Case Study

‘Think about the vision and the world that you're building:’ How fundraisers are fueling the future of local news

Lessons from the 2026 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit

May 28, 2026

Candice Fortman and Cierra Brown Hinton at the Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit. Photo by Rachel Wisniewski

Reporting contributed by Jared Council, Poojita Darlapudi, Samiya Green, Kusshagra Mital, and Imahni Moise.

Fundraisers are powering the renaissance of local journalism across the United States by connecting communities to the mission of local publishers and providing opportunities for donors to invest in local news that improves the places where they live.

The resurgence of local news was top of mind for more than 500 news fundraisers, publishers, and funders from across the country for the 2026 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit last week in Philadelphia hosted by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Press Forward.

Over the course of the three-day event, attendees connected with peers to share strategies and sharpen their fundraising skills. While the field of news philanthropy has grown over the past several years, much work remains to be done to help individual donors and institutional funders understand why local news is a public good worth investing in.

“All of us in this room have a role to play in educating people about media funding. Media funding is nascent,” said Kayce Ataiyero, chief external affairs officer at The Joyce Foundation. “We need to connect the dots.”

Here’s how Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit attendees are thinking about their work to drive more sustainable businesses that can serve audiences for years to come:

Building value propositions that resonate with donors

News organizations excel at telling their communities’ stories, but they need to apply some of that same skill to telling their own stories to funders and donors.

“How you tell the story of your work is money in the bank,” said Cierra Brown Hinton, development director of Blue Engine Collaborative. “If you cannot communicate [your unique role] clearly to a funder or to a donor, you’re going to have a hard time making payroll.”

She and Candice Fortman, executive in residence at Blue Engine, advised news organizations to create a donor value proposition, which explains the problem your journalism addresses, who it serves, the impact it will create, and why your newsroom is uniquely positioned to do it.

For institutional giving, finding how your newsroom’s coverage aligns with their priorities is key. The Dallas Morning News secured funding for its Education Lab by approaching local foundations interested in education and the state’s future.

Similarly, other news organizations found that community foundations respond positively to messaging that emphasizes the value of civic infrastructure or by asking, “How can we work together to make our community better?” For Honolulu Civil Beat, this framing helped the organization transition from project-based funding to general operating support.

On the individual level, Press Forward’s Words That Work toolkit found that audiences respond better to positive, solutions-oriented messaging than to “local news crisis” narratives. Focusing on journalism as a public good that addresses tangible issues like schools, taxes, and safety goes farther than abstract, sometimes polarizing concepts like saving democracy.

Even the simplest shifts in language can go a long way: Liz Wynn, chief supporter officer at The Guardian, said the organization refers to individual gifts as “contributions” rather than “donations” to help audiences feel part of a collective effort.

“Cast a very wide net,” said CatchLight Director of Development Lizzy Gilbert. “Don’t think about news and journalism. Think about the vision and the world that you’re building.”

Approaching major funders

Trust-building is often slow, relational, and issue-based.

“Get your elevator pitch down, because you’re likely not to have a lot of time in that initial approach,” said Ataiyero of The Joyce Foundation. She advised making a quick, compelling case for what you do that shows passion and excitement. “Know who your audiences are, how you’re reaching them, and how you know that they find value in the work that you’re doing.”

You won’t be able to make the ask right away, but don’t underestimate the value of small, consistent contact over time. As funders get to know your work, they may warm up to supporting you or introducing you to others in the community who may be aligned with your work.

“It doesn’t need to be face to face, it does not need to be in a three-hour conference call, it just needs to be touchpoints,” said Jordan Reese, director of media relations at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

AI tools for fundraising

Fundraising is focused on human connection and alignment around shared values, and it always will be. But like most professions in 2026, there are AI tools available to help you streamline your work.

Across the three days of the Summit, attendees shared various ways they’re incorporating AI in their work: Comparing local demographics to donor bases, creating audience personas to drive more targeted engagement efforts, quickly combing through grant applications to determine eligibility, or finding areas of alignment through foundations’ annual reports.

Among the most common uses was the creation of custom prompts or GPTs to help streamline campaign messaging or grant applications — strategies which can prevent you from starting from scratch every time, said OpenCampus CEO Scott Smallwood.

Michael Tortorello, chief growth officer at Sahan Journal, said membership campaigns are a great place to start, as you likely already have several examples of language that works.

“If you have five or 10 examples where you’re like, ‘wow, that’s really who we are’ … wherever you are in your GPT generative journey, you can plug that in to get a better output,” Totorello said.

All proponents of AI tools emphasized “owning” the output. Depending on how you use it, generative AI is merely providing a first draft or a final edit, and you’ll still need to devote an ample amount of time to ensuring the text makes sense and sounds like something you’d write. Mitchell Bloom, VP of local partnerships at American Journalism Project, said this is especially important when applying for grants, as you don’t want your applications to sound repetitive or similar to someone else’s.

Fundraising is only one part of the revenue mix

While the conference’s focus is on philanthropy, it’s no secret that philanthropy is cyclical: Funder priorities can shift over time, and grant renewal is not guaranteed. Even if your news organization is a nonprofit or frames itself as a public service, it’s important to diversify your revenue streams, just like cultural institutions such as museums or universities.

Press Forward and LION Publishers’ sustainability audit highlighted key gaps in the news industry: Only 17% of publishers surveyed have more than six months of reserves, and around 60% have no full-time product or tech staff.

A common misconception is that philanthropically-funded newsrooms can’t also have subscribers, but several publishers are proving the two funding models can coexist, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Baltimore Banner, and The Daily Memphian.

Beyond individual donations, subscriptions, and membership programs, fundraisers can support revenue generation through community engagement efforts, collaborations with local businesses, and events. Spotlight Delaware is only two years old but has rapidly expanded its revenue streams, with events playing a significant role. The organization is on track to double last year’s revenue, having raised over $100,000 this year alone from event ticket sales and sponsorships.

Every organization’s revenue mix will look different depending on its audience, its business model, and its capacity. But getting creative with efforts, reaching across organizational silos to collaborate with business and editorial teammates, and taking inspiration from others doing similar work can go a long way in driving sustainability.

“There will always be a way out of no way, because we live in an abundant environment regardless of whether or not someone is cutting you a check right now,” said Fortman of Blue Engine, whose previous experience as executive director of Outlier Media helps her advise other news businesses. “It wasn’t always pretty, it wasn’t always easy… but 10 years later the organization still stands.”