We’re awarding a flat stipend of $600 per attendee selected to receive a travel stipend. We aim to notify all selected attendees to receive a travel stipend by July 31 to ensure they have time to arrange flights and book hotels. Stipends will be paid the week following the event, and payment is contingent on checking into the event.

The application to apply for a travel stipend is below and will open on June 27.

To apply, you must be a LION member and be traveling to the conference. If you are a local publisher who may need lodging only, please reach out to summit@lionpublishers.com. Check here if you are unsure whether you’re currently a member.

If you have additional questions, please email summit@lionpublishers.com.

The post Last call: Apply to receive $600 in travel support to attend the Independent News Sustainability Summit in Chicago appeared first on LION Publishers.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what RJI does?

Kat Duncan, Reynolds Journalism Institute: RJI empowers journalists with knowledge, tools and funding to strengthen journalism through practical innovation. We tackle timely challenges, needs and gaps to help build safer, stronger, more equitable, diverse and inclusive journalism, news spaces and relationships with the communities we serve. We serve small newsrooms and community-centered journalists. It is incredibly rewarding because, in my experience, they are the most forward-thinking and excited to experiment to find new ways to better serve our communities.

Hayley: And what do you do at RJI? Why did you join the team?

Kat: I am the director of innovation; I lead our innovation team, which builds and manages all our innovative projects, tools, programs and initiatives. I joined RJI after years of working in newsrooms across the country as a visual journalist, editor and manager. I always loved managing teams in newsrooms but often felt like I wasn’t provided with the resources to support my teams the way they needed and deserved.

RJI offered me the opportunity to help journalists every day. I get to build tools, programs, training and opportunities that help them be safer and more supported and give them the cutting-edge skills they want — and I get to do it in a way that makes it accessible and affordable for them. It is truly an honor to do this work, and I am so thrilled every day I get to do it.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how RJI has helped a LION member collaborate with another outlet or institution, experiment with a new idea, or develop skills to improve their news business’s sustainability?

Kat: Last year, I launched our Community-Centered Symposium. I consistently hear from the newsrooms and journalists we work with that training and conferences are too expensive, and they have no support or resources from their newsrooms to access them. I also hear over and over that many small newsrooms and community-centered journalists often feel like they’re working on an island, without a like-minded network to share ideas or help them when they need it. 

So I built the symposium, which helps community-centered journalists not only access an innovation-driven journalism workshop at very little cost to them (we provide hotel rooms, two meals a day and some flight scholarships) but is also built to make the collaborative experience as helpful to their day-to-day challenges and needs as possible. 

Last year, we had our first cohort of 28 journalists who spent a weekend at RJI working and learning with each other and then went on to pursue new-to-them projects in their newsrooms. I have loved working with these journalists over the past eight months to support, build out and launch their ideas in their communities. I can’t wait for next year’s group to get started. If you’re interested in joining us in October, applications are open through June 28!

Hayley: What’s one actionable, practical, low-lift tip you want to share with LION members?

Kat: That innovation does not mean expensive, shiny or high-lift. You can do so many practical, useful and impactful things for your newsrooms and communities that won’t cost you extra money from your budget — the most important step is to free up some space and time to try something new. Start small, listen to your communities and don’t be scared to try something just for a few weeks or months and see what happens.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, academic institutions like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work?

Kat: I think everything we do should be centered around “How does this help the communities we serve?” I often see our industry get caught up in shiny trends or fall back on just continuing old-school traditions — rather than asking ourselves if what we’re doing truly serves those we’re here for. Are we listening to our communities or just assuming we know what they need? If we’re truly here for them, they will see that through our actions and choices, which is what will build trust and investment in our newsrooms and our future.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that RJI is working on that you want to preview for us?

Kat: We always have a few exciting things on the horizon! We’re currently building a toolkit with The Appeal to share how to implement their worker-led processes, structure and policies. We hope this will help newsrooms embrace equitable power sharing, thriving wages and care-centered policies for their journalists. We’re also building a resource with the KC Defender to show newsrooms how to replicate their community-centered initiatives and social strategy. We announced our 2024 fellows, who will all be working to build useful and much-needed resources for journalists starting in July.

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about RJI’s offerings?

Kat: I send out a newsletter once a month with all our innovation team projects, programs, workshops and opportunities. Just once a month, I promise. You can also follow me on LinkedIn or my team on Instagram. And, of course, my virtual door is always open; feel free to book time on my calendar to talk to me.

The post Igniting innovation: How RJI empowers independent news publishers to experiment with new ideas appeared first on LION Publishers.

The Bedford Citizen has been reporting on its community, Bedford, Massachusetts, for over ten years. Board President Elizabeth Hacala and Executive Director Teri Morrow say the Citizen has survived because of the dedication of its volunteer board of directors, which has functioned as a “working” board since its inception. 

But over time, Elizabeth and Teri began to notice that these volunteers were burning out. They wanted to transition from a “working” to a “managing” board and streamline tasks and decision-making to pursue new revenue growth opportunities. So they applied for LION’s Sustainability Lab for help with this challenge.

The Results

Through conversations with LION Sustainability Lab coach John Davidow, two things became obvious: The Citizen needed more revenue and more capacity — a classic “chicken and egg” situation. By combining several of LION’s financial and revenue templates and worksheets, they developed a customized spreadsheet that provides a bird’s-eye view of new revenue opportunities.

It includes the essential information you would expect such a tool to have, like columns for calculating expenses and assessing the potential return on investment for each idea, but it also assesses mission alignment, resource availability, financial feasibility, and, most importantly, staff capacity. Starting off strong, this master spreadsheet revealed nearly a dozen new and reimagined ideas. 

They started implementing those that already had a foundation and were a lighter workload lift. For example, they had been publishing obituaries for years but never charged for them, so they created a pricing framework and an Airtable intake form. They then started charging for public notices, which are similar in scope.

In addition, they decided to develop a mid-level donor program to convert existing supporters into larger donors. They utilized their spreadsheet to calculate how much staff time they could dedicate to this initiative now and in the future. Doing so helped them realize they would need to free up some of Teri’s time to accomplish this project, but it was doable. They selected a mid-level donor program over another project that would have theoretically brought in more revenue, but the capacity requirement for the other project was too steep for their current staff.

Another focus area for the publication is The Bedford Guide, a “resource for life in Bedford” mailed annually to every residence in town — and a substantial undertaking. One board member, Gene Kalb, volunteers more than 160 hours a year to the project, so the team devised a plan to streamline his responsibilities and shift some smaller ad renewals to the operations manager to focus the volunteers’ time where it has the most impact. This year, editing was handled by a board member emeritus, a current board member, and the managing editor. Next year, they are hoping to use funds raised by the guide to hire a dedicated editor. 

Moving forward, they will continue to use their spreadsheet to explore and experiment with revenue-generating ideas and start budgeting for stipends to honor volunteers’ time and work.

The Wins

• Created a master spreadsheet to track all revenue-generating ideas and calculate the corresponding return on investment (ROI) and capacity
• Pursued low-lift revenue opportunities for public notices and obituaries, while also developing a mid-level donor program
• Shifted roles and responsibilities for board and staff members to avoid burnout

Have a success story to share about the business side of your news business? Email the LION team at hello@lionpublishers.com!

The post How The Bedford Citizen prioritized its internal operations to pursue revenue growth and avoid burnout appeared first on LION Publishers.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what Indiegraf does?

Sam Hoisington, Indiegraf: Indiegraf offers technology and services to help independent publishers make more money and grow their audiences. Our tech bundle includes a website, ads manager, and newsletter platform, so you only have to work with one technology solution. Our audience and advertising support services are super flexible, from one-time project support to ongoing coaching.

Hayley: And what do you do at Indiegraf? Why did you join the team?

Sam: I have a pretty unique role here! I’m the publisher partnerships manager, working with prospective partners to figure out how Indiegraf can help them accomplish their goals. I’m also an Indiegraf network publisher myself through my work with The Bentonville Bulletin. As the company’s entrepreneur-in-residence, I blog about my experience with founding a news startup in our newsletter.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how Indiegraf has improved a LION member business’s sustainability?

Sam: One success story that’s personally very meaningful to me is our successful NewsMatch collaboration with The Buckeye Flame. With the help of Indiegraf senior audience strategist Emily Fearon, we helped them raise over $41,000, including matching funds. The Buckeye Flame is using the funding to cover a Report for America corps member, who will be the only known “Rural LGBTQ+” beat reporter in the country.

Hayley: Do you have any actionable, practical, low-lift tips you want to share with LION members?

Sam: Yes! I’m always looking for easy wins.

1. Recirculate your “old” content. If you have a daily or weekly newsletter, include the links from the last edition at the bottom of the new one. We did this at Madison Minutes, a daily newsletter I started in 2021 and sold last year, and the links for “yesterday’s news” were very popular.
2. Send more fundraising/subscription offer emails. If you do, you will almost certainly make more money. If you’re nervous about it, sign up for newsletters from a legacy newspaper or an established nonprofit outside journalism. In both cases, you’ll see they almost always send way more fundraising emails than indie publishers typically do.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, vendors like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work? 

Sam: Right now, news founders selflessly assume all of the responsibility and risk when launching a news startup. They often invest their own money, even when they personally don’t have many resources. In this way, local news founders are more philanthropic than Jeff Bezos or Bill Gates combined.

How do we reduce that risk? This is a societal problem — we should be supporting news founders way more comprehensively.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that Indiegraf is working on that you want to preview for us?

