Lenfest News Philanthropy Network: Corporate Giving Series

To help publishers explore and expand their corporate support efforts, The News Philanthropy Network organized a series of workshops covering the essentials of corporate fundraising

News organizations are increasingly turning to corporations and businesses as part of their fundraising strategies. By tapping into both corporate marketing budgets and social responsibility or foundation programs, there’s an opportunity for publishers to grow their revenue.

To help publishers explore and expand their corporate support efforts, The News Philanthropy Network organized a three-part series of workshops covering the essentials of corporate fundraising and key strategies for how to build relationships with businesses in your community.

Here’s an overview of each session:

Session 1 — March 16, 2023

Texas Tribune Chief Revenue Officer April Hinkle and Block Club Chicago Director of Development and Community Engagement Maple Walker Lloyd joined Emily Dresslar, Director of RevLab at The Texas Tribune, for a discussion on the basics of corporate support. April and Maple shared how their organizations are thinking about building and growing their corporate revenue strategies, the different approaches for working with businesses, and the key questions they navigate as they build these revenue streams.

Session 2 — March 23, 2023

Johanna Derlega, The 19th’s chief revenue officer, lead a conversation about how news organizations can build internal cultures to enable corporate sponsorships and gifts while still maintaining editorial independence and ensuring the integrity of their newsrooms. Derlega provided insight into her experience at The 19th*, a nonprofit newsroom covering the intersection of policy and gender, and lead an interactive discussion to facilitate peer learning.

Session 3 — March 30, 2023

The final workshop featured a series of case study presentations and conversations discussing replicable best practices. Brian Flath, associate director of corporate support at WSIU, shared how the public broadcaster, based in Southern Illinois, leverages corporate support as part of matching campaigns. Libbie Sparadeo, who leads community engagement and partnerships for VTDigger, shared how the nonprofit works with local businesses of color across Vermont.