Get inspired with examples of philanthropy + local opinion journalism

How have local news organizations worked with philanthropic funding or community donations for opinion or commentary so far?

See this list of examples below, sorted by what the funding enabled. For each example, note the potential impact on the community.

Philanthropy has been used in local opinion journalism to:

1) Fund positions

News organizations that want to reimagine their opinion journalism need the capacity to experiment and make change. Some local media have worked with philanthropy and nonprofit sources to increase their staff:

• Example: Cover opinion editor position through local donations.

The Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation has supported The Desert Sun’s opinion editor position since 2021.

Impact: The community retained a public forum that would have otherwise disappeared.

• Example: Add a local column through grant funding.

The Chicago Tribune’s biweekly column on architecture is supported by a grant from a former critic administered by Journalism Funding Partners.

Impact: A topic relevant to the local community is regularly discussed.

2) Build proofs of concept

Local media can use small grants to demonstrate impact and make a case for greater change. Some have used experiment-sized grants (here, from the American Press Institute) to try new things and lay a foundation for more work:

• Example: Experiment and lay foundation for video.

The Arizona Republic experimented with more video in its opinion section via a grant from the American Press Institute, premised on the idea that many people have something to contribute to a local issue, but not all people will want to write a letter or op-ed.

Impact: More underheard community leaders participated in the dialogue facilitated by the paper.

• Example: Increase stipends to include more underheard voices.

The Wichita Eagle experimented with an increased budget to pay contributors, specifically for a personal essay series on underheard voices, via a grant from API.

Impact: Community members heard the triumphs and challenges of more of their neighbors.

3) Expand resources for engagement

Many local media see the value of in-person engagement but lack either the skills or resources to build momentum around the work. Some have used grant funds to get off the ground in-person engagement aligned with their goals:

• Example: Cover in-person convening to recruit more voices.

The Concord Monitor in NH used funding from the NH Humanities to hold in-person letter-writing workshops to bring in and empower more voices for its opinion section.

Impact: More community members learned how to contribute their voices through the paper’s public forum.

• Example: Support in-person event costs with local leaders.

Cardinal News (VA) used part of a grant from the American Press Institute to convene elected officials from opposing parties for a “Cardinal Way: Civility Rules” event on legislative priorities.

Impact: Community members saw political opposites come together civilly.

4) Spark topic-based conversations

Local media may want to enable greater commentary or conversation on key issues facing the community. Some have used topic-based funding to:

• Example: Augment commentary on a local issue as a one-off.

The Seattle Times has used funding from a mental health reporting grant to provide in-depth commentary on the same theme.

Impact: More community members are exposed to perspectives on a key local issue.

• Example: Complement reporting with commentary on issues featured by newsroom coverage areas.

CalMatters’ reporting highlights important issues facing the people of California  — which can empower commentary on the same theme.

Impact: More community members are regularly exposed to reporting and perspectives on key local issues.

5) Enable collaborations

Many organizations today may have limited resources but shared goals, which could lead to new ways to work together to better serve their communities. Philanthropy can encourage or make possible such collaboration:

• Example: Connect multiple news organizations for a joint opinion project.

The Blue Grass Community Foundation supported a partnership between engagement-focused CivicLex and the Lexington Herald-Leader’s opinion section, broadening the voices on key local issues.

Impact: More community members were exposed to points of view they may not have otherwise heard.

• Example: Help a news outlet partner with relevant non-news expertise.

The Fort Collins Coloradoan used a grant from the American Press Institute to begin a partnership with the Center for Public Deliberation at Colorado State University, which helped actively facilitate discussion as “Coloradoan Conversations.”

Impact: A new kind of community asset — an opinion forum — was built atop the prior newspaper practice.