Sam: We’re in the early stages of expanding our growth services in the form of Indie Experts, project-based support across all aspects of running an indie news business. As of now, there are limited audience and ads/sponsorship growth services available on a one-time and recurring basis.

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about Indiegraf’s services?

Sam: If anybody wants to talk about Indiegraf — or news entrepreneurship in general — they can book a call with me here. Our website also has details on all of our products and services.

Indiegraf is a technology and growth services company that provides an all-in-one package for news publishers who need a website, email, and ad platform, as well as access to expert support under one umbrella. Learn more at https://indiegraf.com/.

The post An all-in-one solution: How Indiegraf helps independent news publishers save time and money appeared first on LION Publishers.

The Goal

Secure 50 new monthly supporters to hit 350 by the end of 2023.

The Approach

Leveraging $5,000 of their LION Sustainability Audit program stipend, they created a matching campaign to generate recurring monthly support. The campaign ran from December 12 to December 31, 2023.

The Impact

The Journal signed up 48 new monthly supporters, yielding $14,000 in projected revenue for 2024. Six months later, only one of those supporters has canceled their recurring contribution. ”This is why I love my Monthlies!” said Melanie. “Once they sign up, they are VERY faithful.”

How It Happened

On the heels of a successful Giving NEWSday matching campaign in November, The Journal launched the new matching campaign, appealing to their community across email, social media, and direct outreach. The campaign kicked off with an email to all subscribers with the subject line, “A Sustainability Grant of $5,000 has been set aside to award The Lansing Journal $100 for each new Monthly Supporter (up to 50) who signs up before the end of the year.”

The next day, they sent an email appeal to subscribers who had never given before: “If you’ve been enjoying The Lansing Journal, you’ve been benefiting from other people’s support. We need your support too, and now is the perfect time because of this matching gift.”

The Journal published a video on Facebook about the importance of the work, with an appeal for people to sign up as monthly supporters. Melanie and the managing editor popped up on Facebook Live throughout the campaign and asked people to give.

Melanie also used the campaign to deepen relationships with advertisers. She called local business owners to see if they would enroll as monthly givers in exchange for advertising, resulting in three ongoing advertising clients. Charging the advertising rate to their credit card as a recurring gift not only fulfilled the match requirement, but also freed Melanie up from having to sell and invoice advertisers each month.

The last few days of the year included a final flurry of email appeals:

• 12/27 – “This email is only 49 words”
• 12/29 – “Small gifts help too”
• 12/30 – “It’s New Year’s Eve and the matching gift expires soon”
• 12/31 – “New Year’s Eve afternoon”
• 12/31 – “New Year’s Eve evening – 11 more matches left”

While the initial concept of a matching campaign required some explanation, The Journal’s audience was ultimately eager to participate.

Melanie found appeals with a clear deadline – “Help us finish 2023 strong” and “Before you head out to your New Year’s Eve celebration, could you give one last gift” – and those that highlighted progress toward their goal of 50 supporters performed exceptionally well.

In addition to seeing what appeals resonated with their audience, Melanie learned what tools and processes best support fundraising campaigns. She tracks supporters in Mailchimp to ensure she’s targeting appeals accurately and in their CRM, Bloomerang, to manage donor and payment information. Keeping both up to date requires manual efforts, resulting in occasional discrepancies and another drain on her limited time. She also experimented with GiveWP, as it included a thermometer-style gauge to publicly track the progress of the campaign. She’s since moved away from that tool, particularly to avoid having another database to keep updated.

Melanie says the next steps are to get more efficient at tracking and managing data by setting up automations to connect her email service with her CRM and spending less time designing landing pages and giving forms. 

The Journal recently launched a new “summer promo,” where monthly supporters contributing at $15/month receive a t-shirt. An initial email to existing supporters prompted 12 to increase their monthly gift. A subsequent email to all subscribers yielded only two responses, perhaps suggesting that merch may be more motivating for engaged rather than potential supporters.

The Takeaway

The Lansing Journal took a unique approach to a fundraising campaign, setting aside $5,000 to frame a monthly support campaign as a matching campaign, motivating potential supporters to donate to unlock further support for the organization, which should yield nearly triple that amount thanks to the structure of the ask. Melanie also made repeated appeals to potential supporters on multiple platforms (email, Facebook, and Facebook Live for The Lansing Journal). 

The focus on cultivating recurring revenue is also important since that revenue is easier to forecast and plan against while also reducing the ongoing time devoted to raising reader revenue from one-off contributions.

Melanie’s final thoughts? “Matches work well. And repetition and a shorter time frame works well.”

The post How The Lansing Journal grew recurring reader revenue by 20% appeared first on LION Publishers.

Hayley Milloy, LION Publishers: What is your 30-second elevator pitch (or 75-word pitch) to a LION member on what BlueLena does?

Ned Berke, BlueLena: BlueLena is an independent publisher’s audience development back office. We’re collaborators, coaches and cheerleaders for our publishers, and serve as an extension of their teams. With experts in campaign management, audience growth strategy, tech stack management, newsletter and engagement product development, and donor/subscriber stewardship, we bring the technology and cross-disciplinary skillsets required to execute on sustainability goals and give publishers more time and resources to focus on what matters most: serving their communities.

Hayley: And what do you do at BlueLena? Why did you join the team?

Ned: I’m the Chief Strategy Officer, and since BlueLena’s primary product is strategy development and execution, I’m responsible for conceiving, delivering and refining our product offering — including how we collaborate with clients and the solutions we build for them. I’m also chiefly responsible for delivering on their audience and revenue goals. 

I was BlueLena’s first hire in 2021, and I joined because we’re driven by a mission to support independent news publishers — without limiting our support to coverage area, tax status or revenue model. We require only that our publishers serve their respective communities and are driven to do better every day and act with integrity and respect for their audiences. I’m a former LION publisher and one of the founding board members who helped write the original bylaws of the organization. I know first-hand the overwhelming challenges publishers confront every day, and when we envision solutions, it’s always steeped in these experiences and designed to continually lower barriers to sustainability. 

I could go on at length there, but I’ll leave it at this: independent local media is the backbone of democracy and an equitable civic ecosystem, but it’s increasingly outmatched by market forces, tech platforms and the resources of deep-pocketed corporate media. We work to level the playing field by making tools, technology and talent more accessible to independent publishers.

Hayley: What’s a recent success story you’d like to share about how BlueLena has improved a LION member business’s sustainability?

Ned: Oh gosh, we do this all day, every day, and it’s hard to pick one. We’re incredibly proud of the work we’ve done from pre-launch to ongoing management of some of the American Journalism Project grantees, including Mirror Indy, Springfield Daily Citizen and Spotlight Delaware. It’s so much harder to build audiences today than it was a decade ago, and these publishers found quick footing, produced impactful journalism, and today have the financial backing of thousands of readers. For Shawnee Mission Post (now Johnson County Post), we’ve pioneered robust subscriber funnel management tactics, rebuilt site technology and provided marketing guidance that’s grown and retained their subscriber base over four years. And the work we’re doing with Montana Free Press and CalMatters to leverage data and automation to grow large gift-giving pipelines and swell the mid-tier gift-giving numbers is so exciting because it stands to make non-profits far more resilient and less reliant on foundation and major philanthropic support.

Hayley: What’s one actionable, practical, low-lift tip you want to share with LION members?

Ned: Don’t be shy. Publishers are often afraid of coming off as needy or annoying and so they hold back when trying to engage readers, but they don’t realize how eager readers are to invest in work they believe in. Yes, readers encounter a lot of noise and you need to be respectful of that. But in reaction to the noise, readers are not looking for silence — they’re looking for signals! You need to make yourself heard.

Hayley: What’s one question you think the independent news industry — our members, vendors like you, support organizations like us, and funders — should be asking about the future of doing this work? 

Ned: Just one question? Fine. How do we turn the tide on the rising costs of independent media ownership and distribution? At least since the invention of the Gutenberg press, every technological advancement in the history of media has lowered barriers to independent ownership. That means more people with more ideas reaching more audiences — powering a thought marketplace that has accelerated our march toward a more equitable and just world. I think the last 10 years have seen a reversal in that trend; while the ideas still proliferate for now, they’re shared on channels that are not independently owned and that have been steering towards more moderation. It’s now more expensive, and requires greater investment in tools and talent, and still with no certain path to sustainability. That’s a huge risk, not just for the industry but for democracy. And since media spins off ever smaller margins, there’s not a lot of incentive for tech providers to invest in the innovation of affordable products that let independent media operators own their audiences. So I think that’s what the industry should be thinking about — how to get back to the centuries-long trend of increasingly accessible, affordable ownership of distribution channels for independent media.

Hayley: Are there any upcoming or future initiatives that BlueLena is working on that you want to preview for us?

Ned: Yes! We recently launched BlueLena Academy, a reader revenue training program that provides the technology and the skills to grow reader support in-house. And we’re getting past the pilot period with our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) managed offering, which is where we leverage newsletter and site engagement data to inform large gift-giving pipelines and automate donor stewardship to make larger revenue development efforts more efficient. But mainly? We just love to experiment. So if you’ve got a cool idea around audience growth, engagement and monetization, and want to figure out how to build it, come talk to us!

Hayley: What’s the best way for LION members and others to try or learn more about BlueLena’s services?

Ned: Schedule a call! We’d love to chat. Thanks, Hayley!

BlueLena enables success for over 200 independent news organizations by deploying world-class technology and delivering the expertise and professional services to build long-term sustainable journalism business models. Learn more at https://bluelena.io.

