Media Impact Funders responded to a growing interest among funders regarding the role they can play in supporting news and community information by producing an updated version of Journalism and Media Grantmaking: Five Things You Need to Know and Five Ways to Get Started with support from the Wyncote Foundation. Dot Connector Studio’s Jessica Clark worked alongside Sarah Lutman of Lutman & Associates to edit the updated guide.

“Across America, funders are increasingly concerned about the vitality of journalism as a bulwark for our democracy,” observes Vince Stehle, the executive director of Media Impact Funders.

This booklet is a starter guide for foundations interested in exploring how to make impactful journalism and community-information grants. The original booklet was written in 2011 by journalist and consultant Michele McLellan with support from the John S. and James L.  Knight and William Penn foundations.

This updated version notes that foundations do not need to have a formal journalism program to make grants that support healthy news and information flows. Nor does a foundation need large dollar investments to get started. Even a small grant may help citizens in a given community or demographic gain access to credible information that will help them participate in civic life. We hope funders will find this guide helpful in their work and look forward to seeing the new investments and projects that emerge.