The American Press Institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports local and community-based media through research, programs and products that foster healthy, responsive and resilient news organizations. It is an educational affiliate of the News/Media Alliance.

Most of API’s funding comes from investments accumulated throughout the organization’s history, which dates to 1946, including assets from the former Newspaper Association of America Foundation, which merged with API in 2012.

The American Press Institute also receives funding from individuals and philanthropic foundations that support our mission.

Other funding sources for API include revenue generated by its news products, such as Metrics for News and Source Matters, and its consulting services.

Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program

The Table Stakes Local News Transformation Program, a comprehensive change management program for news organizations, is underwritten by the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund. The fund is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Lenfest Institute for Journalism to foster “innovation in journalism, community engagement, technology and business models.”

API Inclusion Index

The API Inclusion Index assesses and improves how multiple news organizations in one geography or serving similar demographic groups connect with and cover those communities, while also improving their internal culture.

API Inclusion Index work in Western Pennsylvania is funded by the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, the Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Beyond Print

Beyond Print helps guide traditional newspaper organizations away from print models and toward a sustainable digital future with resilient business models focused on the changing habits and attitudes of news audiences. Beyond Print is supported by an anchor donation by the Andrew and Julie Klingenstein Family Fund with additional funding from The Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund, a joint initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism.

API Local News Summits

API Local News Summits are highly participatory, invitation-based events that provide a welcoming and collaborative space for media and journalism leaders to think boldly about the future of our industry. In 2023, the Templeton World Charity Foundation awarded API a grant to explore how news leaders and researchers outside of journalism can inform one another’s work, including in these summits.

Since 2022, API Local News Summits have been supported by many sponsors, with the majority of the funding providing travel scholarships for attendees. Summit sponsors have included the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Press Club, The Boston Globe, Emerging Leaders LLC, the Kiplinger Program in Public Affairs Journalism, Microsoft, the National Issues Forum, the Oklahoma Press Association, The New York Times, the Radio Television Digital News Association, Report for America, Solutions Journalism Network, Subtext and the Wallace House Center for Journalists at the University of Michigan.

General Operating Support

The Levi Strauss Foundation is an ongoing partner of the American Press Institute and since 2022 has twice awarded API funding to support its general operating budget.

Previous Support

Since 2013, the American Press Institute has received funding from the following organizations: the Boston Globe, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Democracy Fund, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, News Integrity Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY, the New York Times, the North Carolina Local News Fund, the Rita Allen Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, among others.

Tax Forms

2022 API Form 990

2021 API Form 990

2020 API Form 990