The post Tools, technology and talent: How BlueLena is leveling the playing field for independent news publishers appeared first on LION Publishers.

The program includes a thorough assessment of each participating news business, including actionable recommendations, resources, and up to $20,000 in direct funding to help them take the next steps toward organizational sustainability (see how we’ve charted the path to sustainability via our maturity model). These organizations will work with dedicated expert analysts who will offer guidance based on each organization’s needs and ambitions.

In April, we outlined LION’s plan for the future of Sustainability Audits as a tool to assess and support the growth of independent news businesses of all different sizes and ambitions. Toward that end, we are excited to partner with Blue Engine, an organization that coaches news organizations in every area of journalism sustainability, for Cycle 2 of this year’s program. Blue Engine will conduct Audits for 10 LIONs that we classify as being in our “Growing” stage, helping improve how we define sustainability and offer support for larger organizations.

Applications for the Sustainability Audits are open now through September 9, and all U.S.-based LION members who have not yet received an Audit are encouraged to apply. LION intends to complete 173 total Sustainability Audits in 2024.

You can read more about each participating organization and their interest in the Audit below. Congratulations to these 47 news businesses as they continue along their journey to organizational sustainability!

AfroLA

Interest in the Sustainability Audit:  While we’ve made great strides in our operations and workflows, maintaining the level we’re at now isn’t sustainable.

Mission: AfroLA is solutions-focused, data-driven and community-centered journalism for Los Angeles, told through the lens of the Black community, and with emphasis on how news may disparately impact L.A.’s most vulnerable groups and communities of color.

Based in: Los Angeles, CA

Alameda Post Inc.

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are in our third year of operations, and although we have learned a lot, there is much more that we do not know. Our goal is to strengthen our business to ensure our ability to serve our community for many more years to come.

Mission: The Alameda Post serves the community by reporting current news and information, promoting community groups, diversity, and cultural awareness, and preserving Alameda’s history for future generations.

Based in: Alameda, CA

Athens County Independent

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have big ambitions for the Independent and for our publishing entity, Southeast Ohio Independent News. We want to create a replicable model for sustainable local news in rural and impoverished areas. We don’t know what we don’t know, so the Sustainability Audit is a way for us to learn more about our current operations and how we can improve them.

Mission: The Athens County Independent empowers community engagement through accessible public service journalism.

Based in: Athens, OH

Black Belt News Network

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Black Belt News Network covers multiple counties in an impoverished, rural area in Alabama’s midsection where the community gets no regular online news coverage. Filling that news desert is expensive and requires more people than we currently have. We hope the Audit will help us find our future, which could include becoming a nonprofit, so we can stay around and provide news to a community that desperately needs us.

Mission: The Black Belt News Network is a regional online news site that covers six counties in the rural and culturally rich midsection of Alabama. We bring news to readers through traditional in-depth stories written by experienced journalists and through innovative journalism that includes video packages, social media engagement and a live weekly newscast. We are also the community’s news agency, gathering information, photos and videos from a diverse freelance staff made up of moms, teachers, recent grads, retirees and students from throughout the six counties to ensure all corners are reached.

Based in: Selma, AL

BoiseDev (Day365 LLC)

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are five years into our business and have seen great growth. We are working to expand our coverage, improve our staffing levels and pay for journalists; this is a great opportunity to help that.

Mission: We do not have a mission statement as we think it’s self-evident, but instead have adopted these values: We strive to be an innovative and impartial local news source focused on original & transparent reporting. We seek to give a voice to those without power. Our team will be accountable to each other and our readers. We will be gracious and tactful. We put readers first.

Based in: Boise, ID

Borderless Magazine

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want to take Borderless to the next level: having a $1 million plus budget, a staff of 10+ and a strong financial reserve.

Mission: Borderless Magazine NFP is reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future.

Based in: Chicago, IL

Bushwick Daily / Brooklyn New Media LLC

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Bushwick Daily is interested in a Sustainability Audit to ensure the long-term viability of our operations and deepen our community engagement. By refining our strategies through insights from the Audit, we aim to enhance operational efficiency and financial health, optime resource allocation and grow revenue to maximize our impact. This process will allow us to maintain and expand our role as a crucial resource for Bushwick’s diverse population.

Mission: Bushwick Daily is the cornerstone of community engagement in Bushwick, Brooklyn, providing thorough local news and dynamic cultural coverage. We empower residents with insightful journalism to understand and influence their surroundings, strengthening connections within the community.

Based in: New York, NY

Chicago Southsider

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Chicago Southsider began as a digital newsletter startup within Facebook’s Bulletin program. After the program was discontinued, we lost our primary source of revenue. Despite exploring various revenue opportunities over the past two years, none have significantly improved our financial sustainability. Through the LION Sustainability Audit, I aim to gain feedback and insights that will help me assess whether Chicago Southsider can achieve financial sustainability within the next 12 months, allowing us to continue serving our more than 30,000 subscribers.

Mission: Chicago Southsider is a Facebook Bulletin newsletter-turned-community news site that helps to “unlock the best of Chicago’s South Side, one community at a time.” Our mission is to amplify the stories, perspectives, and experiences of historically marginalized individuals and communities by leveraging solutions journalism, and providing community resources and news.

Based in: Chicago, IL

Chilkat Valley News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: This newspaper has been in business since 1966 but has never meaningfully pivoted to digital either internally or externally. I’m particularly interested in identifying processes that could make our current revenue streams easier to manage, identifying new potential revenue streams that staff are qualified and capable of managing, and identifying ways we could streamline our current news operation.

Mission: We are an independent newsroom telling stories that celebrate the unique spirit of the Chilkat Valley and Southeast Alaska. We focus on systemic disparities, highlight marginalized communities and explore solutions aimed at creating a more equitable society. We aim to create unity and belonging in our communities by writing stories that foster understanding, spark meaningful conversations and value problems and solutions equally. We deliver enlightening journalism that engages and inspires our diverse Southeast Alaska communities. In our work culture, we prioritize fairness and editorial independence while also capturing that spirit of adventure that brings so many to the state. We support that culture through internal processes that prioritize equity in staffing, build resilience into our workflows and commit to fact-based storytelling above all else.

Based in: Haines, AK

clearhealthcosts.com

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are assessing our business model, seeking to bolster existing revenue and working to develop different revenue streams.

Mission: We’re bringing transparency to healthcare by telling people what stuff costs, and also using our knowledge to increase equitable access to healthcare.

Based in: Pelham, NY

Cloudcroft Reader

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: To get advice and help to build a sustainable model for a rural news site, including understanding how to get the most from scarce resources and identifying where to place time and effort.

Mission: To serve the village of Cloudcroft and surrounding communities with independent reporting, focusing on governmental agencies to keep them accountable to the people they serve.

Based in: Cloudcroft, NM

Eden Prairie Local News, Inc.

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are transitioning from what began as an all-volunteer start-up in 2020 to a more mature online news source where people can earn a living wage. We rely on donations and funding from sponsors, advertisers, community organizations, and foundations, and we’re on plan to do $190,000 in revenue (FYE 6/30). We estimate that we’ll need an annual budget of $700,000 to achieve long-term sustainability. We’re wrestling with how to do that in a market that’s limited to 64,000 residents.

Mission: The mission of Eden Prairie Local News is to serve our community with trustworthy reporting, compelling stories, and news you can use — anytime, anywhere.

Based in: Eden Prairie, MN

Hendersonville Lightning

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We want to learn more about growing our audience both in print and online. We want to increase both retail print advertising and online advertising. We’d like to explore the feasibility of new products and community event sponsorships.

Mission: When news happens, Lightning strikes. Founded in April 2012, the Hendersonville Lightning is a weekly paid print product and all-the-time website that covers Henderson County, North Carolina, with an emphasis on government and institutional transparency and accountability. We cover politics, local government, business, development/growth management/disruptive land use and the cultural landscape. While the Lightning is not a nonprofit — at least not on purpose — we are a community trust.

Based in: Hendersonville, NC

J. The Jewish News of Northern California

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Always looking for help in finding better ways to earn revenue and achieve sustainability.

Mission: J.’s mission is to connect, enlighten and strengthen the multi-faceted Jewish community of Northern California.

Based in: San Francisco, CA

LevittownNow.com

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I would like to learn how to better run my business and make it last into the future, especially in a more sustainable manner.

Mission: We have committed ourselves to fact-based, in-depth, contextual, and non-partisan journalism. 

Based in: Levittown, PA

LkldNow

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Sustainability Audit is a unique opportunity to catalyze growth by providing outside perspective, expert guidance and learning from other members of the cohort.

Mission: Empower the people of Lakeland with the local news and information they need to be civically engaged.

Based in: Lakeland, FL

Los Angeles Public Press

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As a growing digital publisher, we know that we are not reinventing the wheel when it comes to best practices in online news publishing and are eager to learn from all those who have already been working at it for years longer than we have. We look forward to participating in LION’s Sustainability Audit because it’s an opportunity to level set our own understanding of online news publishing and organizational development alongside the expertise honed by countless other thoughtful digital publishers.

Mission: Everyone in L.A. County deserves access to reliable news about our home. We deserve the knowledge and tools to hold powerful people accountable. We deserve a full picture of life in Los Angeles. LA Public Press is an independent, non-profit newsroom advocating for a better Los Angeles. We do journalism that interrogates systems of power while supporting those trying to build more equitable and resilient communities.

Based in: Los Angeles, CA

MuckRock

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As MuckRock approaches our 15th birthday, we know we need to diversify our revenue to ensure a stable foundation for our next 15 years.

