Registration is open for the inaugural Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit, a new conference dedicated solely to fundraising to support journalism.

Due to overwhelming demand, the Summit has been expanded to include a third day and will now take place from November 3-5. The Summit will be held virtually and will feature inspiring keynote speakers, interactive workshops, and networking opportunities. Check out the full line-up here.

The News Philanthropy Summit is free to attend and open to all — regardless of where you live and whether you work for a nonprofit or for-profit news organization.

You can view the full Summit schedule here. You can register for the Summit at this link.

The three-day Summit will be filled with panels, workshops, and networking events to cover topics that impact news organizations and their vital fundraising efforts. 

You can find the complete Summit schedule here, but some highlights include:

• Intimate “fireside” conversations with Stewart Bainum Jr., a Maryland businessman supporting local news in Baltimore, and Jim Brady, the Knight Foundation’s newly appointed vice president of journalism, that will offer funders’ perspectives on why they invest in journalism.  

• Mario Lugay, senior innovation director at Justice Funders, a firm focused on reimagining philanthropy, will join writer Micah L. Sifry for a conversation on how development professionals can help drive social change and develop deeper relationships with their communities. 

• The Inclusion Firm, a national consulting practice focused on developing inclusive strategies for organizational change, will lead two sessions.  Reshunda L. Mahone, the Assistant Dean for Advancement and Alumni Engagement at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School will offer an overview of national research trends in philanthropy for gifts focused on diversity, equity, and, inclusion. Chandra Harris-McCray, Vice Chancellor of Strategic Marketing and Communications at the University of Illinois Chicago, will lead a workshop focused on inclusive storytelling strategies for sharing impact.

• A roundtable discussion with New York Times Vice President of Philanthropy Sharon Chan; Fraser Nelson, the co-founder and managing director of the National Trust for Local News; Texas Tribune Chief Development Officer Terry Quinn; and Annie McCain Madonia, The Lenfest Institute’s Chief Advancement Officer. 

• A screening of the new documentary film “Storm Lake,” which depicts how the family-run, independent Storm Lake Times manages to continue its operations despite the ever-changing media landscape. We’ll also include a discussion with the film’s producer Beth Levison, Storm Lake Times editor Art Cullen, and Kyle Munson, president of the Western Iowa Journalism Foundation.  

We’ll share more details about additional sessions and workshops on topics such as human-centered storytelling, national research and trends in fundraising, grant writing best practices, and much more in the coming weeks. 

We can’t wait to gather together for the News Philanthropy Summit next month. You can register for the Summit here.