustainable newsroom. drive.google.com/file/d/1tKkj...

Teaching audiences about what nonprofit status means and why their support is essential is a key obstacle for new nonprofit news orgs. The Two River Times shares how it used audience research data to teach audiences about its business model and create membership campaigns that truly resonate.

What does it take to build and sustain a high-impact newsroom? The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a sesion on April 9 with @spotlightpa.org on its growth and lessons on diversified fundraising, governance, and the economics of independent journalism.

🚨 The Lenfest Institute is hiring a part-time Communications Contractor to assist with day-to-day communications activities. In this role, you’ll help us coordinate grant announcements, manage press relationships, and support social media and newsletter production. Apply:

Positive Pittsburgh press 👏📰🎉 The assets of Pittsburgh’s renowned alt-weekly City Paper have been sold to social entrepreneur Chris Maury, who will operate a new nonprofit organization called LocalMatters. The Lenfest Institute is pleased to serve as fiscal sponsor and advisor to LocalMatters.

What does it take for a news org to thrive amid economic, consumer, and political challenges? @spotlightpa.org may have some answers. In a new case study, we look at how it has become a pillar of PA’s news ecosystem, providing coverage for more than 125 news orgs across the state free-of-charge.

🚨 Register now for a free Lenfest Audience Community workshop on mastering qualitative audience insights happening Thursday, March 28. Ariel Zirulnick will show participants how to turn audience research into clear, actionable insights that can take your audience strategy to the next level ⬇️

The Lenfest Institute was founded by the late cable magnate Gerry Lenfest in 2016. Nearly a decade later in 2025, the Institute committed $13.6 million in grants to local news orgs — serving as a reminder of how philanthropic support can power the industry, writes Brier Dudley of @seattletimes.com.

Today, we’re pleased to share The Lenfest Institute’s 2025 Impact Report, including updates on our work on the use of AI to help local news, our investments in news creators reaching new audiences, and our enduring commitment to support the digital transformation of America’s local newspapers.

When treated as living infrastructure rather than a one-time deliverable, news ecosystem research can guide your strategy for years to come. The Knight Communities Network created a guide to conducting more actionable research as part of its “Building a Thriving News Ecosystem” series:

We're so excited to welcome 10 news creators to the Project C Creator Cohort at #ONA26 in partnership with Project C and @journalists.org! This year's cohort includes hyperlocal creators whose focus centers on building community relationships & doing the kind of reporting that often goes uncovered.

If an AI assistant could build one solution for anything in your news business, what would it be? More than a third of newspaper execs we surveyed with Blue Engine Collaborative described an AI solution focused on sales, whether it's for ad targeting, automated proposals, CRM tools, or beyond.

Can AI save local news? @wsj.com reported how @inquirer.com is expanding its coverage with the help of AI by scanning community meetings in suburban areas for topics that may prompt follow-up from a journalist, such as zoning for an ICE detention facility or a proposal for a new data center.

Calling all Pennsylvania newsrooms: There's still time to submit a proposal to the Big Idea Competition! If you've got big, testable ideas that address revenue generation, policies to support journalism, ecosystem mapping, or community engagement, the Keystone News Summit wants to hear from you ⬇️

Finding the right story to tell about your org takes time, but it’s worth the effort. The Lenfest Institute’s Knight Communities Network has been working to help publishers make the case for local news — and we’re sharing what we learned + templates to help you strengthen your own messaging ⬇️

1/ Today, we’re announcing a $150K grant to @sfstandard.com to develop an AI-powered news app that reimagines how audiences interact with local information, moving beyond static articles and allowing readers to engage with local reporting in real time. www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-ne...

If you’re at #KMF26, join us in the Brickell Ballroom at 1 p.m. tomorrow to learn about the Lenfest AI Collaborative & Fellowship Program in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft. The showcase covers innovative AI use at 6 newsrooms, including @seattletimes.com, Chicago Public Media, & @inquirer.com

If you’re at #KMF26, join us in the Brickell Ballroom at 1 p.m. tomorrow to learn about the Lenfest AI Collaborative & Fellowship Program in partnership with OpenAI and Microsoft. The showcase covers innovative AI use at 6 newsrooms, including @seattletimes.com, Chicago Public Media, & @inquirer.com

We’re pleased to announce the participants for the 2026 Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange News Creators Network, which builds partnerships between independent news creators and local news organizations. Please join us in welcoming the fellows 🎉

After year-end giving wraps up, many fundraisers wonder: How can we set the stage for deeper engagement over time? That's why the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a free a workshop on practical ways to steward first-time and one-time donors. Register now and join us Feb. 12:

Threats to Constitutional protections + powerful business and technological changes represent both opportunity and existential risk to local news. It remains to be seen whether we will be able to meet the moment. But at the Local News Summit, attendees were in agreement: Our work must evolve.

Recent events in Minneapolis underscore the need for independent local journalism, writes @dicktofel.bsky.social. At the Lenfest-Aspen Local News Summit, leaders tackled urgent questions on AI, next gen audiences, and First Amendment threats as our industry — and country — faces a turning point.

We're announcing a $25,000 matching grant in support of @startribune.com’s Local News Fund.   The world is watching Minneapolis, and local journalists are working tirelessly to keep their neighbors informed and hold power to account. Please join us in supporting their work.

And we’re off! Excited to kick off our annual Local News Summit in San Antonio with @lenfestinstitute.org. Leaders across media, philanthropy & tech will collaborate on solutions to sustain independent, high-quality local journalism. Last year’s reflections 👇 www.aspendigital.org/blog/urgent-...