Mission: MuckRock Foundation is a nonprofit, collaborative public resource that brings together journalists, researchers, activists and regular citizens to request, analyze and share government documents, making politics more transparent and democracies more informed.  MuckRock provides a repository of hundreds of thousands of pages of original government materials, information on how to file requests and tools to make the requesting process easier. MuckRock is committed to supporting engaging, transparent journalism through projects like DocumentCloud, which thousands of newsrooms use to analyze, annotate and publish primary source documents, and oTranscribe, a browser utility that makes transcribing audio files easier. Our Accounts service allows external projects to make their tools available to newsrooms and journalists.

Based in: Somerville, MA

MyRye.com

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: MyRye.com is looking to continually improve by understanding community news best practices and benchmarks in order to best serve our community.

Mission: MyRye.com’s mission is to be the trusted source for community news in Rye, New York, connecting local residents, businesses, and organizations. We are dedicated to delivering timely, relevant, and accurate information that empowers and engages our community.   Through transparent reporting and inclusive storytelling, we aim to foster civic involvement, celebrate local achievements, and facilitate meaningful dialogue. We are driven by our commitment to integrity, innovation, and community collaboration.

Based in: Rye, NY

NepYork

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: For NepYork, Showcase of Nepalis in the USA, the LION Publishers Sustainability Audit is a chance to identify areas for growth and secure funding to amplify the voices of Nepalis in America. A deeper understanding of best practices will ensure NepYork’s long-term sustainability as a vital platform for our community.

Mission: Showcase of Nepalis in the USA

Based in: Corona, NY

NH Center for Public Interest Journalism / InDepthNH.org

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: InDepthNH.org does great work but we are never more than a couple of months ahead of payroll. I spend too much time looking for money when we need to hire a business person to do that.

Mission: InDepthNH.org gives voice to marginalized people, places and ideas.

Based in: New Hampshire

Peekskill Herald

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: A colleague has participated and said how valuable it was. I credit LION and its workshops as the reason the Herald was able to be formed in 2021.

Mission: To give power to the powerless and be a voice for the voiceless. That purpose grounds the stories we publish and guides the way we value facts over opinions and people over profits. We strive to produce critical information that allows residents of Peekskill to engage with their community.

Based in: Peekskill, NY

Philadelphia Hall Monitor

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are looking to build a sustainable news service that serves working class and poor Philadelphians. As our intended audience cannot afford to contribute, we need to find other paths to sustainability.

Mission: The Philadelphia Hall Monitor is dedicated to bringing vital news and information to Philadelphia’s residents. We do this by covering local government and consumer affairs stories that show our audience how to utilize the services available to them.

Based in: Philadelphia, PA

Project Optimist

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want Project Optimist to grow and thrive to serve Minnesota in a changing world and changing media landscape. Instability in the field of journalism has opened up space for startups like Project Optimist to fill gaps and experiment with new models, but I want to make sure we can weather whatever comes our way.

Mission: Project Optimist strives to engage residents of greater Minnesota to help them collaborate across common divides, tackle seemingly intractable problems and grow more optimistic about the future of their communities, region, and world. Project Optimist does this by tapping Minnesota’s creative and independent talent to produce solution-focused stories and local art to inform and inspire. We provide training and spur conversations in support of media literacy, community problem-solving, community journalism, and democracy.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

Based in: St. Michael, MN

QCity Metro

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: I want to know that QCity Metro is on a path toward sustainability. It takes money to produce good journalism.

Mission: QCity Metro is committed to providing news and information relevant to Black communities in Charlotte, NC.

Based in: Charlotte, NC

Reno News & Review

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The RN&R is at a crossroads, of sorts. We existed as a weekly, primarily-print pub until the pandemic, when the former owners more or less shut it down, before bringing it back in a limited fashion online. The publication was on the verge of shutting down entirely when our new owners took us over in January 2022; in the months since, we’ve made huge strides coming back both editorially (including a monthly print edition) and revenue-wise — but the owner can’t keep up on the current pace, and we’re looking at transitioning to nonprofit status.

Mission: Since 1993, the Reno News & Review has been the source of independent news, arts coverage, commentary and culture for Reno, Sparks, Carson City, Minden, Gardnerville and the Lake Tahoe area. We believe in true, honest journalism: We want to afflict the comfortable, and comfort the afflicted. We want to be a mirror for the entire greater Reno-Sparks area. We want to inform, enlighten and entertain. We will never let advertisers determine what we cover, and how we cover things. In other words, we will always tell it how we see it. If we lose an advertiser due to an unflattering story, a negative review or something else, so be it.

Based in: Reno, NV

Ridge View Echo

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Ridge View Echo has been in operation for a little more than two years, mostly due to the support of grant money with some advertising revenue. While the newspaper has grown substantially in coverage and readership, the management team recognizes the need to become more financially independent to obtain long-term sustainability. The management team would like to be able to identify and implement the methods that will allow it to move forward and continue to grow.

Mission: The Ridge View Echo strives to provide news about local government, school board actions and important news that can affect the local community by providing honest, unbiased and non-partisan coverage. The Ridge View Echo aims to provide important information to community members to enable them to become better community citizens, cover community events and interesting people, provide resource guides, and support local businesses by publishing business spotlights.

Based in: Blairstown, NJ

Rough Draft Atlanta

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: It feels like we are doing really well overall, but I know there are ways we can increase our revenue and improve our efficiency which would allow us to do more and better journalism.

Based in: Atlanta, GA

Shoresides.org

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: In the next year, Shoresides would like to increase staff salaries to create a more sustainable and healthy organization. Additionally, we’d like to develop a robust business plan to guide our work, capitalizing on our current momentum and allowing us to grow. To solidify our position as a vital local news site serving BIPOC and rural coastal communities in North Carolina, we need to scale our operations.

Mission: Shoresides serves Black, BIPOC, youth, and rural communities in coastal North Carolina traditionally underserved by our media system. Our communities face a rapidly shifting economy, environment, and culture that requires vibrant community-led journalism. Shoresides’ mission is to be a local news platform providing a space for creative expression and civic engagement. We believe communities thrive when they are active participants in discussions that shape our future and region.

Based in: Wilmington, NC

Stet News, Palm Beach County

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As a new organization, we know we’ll benefit greatly from working with LION to develop strategies and practices that will help us build a successful business. The program will give us an actionable blueprint we’ll use to improve our capabilities to reach new audiences and grow our revenue.

Mission: To provide accurate, fair and valued journalism that holds public officials accountable, helps citizens engage in civic life and reflects the rich diversity of the Palm Beach County communities we serve.

Based in: Cloud Lake, FL

The Charlotte News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have quite a lot of data — financial and operational, and from a recent survey — but need professional help to identify business opportunities and then to develop, fund and execute a plan. We have operated at a loss for the past two years and need to reach break-even within the next two years.

Mission: The mission of The Charlotte News is to engage and inform Charlotte and nearby communities by publishing rigorous, in-depth reporting on town affairs, providing a home for stories from our neighbors and friends, and reporting on how other towns have addressed challenges similar to our own.

Based in: Charlotte, VT

The Dial

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Dial is now a year old, and we’re very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve published more than 100 pieces of writing from over 50 countries, which have been recognized by readers, other publications, awards, and governments around the world. Participating in the Sustainability Audit will help us sort out how to not only build on these successes, but do so in a way that ensures longevity.

Mission: The Dial publishes frontline stories from around the world, elevating the voices of local journalists and writers who write the world as they see it — from wherever they might be.

Based in: New York, NY

The Haitian Times

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Haitian Times is ready to go to the next level by expanding audience and coverage. Without a solid roadmap for revenue generation, it will be difficult to achieve.

Mission: The Haitian Times, founded in 1999 to be a leading voice in the community’s evolution, aims to bridge the generational and geographical gaps among Haitians. We tell the real story of Haiti and Haitian-Americans and of the culture that binds us all across borders.

Based in: New York, NY

The Ingleside Light

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: The Ingleside Light wants to find a sustainable path for digital neighborhood news publications in San Francisco.

Mission: The Ingleside Light reports on small business, transportation, local politics, education and many other issues of civic concern.

Based in: San Francisco, CA

The Lakeville Journal | Millerton News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We’re in the business of maintaining our legacy community newspapers while developing new products and platforms for future loyal readers and advertisers. We recently became a non-profit, so we also seek to create an expanding base of loyal donors. Our goal in participating in the LION Sustainability Audit is to fine-tune all of our operations to ensure that we sustain local news in our communities for generations to come.

Mission: Founded on our longstanding history of distinguished community service, our mission is to help readers make more informed and inspired decisions through comprehensive local coverage of towns, governments, and regional issues, and by reflecting the area’s varied culture and lifestyle.

Based in: Falls Village, CT

The Sierra Nevada Ally

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have been a small, online, no-paywall, nonprofit publishing outlet for four years, focusing mostly on improving our content and growing a broad reader base in our region. We continue to refine our content strategy: civics, climate, community and collaboration. Now is the time to grow the business side of our operation to ensure long-term sustainability.

Mission: Our Mission: To build healthy communities informed by facts, with a focus on environmental, civics, and cultural reporting from underserved communities. Our Vision: To create the media alliance model of the future that rebuilds trust and understanding among people, communities and the news media, and democratizes factual information for all residents of the Sierra Nevada and beyond.

Based in: Reno, NV

The Smoky Mountain News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Like many media companies, we are at a juncture where our print revenues are flat or barely increasing and our digital revenue is growing but not fast enough. I want to see how others are addressing this issue while digging deep into our own business and journalism practices to see if we can improve them.

Mission: We seek to publish factual stories about important issues facing Western North Carolina in hopes of making our region an even better place to call home.

Based in: Waynesville, NC

The following 10 organizations will work with Blue Engine analysts in this cycle:

ARL Now / Local News Now LLC

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Recruiting and retaining high quality staff. Growing revenue such that we can expand our operations.

Mission: Local News Now’s mission is to better connect our communities and improve the viability of local news. We will do that by serving the broadest possible swath of our communities with useful, interesting, and important local information, supported by helping local advertisers reach new customers while working to find sustainable and authentic ways to serve additional communities.

Based in: Arlington, VA

Block Club Chicago

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We have ambitious plans to grow our audience and our offerings, and to make substantial improvements to our readers’ experiences engaging with our content. We know that successful and instructive experimentation must include thoughtful evaluation. We’re excited to draw on the experience of LION and its members to help us make sure our next big moves are strategic, well-informed and sustainable.

Mission: Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods.

Based in: Chicago, IL

Honolulu Civil Beat

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Civil Beat has had steady growth since our nonprofit transition in 2016, and we want to remain proactive as to ways we can further diversify our audience, impact and donor base. We have a dedicated team that embraces data-informed experimentation and are well positioned to implement the findings of the Sustainability Audit.

Mission: Honolulu Civil Beat is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt news organization dedicated to cultivating an informed body of citizens, all striving to make Hawaii a better place to live. We achieve this through investigative and watchdog journalism, in-depth enterprise reporting, analysis and commentary that gives readers a broad view on issues of importance to our community.

Based in: Honolulu, HI

Lookout Local

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: Blue Engine’s cross-company expertise is valuable. We have a valuable foundation to build on, and we are now actively working on both Second Wave optimization in Santa Cruz and planning a second city launch.

Mission: We look out for Santa Cruz County and you.

Based in: Santa Cruz, CA

MinnPost

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are always looking at ways to be more sustainable. This includes in terms of revenue, audience, and staff capacity. I hope this Audit will illuminate room for improvement in these areas.

Mission: MinnPost produces independent journalism to serve as a trusted guide for Minnesotans exploring the critical issues, challenges and opportunities facing our state.

Based in: Minneapolis, MN

New York Amsterdam News

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We are interested in diversifying our revenue streams to adapt to the changing advertising landscape. We need a better understanding of what our strengths and weaknesses are and where and how we can improve.

Mission: For over a century the Amsterdam News has served New York’s, and America’s, African-American community and the diaspora.

Based in: New York, NY

Richland Source

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As we enter our second decade, we are working to ensure the long-term viability of local news for the communities we serve.

Mission: Our solutions-focused local journalism helps readers understand the whole story of their community by eliminating the news fatigue caused by just covering what’s wrong, and replacing it with a more holistic and nourishing local news experience which helps communities we cover reach their true potential.

Based in: Mansfield, OH

Spotlight PA

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: We transitioned to a standalone nonprofit 501(c)3 in August. Now, we’re focusing more time on hardening the organization (succession planning), planning for strategic growth, and further diversifying revenue.

Mission: The mission of Spotlight PA is to hold powerful private and public forces across Pennsylvania — especially governments, businesses and special interests — to account through urgent and compelling investigative journalism that drives change and strengthens democracy, Pennsylvania, and all who live there.

Based in: Philadelphia, PA

The Daily Memphian

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: To benchmark where we are 5+ years after our launch.

Based in: Memphis, TN

The Sacramento Observer

Interest in the Sustainability Audit: As a legacy publication, it is critically important that The Observer continues its transformation as a multimedia news organization. Assistance from LION would help us examine our existing infrastructure with an eye on our future work.

Mission: Our Mission: To positively impact the conditions and lives of Sacramento’s African American community through public service journalism and community service. We do this in the spirit of the Black Press, “pleading our own cause” unapologetically through excellence in reporting, accountability, photography and all forms of content and community engagement. 

Based in: Sacramento, CA

Audit Analysts

The analysts for 2024 are:

Anne Galloway is the founder and editor-at-large of VTDigger, the statewide newspaper of record for Vermont. In addition to her work as an investigative journalist, she has 13 years of experience in business planning, financial projections, management, growth strategies and fundraising. When she stepped down as executive director in 2022, the organization had 35 employees, a budget of more than $3 million, 10,000 contributing members and 600,000 readers a month.

Ariel Zirulnick is the senior editor for community engagement at LAist. She works at the intersection of community engagement, editorial, product, and revenue strategy to ensure LAist’s journalism consistently serves and centers Angelenos’ needs. She also leads an interdisciplinary team experimenting with ways to link engaged journalism and revenue. Prior to KPCC/LAist, she led the Membership in News Fund and Membership Guide at the Membership Puzzle Project, a global public research project studying membership models in news. She previously led The New Tropic, a news startup in Miami; reported from Nairobi; and edited the Christian Science Monitor’s Middle East coverage. She is passionate about doing journalism with communities and building systems that make that sustainable. She’s a member of the 2023 cohort of CUNY’s Executive Program in News Innovation and Leadership. She’s an alumna of the Poynter Women’s Leadership Academy and Miami Fellows.

Ashley Woods Branch is the executive director of the Fund for Equity in Local News and manages its digital training program for news publishers. Ashley was founder and CEO of the Detour Detroit newsletter, a visiting Nieman fellow, a Marshall Memorial Fellow and a proud LION Awards winner. She is now a consultant who loves partnering with startup news publishers to help them tackle their biggest challenges and stay sane through the process. Ashley also worked with the Google News Initiative on initiatives like the GNI Startups Lab and coached more than 100 publications through a partnership with the Center for Cooperative Media. Before startup life, she led digital strategy for the Detroit Free Press.

Bene Cipolla is an organizational consultant and coach working with news organizations, media companies, and nonprofits. She loves to connect big ideas to on-the-ground execution and to build things — organizations, teams, workflows, projects — using a design thinking framework. In 2022, she wrapped up a five-year tenure at Chalkbeat, first leading the newsroom as editor and then, as publisher, setting up structures and practices to establish a multi-vertical operation, now known as Civic News Company. Over the course of her career, Bene has tackled just about every facet and format of journalism and media across film, video, radio, print, and digital. Her time in digital startups taught her about launching products, scaling organizations, managing operations, and driving revenue — experiences that enriched her work back in journalism when she returned. She’s a systems thinker with a creative streak (or a creative with a passion for systemic analysis), and she’s never believed in the left brain vs. right brain dichotomy. Bene lives in New York City and spends most of her free time cooking, eating, and talking about cooking and eating.

Christian Skotte (he/him/his) is an independent consultant who works with non-profits and media brands to grow their audience, deepen their impact, and craft sustainable futures. During his 20+ year career, he has created impactful digital campaigns, overseen organizational rebranding efforts, and built and mentored high performing teams. He’s passionate about journalism and its place in a functioning democracy. Christian was most recently director of growth and innovation at Grist, where he oversaw the audience growth, product, and partnership efforts. Before that, he spent eight years at Science Friday overseeing their digital, audience, and commercial income strategies. A former RJI fellow, he’s spoken at conferences in the U.S. and abroad on topics like digital media and audience growth. He lives in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife and child.

Dan Petty is the director of audience strategy for ProPublica. He leads the organization’s audience team, whose focus is to help ProPublica journalism reach wide, loyal and diverse audiences on and off the organization’s platforms. He was previously director of audience development at MediaNews Group, where he worked on editorial strategy, operations and business development and helped build the company’s digital subscription business. He previously spent seven years at the Denver Post in a variety of production and editing roles, and he has consulted for news organizations in Kazakhstan on behalf of the International Center for Journalists and the U.S. State Department. He received a bachelor of science in biology and journalism from the University of Richmond and an MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022.

Elaine Díaz is the associate director of coaching at LION Publishers. She was most recently the founder and editor-in-chief of Periodismo de Barrio, an independent investigative publication in Cuba, where she led coverage on social, environmental issues and climate change alongside fundraising and institutional development work. She has worked with SembraMedia, a non-profit that helps independent media in Ibero-America find and develop sustainable business models. Her work there included serving as an ambassador manager for a team of 16 ambassadors representing the digital media ecosystem across Latin America and as a mentor for Metis, a business mentorship program for women founders of independent digital media projects in the region. Additional career highlights include seven years as a professor of digital journalism at the University of Havana and a 2014-2015 Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University.

Frances Dinkelspiel is the co-founder and former executive editor of Cityside, which runs Berkeleyside and The Oaklandside in California. Dinkelspiel and two journalist friends started Berkeleyside in 2009 and developed it from an all-volunteer, bootstrapped organization to a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit with a staff of 24 and a budget of more than $4 million. Since stepping down in 2022, Dinkelspiel has served as an Audit analyst for LION, joined the board of Highway 29, an organization working to strengthen the news ecosystem in Napa Valley, and informally advises other news start-ups. She continues to freelance (her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast, and elsewhere). She is the author of two bestselling nonfiction books, Towers of Gold and Tangled Vines.

Graham Ringo, a 20-year journalism veteran, is the vice president of customer success and growth at the News Revenue Hub in charge of client success and the point of contact for the organization’s newest tech venture, the News Revenue Engine. A proud Mizzou graduate and Online News Association board member, Graham has worked for major metros, digital behemoths, and scrappy digital nonprofit startups, and is a lover of the full-funnel approach, well-crafted CTAs, killer UX, and insider journalism speak.