As the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s closure looms, @inquirer.com’s business strategy serves as a model to replicate, writes Publisher Elizabeth Hughes: “[H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest’s] donation allowed The Inquirer to modernize & transform from a legacy print shop to a modern multiplatform news organization.”

🎉 The Beyond Print program is awarding $400K in grants to support business transformation at 11 independent local newspapers nationwide. Funding supports experiments to reduce print reliance, grow digital revenue & reach younger audiences.

Successful fundraising efforts rely on identifying your biggest opportunities & prioritizing them accordingly. The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is hosting a workshop on Jan. 29 with Rebecca Forman, chief development officer at Report Local. Join us for practical donor screening strategies ⬇️

“To save, reinvent, or perhaps replace the Post-Gazette, it is instructive to look at recent local news investment in Philadelphia and Baltimore.” After the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette announced its plans to close, @jimfriedlich.bsky.social explores paths forward for the city in an @inquirer.com op-ed.

Amid growing challenges with third-party platforms, newsrooms are prioritizing direct, reliable connections with their audiences. To explore new ways to engage readers, we’re partnering with SMS platform Subtext to conduct a pilot program at six Statewide News Collective newsrooms ⬇️

Calling all Philadelphians: We’ve got a new tool to help you stay up to date on the city policies that matter to you most. Every Voice, Every Vote just launched the Solutions Progress Report, a one-stop shop to help you track various initiatives launched by city government to address key issues ⬇️

Cheers to 2025! Join the Lenfest Communities of Practice on Dec. 16 at 1 p.m. EST / 10 a.m. PST for a year-end celebration. We’ll reflect on the year, share wins and surprises, and peek at what’s ahead for our communities in 2026. Members of all Lenfest communities are invited to join.

Are you interested in joining us for the 2026 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit? Mark your calendars: If you’d like to attend or pitch a session, the call for participation form is opening this Thursday, Dec. 11, at noon EST / 9 a.m. PST.

Every Voice, Every Vote intentionally created opportunities for its partners to connect and learn about each other’s work. The result? More than 200 instances of collaboration across the coalition — all of which developed naturally.

Applications are open for the Philadelphia Media Founders Exchange Creators Network, which supports partnerships between media founders and news-focused creators. If you’re interested in applying, don’t miss this virtual info session happening Monday, Dec. 1 at 4:30 p.m. EST:

“Independent journalists usually don’t have teams who can evaluate potential funders. So what can you do to ensure a funder is ethically aligned?” @lizkellynelson.com of Project C & Mollie Muchna of @trustingnews.bsky.social share tips for assessing funders + funder disclosures for creators.

At the @newsproduct.org Summit, Meena Thiruvengadam says concerns about safety shifted the conversation around audience engagement: “In a world where people can be barred from crossing borders because of a post or like online, newsrooms may have to rethink the way they measure success.”

Happening tomorrow: Join the Lenfest Communities of Practice for 2 webinars ⬇️ 1. Don’t let valuable audience research sit on the shelf! Ariel Zirulnick joins the Lenfest Audience Community at 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST to share how orgs can use audience data to inform product & editorial strategy:

“If journalists want to be viewed as trusted messengers, they have to get clear about what sets their product apart.” As part of the Creator Journalism Trust and Credibility Toolkit, Mollie Muchna from @trustingnews.bsky.social shares how transparency can take creator journalists to the next level:

Creator journalists are already beginning to play a key role in reaching diverse audiences. But “without intentional investment,” writes @lizkellynelson.com, “many of these voices risk fading just as they are beginning to prove their value to the wider information ecosystem.”

Every Voice, Every Vote is launching a new Community Conversation event series next week: Join residents, educators, policymakers, and journalists for “Reimagining Education — Funding, Accountability, and the Future of Learning in Philadelphia” on Monday, Nov. 17, at 5 p.m. at North 10.

Today we’re announcing $1 million in new investments to support partnerships between content creators and publishers that unite the rigor and infrastructure of established newsrooms with the innovation and cultural relevance of creators. These investments include two grant programs 🧵 ⬇️

In last week’s general election, the unprecedented happened: Voter turnout in Philadelphia reached a 20-year high as 35.4% of registered voters cast ballots in races for district attorney, city controller, and state and local judgeships — higher than that of any recent Philly mayoral election.

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Lenfest Expert Network, a free service connecting local news orgs with consultants who provide hands-on support to strengthen sustainability, audience engagement, and digital transformation. Learn more about how to join:

As year-end giving season approaches, now is the time to inspire deeper support for local journalism. Join the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network for a workshop this Thursday, Nov. 6 at 2 p.m. EST / 11 a.m. PST to learn about a new messaging toolkit for local news created by Press Forward.

Is your local news organization looking to reduce its reliance on its print product? Apply now for Beyond Print grants, which support experiments in accelerating digital sustainability. Applications are open now through Nov. 17:

Artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism — but how can you use it responsibly and effectively in your daily work? Join us in Philadelphia on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 p.m. EST for a free, hands-on, in-person workshop designed specifically for journalists, editors, and audience professionals.

Creator journalists are becoming essential components of local news ecosystems. But how can news funders determine which creators are credible sources of local news and worthy of investing in? The Creator Journalism Trust and Credibility Toolkit is here to help.

Save the date: The Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit is returning in 2026! Join The Lenfest Institute, Press Forward, and hundreds of local news fundraising professionals from around the world from May 18–20, 2026 in Philadelphia 💸💡🤝

Independent local newspapers: Apply now for Beyond Print grants, which support experiments to reduce reliance on print, accelerate digital sustainability, embrace new distribution platforms, and reach new and younger audiences.