Jennifer Mizgata is a consultant and coach who collaborates with organizations on program design, audience research, business and operational strategy. Specializing in digital innovation, leadership development and organizational change, Jennifer coaches managers, senior leaders and entrepreneurs on their careers and business strategies. She helps teams and individuals shift mindset, work more collaboratively and bring new products to market. With extensive experience working at the intersection of journalism and technology, she has worked as a program director, editor and business strategist, using human-centered design to build new products that respond to community needs and help create a more equitable world. She also teaches media, innovation and business strategy at American University and writes about improving work culture.

Joanne Griffith is the chief content officer for APM Studios, the podcast-production division of American Public Media. She is also the founder of En(title)d! Leaders, a conversation and coaching space for leaders of color in media. Joanne was the founding managing editor of the California Newsroom, an NPR regional news hub, where she worked closely with local newsrooms and independent online news organizations, developing strategies for audience engagement, guidance on editorial projects and training of newcomers and established newsroom leaders. Joanne is committed to diversity and inclusion in content creation, and the audiences that need it.

Lisa Heyamoto is the associate director of membership education at LION Publishers, where she helps LION members reach sustainability by designing and overseeing the creation of training programs, coaching/consulting opportunities and practical resources that help news businesses become more operationally resilient, financially healthy and journalistically impactful. She was previously a journalism educator and program coordinator at the University of Oregon and a reporter at The Seattle Times and The Sacramento Bee.

Maple Walker Lloyd is the senior director of development at Block Club Chicago. She works extensively on their fundraising strategies through philanthropic support, individual donations, events and corporate sponsorships. Previously, she was team coordinator for the Journalism and Media program at the MacArthur Foundation and weekend news anchor for WGN Radio. Maple holds a B.A. in Telecommunications from Bowling Green State University, and a Master’s degree in journalism from Full Sail University.

Ryan Tuck is a consultant and coach, advising organizations on all aspects of revenue-raising and audience-centric practices, in addition to product development, user experience, testing and analytics. He specializes in performance-driven change and strategic planning. He has led programming for and coached organizations of all sizes and forms throughout the world. Previously, he worked for about two decades in various roles in and outside the newsroom for a range of organizations, from The New York Times to digital-only startups. He has a B.A. in journalism and political science (and Spanish) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a Master’s certificate in technology and communication also from UNC, and a law degree from the University of Georgia. Ryan believes that life is best lived busily and with empathy and a constant hunger to learn — and grow. Because he believes so deeply in staying busy, he lives in the eastern United States with his five children and a dog.

Shay Totten is the newsroom success manager at the American Press Institute. Shay works with newsrooms that utilize API’s proprietary analytics tools, Metrics for News and Source Matters. Most recently, Shay led the growth and membership strategy at The Compass Experiment (a collaboration between the Google News Initiative and McClatchy) that launched digital newsrooms in underserved communities. He has previously worked as a consultant for the News Revenue Hub, LION Publishers, Inside Climate News, as well as other mission-driven organizations on audience engagement and membership best practices as well as strategic communications. Before working in audience and membership roles, Shay spent more than 15 years in publishing and communications — in top editorial and communication positions at a national nonfiction book publisher, as well as an investigative reporter, political columnist, newsroom editor, and founder and publisher of a digital-print hybrid news organization in Vermont in the early 2000s.

Shira T. Center is the general manager for editorial revenue and strategy at Boston Globe Media. In this role, Shira oversees news programs and products that drive commercial revenue growth, such as the editorial calendar, live journalism events, sponsorships and newsletters. Before pioneering this unique role, Shira was a political journalist for 15 years, both in Washington, D.C., and Boston. She is an alumna of the Poynter Institute’s Leadership Academy for Women in Media and, in 2023, she graduated with her MBA from the Yale School of Management. She has served previously as a coach for LION’s Sustainability Lab, “Unblocking Revenue Barriers.”

Todd Stauffer currently serves as the association manager for the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and AAN’s lead digital specialist and lab director for grant-funded revenue labs. Before joining AAN, he was the publisher and co-founder of the Jackson Free Press, an alternative newsweekly (sometimes bi-weekly, sometimes monthly) that served Jackson, MS, from 2002 until 2022 when its journalism assets were acquired by the non-profit Mississippi Free Press. Todd has enjoyed the opportunity to participate in Sustainability Audits and revenue coaching for LION Publishers in the past. As a staunch believer in the First Amendment and a proponent of the Fourth Estate, Todd enjoys working with startups and legacy publishers who seek to improve revenues, add a revenue stream or dig deeper into opportunities to sustain their journalism.

The post 47 LION members selected for Sustainability Audit’s 2024 May-July cycle appeared first on LION Publishers.

For many independent news leaders, finding time to think beyond the day-to-day work of running a news business is difficult. And yet, it is essential to take a step back and strategically plan for organizational growth. 

We hear you, and we see you.

That’s why we’re delighted to introduce the Sustainability 360 program, an initiative designed to make the independent news industry more accessible for our Focus Members by connecting them with the most impactful support and resources that will help their businesses move toward sustainability.

In a one-year pilot, LION will provide six program participants access to experts who can provide strategic and tactical advice, consultants who can increase a team’s capacity, and conversations with other publishers working on similar challenges. We will offer our knowledge to navigate existing resources, key stakeholders, and influencers. But most importantly: We want to provide the right combination of these connections in a way that cuts through, instead of adding to, the noise.

Why we built this program

We’ve designed this program based on key insights we’ve made over the last few years of serving our members:

• Our members regularly ask us “how” questions; while there is a hunger for learning, finding the time and resources to translate knowledge into action is a significant barrier;
• Time-intensive, short-term, and cohort-based programs are effective for addressing immediate tactical issues, but they may not be suitable for developing and implementing medium-term goals, which often define an organization’s priorities for the year; 
• And finally, there are more existing resources than ever for news entrepreneurs; in part, because of the many recent additions, navigating this landscape can be overwhelming and time-consuming for publishers already strapped for the only nonrenewable resource they have: their time.

Our program addresses these pain points by:

• Providing a year’s worth of support to allow for more time and space to not only plan but execute a Success Plan (more details below)
• Rather than topic-based programs, we are creating a smaller cohort so participants can create Success Plans based on their individualized needs (in coordination with their coaches)
• Taking advantage of tactical and strategic advice 
• Using LION’s staff knowledge and expertise on how to navigate the existing resources within our industry

“We recognize that the needs of each newsroom are unique,” said Sarah Gustavus Lim, LION’s director of membership. “That’s why we are testing a more holistic approach with this targeted group of members.”

The program’s ultimate goal is to help this cohort move to the “Growing” stage of LION’s Independent News Maturity Model, which is in service of our Strategic Growth Plan’s goal of helping 100 members move to the “Growing” stage of sustainability.

What program participants can expect

LION will select up to six news businesses led by Focus Members to participate in the inaugural program, which will begin on June 28, 2024, and run through June 2025.

All participants will start the program with a Sustainability Audit and be paired with a coach. Their coach will then work with them on designing a Success Plan, a practical workbook providing structure and guidance as participants set goals. Instead of doing a five-year strategic planning process or deep-diving into a litany of tactical daily tasks, the Success Plan is a tool that sits at a middle point that both helps publishers better operate day-to-day and cues up the strategic thinking to prepare them to grow.

Following that, these will be the five main program components to enable cohort members to use their Success Plan to reach the “Growing” stage:

Strategic Advice: After receiving a Sustainability Audit to establish a baseline of your business’s progress toward sustainability, you’ll be paired with a Sustainability 360 coach, who will provide ongoing strategic advice and specific recommendations and refer you to other experts for tactical advice.

Tactical Advice: Based on recommendations from your coach and other experts from LION’s curated network, you can book up to five hours of coaching time to address specific tactical challenges holding back your systems, processes, or workflows. This could include sessions on developing your newsletter audience, utilizing Google Analytics to make informed decisions, or implementing SEO best practices.

Tactical Implementation: We understand that you can’t do it all, so we’ll work with you to identify business tools and services, like human resources or bookkeeping, and subsidize those costs so you can lower expenses and focus on what matters most for your business.

Community: We’ll bring together all of the program participants so you can share experiences and knowledge, discuss diverse ideas, and find new opportunities for networking and professional growth.

Wayfinding Support: We also recognize the importance of having someone who can help you understand how this industry works and how to access resources efficiently. While we work to make these resources more accessible for our entire membership, as part of this program, you’ll have direct access to our staff to answer your questions about how to best navigate existing resources, key stakeholders, and influencers.

We’ll be measuring key indicators of each stage and updating the Audit you received at the beginning of the program to determine your business’s progress toward the “Growing” stage.

As for the time commitment, we anticipate you will spend up to 10 hours a month implementing the Success Plan you develop with your coach. It’s critical to us that this program adds value to your organization — not take away precious time from you running it — and you’ll work with your coach to ensure that’s the case.

Apply by June 3 at 5 p.m. ET

Who’s eligible to participate

You’re eligible to participate in this program if you are a Focus Member. We created our Focus Member criteria based on our experience listening to and coaching BIPOC and LGBTQIA+–led news businesses on the challenges they face as well as entrepreneurship and small business research (including this Pivot Fund study) that tells us founders and leaders with these identities face the greatest institutional barriers to success.

Focus Member organizations are:

• In the following sustainability stages: Building or Maintaining and
• Currently led by someone who identifies as: Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, Latine, or Person of Color, and/or Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, or as a member of broader gender and sexually diverse communities

*We’re using BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ as shorthand for the above.

We define “led by” as someone who is currently in at least one of the following roles in an organization: CEO/Executive Director, Founder, Publisher, Editor, Chief Operating Officer, or Chief Financial Officer.

We will identify Focus Members, including their stage of sustainability, based on data we’re gathering through your initial Sustainability Audit and most recent membership application. However, we’re also asking for your self-assessed stage of sustainability in the application for this program, and we will take this into account while reviewing your application.

If you’re unsure whether you qualify as a Focus Member, contact our associate director of coaching, Elaine Diaz, at elainediaz@lionpublishers.com.

How to apply

If you are a Focus Member, you should apply! Applications are open now through June 3 at 5 p.m. ET. We will select up to 10 finalists for an interview by June 7 and evaluate applicants based on their alignment with the program, bandwidth, and capacity to execute their Success Plan. We’ll also consider applicants’ willingness to share what they have learned from their experience to inform how we iterate on this offering in the future. Your insights, feedback, and experiences will play a crucial role in shaping and refining the program to better meet the needs of future participants.

Sign up to attend our info session on May 22 at 4 p.m. ET

Additional FAQ

• Is there funding allocated for this program?
  • While LION has historically given direct dollars to our members through our programming, being a funder is not our long-term strategy. Instead, we want to focus on lowering the cost of doing business and removing barriers to access. That’s why we will cover the costs of strategic and tactical consulting and business tools and services while members are in this program. Including LION’s staff time, this is an investment of approximately $20,000 in each organization.
    
• Can more than one person from an organization participate in the program?
  • Yes, and we strongly encourage you to open this opportunity to other team members. We’ve heard in the past that having two people in the coaching calls has proved beneficial for the organization’s ability to compare notes and execute tasks. We will cap program calls at two people in senior leadership positions from each organization.
    
• What goals will be included in a Success Plan?
  • This workbook will help you set your medium-term goals. There are long-term goals (I want to scale my news business to serve three communities), short-term goals (I want to earn $10,000 in advertising sales next month), and then there are medium-term goals, which are often annual goals that set your priorities for the year. They represent a significant step toward your long-term goals and should be something you can point your efforts toward for the year and refer to in times of decision or doubt.
    
• Do I need to be a LION member to apply?
  • Yes. If you’re not a LION member yet, you can apply here.
    
• How can I get more information about this program?
  • You can sign up to attend our info session on May 22 at 4 p.m. ET. We will cover the program objectives, eligibility criteria, application process, and timeline. Our team will be available to answer your questions. You can also contact our associate director of coaching, Elaine Díaz, at elainediaz@lionpublishers.com.

The post Apply to LION’s new Sustainability 360 program appeared first on LION Publishers.

The Challenge

With their 2024 planning period looming, Emma knew the growing organization would need a clear funding strategy. The team had historically focused on philanthropic funding but wanted to explore options for earned and donor revenue. They applied for the LION/GNI Sustainability Lab and were accepted into the program in September 2023.

After spending a couple of weeks researching and discussing revenue-growth ideas, a Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund representative contacted Emma and offered to match support to their VozColectiva newsroom through a $10,000 matching gift program. Emma and her team were open to this unexpected opportunity and excited to build the infrastructure they needed for their first end-of-year giving campaign. Madison Karas, 2PuntoPlatform’s chief product officer, was instrumental in setting up and executing the campaign.

The Results

They had never emailed their audience before, let alone launched an entire giving campaign, so Emma and Madison knew they had to lay some significant groundwork for their effort to succeed. LION Sustainability Lab coach Maria Archangelo helped them understand all the components of a campaign and outlined the steps to prepare for launch.

First, they needed to source platforms and services to make this project possible. Through Maria’s recommendation, Emma contracted with Indiegraf, a technology service provider for small and startup news publishers, to temporarily replace their outdated website with a dynamic donation page. All of their outreach efforts would point to this page, making it a critical aspect of the campaign’s setup. This page was then connected to Stripe, a payment processing platform that allowed them to accept and track donations. 

Next, they established a communications calendar to organize their content, messaging, and timing. This involved crafting compelling language and constructing email lists and segments. They then opened a Mailchimp account to send and monitor campaign emails. Already active on social media, they didn’t open any new accounts but worked on corresponding posts. One idea they implemented was featuring board members in short, 45-second videos explaining what 2PuntosPlatform is and why supporting its journalism is essential. They used these videos in emails and on social media. 

The campaign launched on Giving Tuesday (November 28, 2023) and concluded on December 31, 2023. Two substantial donations were received within the first two days, and support continued to pour in through mid-December. In total, the campaign raised $6,640. They received $1,725 in individual donations, and their Knight-Lenfest match was $4,915. One-time donations were matched dollar for dollar, and recurring monthly donations were multiplied by 12. Though they did not reach the maximum $10,000 goal, the 2PuntosPlatform team is proud of this project and learned a lot along the way.

One powerful takeaway? “People like hearing from us,” said Madison, noting that they now have a newsletter platform to share editorial content and create future campaigns. 

“This was a huge step in feeling comfortable. It was super cool to say, ‘LION gave us the confidence to do this.’ Otherwise, we would have been like, ‘Hey, will you maybe, maybe, consider supporting us?’” 

Emma also emphasized how vital Maria’s guidance was in undertaking this project. She’s met other publishers in similar situations who had the funding to conduct a giving campaign, but without the hands-on support, they were “lost” and “frustrated.”

“If you are a hyper-local minority with a language barrier, you definitely need support,” she said. “These opportunities are hard to come by for organizations like ours; we have some additional barriers we need to overcome. Having a coach is a luxury, and asking for help is so important.”

After the campaign ended, they began working on a new database of earned revenue and donor opportunities, continuing to flesh out ideas and experiment beyond email and social media outreach. “A 2Puntos end-of-the-year party? That may be something we see this year,” said Madison. “We’re excited for what’s next.”

The Wins

• Created a giving campaign and received a couple of major donations upon launch
• Built a donation page and system to receive and track contributions
• Established a new database to assess earned and donor revenue opportunities

Have a success story to share about the business side of your news business? Email the LION team at hello@lionpublishers.com!

The post 2PuntosPlatform created a first-ever fundraising campaign through the LION/GNI Sustainability Lab appeared first on LION Publishers.

Fiscal sponsors can help news businesses receive tax-deductible donations from foundations and other philanthropic givers even when those news businesses don’t have a 501(c)3 status. We wrote more here about what to consider when researching whether a fiscal sponsorship is right for your business, and the Pivot Fund shared some more useful tips on finding a fiscal sponsor. Today, we’re sharing a list of options we’ve confirmed fiscally sponsor news businesses. 

This is not a comprehensive list, but hopefully serves as a good starting point for researching fiscal sponsor options. You can also check out the Fiscal Sponsor Directory to consider other options that are local to your business.

Got others to recommend? Let us know at hello@lionpublishers.com.

1. Tiny News Collective

• Rate: 5% for LION members, plus an annual service fee rate, which will soon be determined (Note: other rates apply for Tiny News Collective members and clients)
• Eligibility requirement: TNC offers fiscal sponsorship to publishing and non-publishing projects that are 1) legally formed in the U.S. or a U.S. territory and 2) grounded in the charitable purpose of undertaking and supporting local journalism and public information access in a mission-oriented manner. Potential fiscal sponsees are required to submit an application via this form. Staff review applications and then make recommendations to the TNC leadership and board. Upon approval by leadership and a majority vote on the TNC Board of Directors, the applicant will be offered a fiscal sponsorship agreement.
• Types of organizations served: TNC offers fiscal sponsorship to a broad range of journalism and news media projects and programs, including those producing journalism and those supporting the journalism, news, and civic media ecosystem across the U.S. Many TNC clients are pre-launch and early-stage startups with a sole founder or small organizations with a city or county-wide coverage area.
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship: TNC offers Model C Fiscal Sponsorship and specific technical assistance for applying for grants and contributions from private foundations, public charities, and individual donors.
• Additional information: Please contact TNC’s finance manager with any inquiries. 

2. Alternative Newsweekly Foundation

• Rate: 7%–10%, plus transaction and banking fees, and other possible expenses. Sliding scale is based on project. Rates are negotiable.
• Eligibility criteria: ANF supports high-quality, independent, fact-checked journalism and media that is aligned with ANF’s mission and values.
• Types of organizations served: Local and national newsrooms and investigative journalism outlets, and the activities that support them.
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship: 
  • Bookkeeping  
  • Crowdfunding platform and support  
  • Grant research and application support  
  • Organizational development
  • Receiving stock and other noncash donations
  • Additional services as needed
• Learn more: Fiscal Sponsorship Models; contact Executive Director Ellen Meany at executivedirector@altnewsfoundation.org 
• Additional information: ANF offers Model A (Direct Project); Model C (Preapproved Grant Relationship); and Model D (Group Exemption)

3. Players Philanthropy Fund

• Rate: 6%, plus a $600 annual technology fee (additional fees are detailed here)
• Eligibility criteria: Minimum $25,000 annual budget 
• Types of organizations served: Arts and culture; children, youth, and families; disaster relief; drug treatment; and many more listed here
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship (more detail here):
  • Accounting
  • Insurance
  • Security
  • Charitable status and IRS compliance
  • Legal
  • Customer service and best practice philanthropy
  • Grant application support
  • Event support
  • Technology
  • White-label service (For example, donors can make their checks payable to your foundation name, as opposed to the fiscal sponsorship’s name)
• Learn more: Fiscal Sponsorship Overview and Fiscal Sponsorship Application
• Additional information: PPF offers Model A (Direct Project) and Model C (Preapproved Grant Relationship)

4. Journalism Funding Partners

• Rate: 7%
• Eligibility criteria: Funds must be raised for a specific newsroom need, such as an education beat, environmental coverage, an investigative desk, etc., that is additive to what already is being done by the news organization, and not for business- or operations-facing expenses. 
• Types of organizations served: Only news organizations, from small weeklies to the Associated Press
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship: JFP serves funders by making sure the funds are spent on desired journalistic areas they support, and also by making sure the news organizations provide progress updates of coverage, impact, and reach. If JFP learns that the news organization is not meeting grant specifics — such as “deciding” to furlough the funded position without pay for two weeks as part of a company-wide mandate, JFP claws back that money from the news organization so the funding can go to another newsroom to fulfill the funder’s needs. JFP serves news organizations by keeping funders far from anything that would endanger independent editorial integrity. This includes the job description, hiring, and oversight of funded positions. Funders do not talk directly to news organizations unless it is through JFP. In cases of general or targeted fundraising (with individuals or local foundations), JFP is regularly part of that conversation to bring credibility to the effort. 
• Learn more: https://www.jfp-local.org 
• Additional information: JFP says it’s grown the amount of funding by 50 percent year over year for the past three years.

5. Community Partners

• Rate: 9% of project revenues from private sources, and 15% of project revenues from public sources
• Eligibility criteria:
  • Charitable intent
  • Able and committed leadership
  • Potential for significant community impact
  • Has an advisory group
  • Strong prospects for growth and financial sustainability
  • Other: We look for a fit between the project leadership’s experience and ability to mobilize resources, the project concept, and Community Partners’ mission. We do not sponsor commercial or profit-making ventures, one-time-only events, and film or video projects unless they are integral to a larger direct-service program. See our website for criteria for religious projects.
• Types of organizations served: Arts and culture; children, youth, and families; economic development; and more
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship:
  • Community Partners offers Model A and Model C fiscal sponsorship.
    • Services offered under Model A:
      • Auditing
      • Bill paying
      • Bookkeeping/accounting
      • Human resource management
      • Insurance
      • Organizational development
      • Tax reporting
      • Other: human resources services, programmatic services, and communications services
    • Services offered under Model C:
      • Donation processing
      • Grants management
      • Bookkeeping/accounting
      • Auditing
      • IRS 990 tax filing
      • Guidance and networking
• Learn more: How to apply
• Additional information: N/A

6. Local Media Association

• Rate: 7% of funds raised
• Eligibility criteria: LMA serves as a fiscal sponsor for select journalism projects that demonstrate genuine charitable or educational intent, committed leadership, and potential for significant community impact.
• Types of organizations served: Sponsored projects often focus on enterprise or investigative reporting on critical community issues such as social justice, poverty, the unhoused, education, or health inequities.
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship:
  • The ability to solicit and receive tax-deductible donations and grants.  
  • The ability to process credit card or check donations, stock transfers, and corporate matching gifts. 
  • Use of the Givebutter platform for crowdsourced donations. 
  • Use of LMA’s registered charitable status in most states, allowing projects to accept donations from across the U.S. 
  • An annual 990 filing with the IRS for all charitable funds raised.
  • An annual financial audit, as mandated by the IRS.
  • Donor-acknowledgment letters for donations over $250.
• Learn more: LMA Fiscal sponsorship programs and Inquiry Form
• Additional information: N/A

7. The Lenfest Institute for Journalism

• Rate: For each discrete contribution, the sponsor shall retain the greater of (a) 5% of the contribution amount or (b) $500. Lenfest doesn’t have the capacity to process small retail donor campaigns and encourages sponsored companies to take those funds directly. On rare occasions, it will be flexible with charges.
• Eligibility criteria: Lenfest focuses on organizations aligned with its mission and who are generally on their way toward nonprofit status and seeking large grants from foundations.
• Types of organizations served: News organizations or companies supporting local news organizations
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship: Lenfest works with donors to process their contributions, assist with donor reporting and other donor requirements, and make grants to sponsored companies that comply with IRS requirements for Expenditure Responsibility. If the sponsored company receives its IRS letter and achieves nonprofit status, Lenfest gifts the remaining funds to the company.
• Learn more: Fiscal Sponsorships; contact Operations Manager Charles Jun at charles@lenfestinstitute.org  
• Additional information: Lenfest can sponsor a couple of companies at a time using a Model C fiscal sponsorship approach. It does not have the capacity to handle membership campaigns.

8. Association of Independents in Radio

• Rate: An active AIR membership ($100) is required for the Fiscal Sponsorship program.
• Eligibility criteria: 
  • Aligned mission values
  • Minimum budget: AIR typically requires projects to have a budget of at least $10,000.
• Types of organizations served: Arts and culture: Independent audio producers, projects, podcasters
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship:
  • Auditing
  • Bookkeeping/accounting
  • Organizational development
  • Receiving property and stock donations
  • Tax reporting
  • Other: AIR fiscal sponsorship offers numerous services to a project, including administrative support, web presence, accounting, grant/donor management, and project guidance.
• Learn more: Contact AIR’s Fiscal Sponsorship Administrator at fiscalsponsorship@airmedia.org
• Additional information: Once you’ve become an AIR member, you can learn more about its fiscal sponsorship offerings on this page. AIR offers Model A (Direct Project) and Model C (Preapproved Grant Relationship) models

9. MuckRock

• Rate: 10%
• Eligibility criteria: We work with newsrooms and reporting projects that have an explicit editorial mission that aligns with MuckRock’s mission to improve transparency and access to information and insight into the workings of government.
• Types of organizations served: We typically work with new projects that are still figuring out their basic infrastructure. Current sponsored projects range from a brand-new project with two part-time staffers to an established three-year-old newsroom with a dozen staff.
• Services provided as part of fiscal sponsorship: We currently offer primarily Model A fiscal sponsorship. All of your employees must be MuckRock employees, and we provide payroll management and basic accounting services. Note that the actual cost of salaries and benefits is not included in the fiscal sponsorship fee.
• Learn more: Contact Amanda Hickman at amanda@muckrock.com with a description of your work, and we can work with you to assess whether or not you’re a fit for our fiscal sponsorship program.

Two other organizations that offer fiscal sponsorship but whom we couldn’t confirm these same details with are the Institute for Nonprofit News and City Bureau.

Got other fiscal sponsors you’d add to this list? Let us know at hello@lionpublishers.com.

The post Here are 9 organizations that will fiscally sponsor news businesses appeared first on LION Publishers.

I’ve worked on honing that superpower during my tenure at LION Publishers, in large part, because the needs of our members were greater than the resources we could offer, so we had to clearly articulate the problem and prioritize potential solutions as best we could — a scenario familiar to many independent news businesses.

It turns out that asking good questions is a useful skill, especially when starting or growing something new. Reflecting on my last few years at LION, I identified three questions that have served as the foundation for my work.

These would echo as our team grew over time, and have always been paired with a commitment to measurement and iteration based on what we learned. I offer these questions to you, our members, not because they are the only questions to ask, but because I’ve found it helpful to draw inspiration from questions that others are asking to inform my own.

1. What does success look like to us?

When I joined LION, success was hosting more than a couple hundred people at an annual conference without losing money. Then a pandemic hit and we were quickly forced to re-examine what LION was all about. Part of that reimagination was informed by our members expressing a sense of urgency to understand how to operate sustainable businesses. But the industry definition of sustainability was vague and myopic at best. And if we couldn’t define what a sustainable member business looked like, we had nothing to work backwards from to help define our own success as a membership association.

So we put forth our own hypothesis. And after spending some time testing it through programs like our Startups Labs, Revenue Growth Fellowship and Sustainability Audits, we built on what we learned and proposed a maturity model for independent news businesses. By asking ourselves, “What is success for our members?” we ultimately arrived at our own North Star success metric for LION in our first staff-led strategic plan: Helping 100 of our Focus Members reach the “growing” stage of sustainability.

What’s most important here is that we didn’t stop asking what success looks like for LION. By continuing to ask, we got closer and closer to a more meaningful metric.

I’m deeply proud of the work our team has done on making the concept of sustainability more useful and actionable for our members. And it’s just the beginning of more sophisticated conversations our industry needs to be having on whether sustainability is a true “end state” or something more fluid.

I admire news businesses who are defining their success metrics based on what success looks like for their audiences. I wonder how that might change the current strategies and approaches championed as industry success stories.

2. How do we work together to get there?

It’s impossible to do substantial and impactful work in isolation. And yet collaboration and managing teams can be hard. Really hard. So alongside fulfilling our mission for our members, it’s been imperative that we make the time to create the systems, processes and culture to work well with each other.

We call it a people-centered culture and try to ensure it consistently aligns with our values. We get some things right, and we get some things wrong. This will always be the case, no matter how well-intentioned a business is. But it’s important to try. And I’ve been heartened to see more independent news businesses setting the standard of what healthy work cultures look like.

Today LION has five times the number of staff it did when I joined. That means more people are managers with more direct reports. Both first-time and seasoned managers know just how hard the job is. That said, being a people manager can be deeply fulfilling if given the right level of support and resources. Good managers can be a force multiplier within our industry — encouraging their direct reports to think in new ways, develop new skills and pass on their knowledge and experience to their future reports in other organizations.

There have been many moments where I could have done the work myself, to check the box in the name of efficiency. But then others miss out on learning and growth moments (Spoiler: By delegating, I also learn and grow). The best managers know that if we aren’t creating space for us to teach and others to learn so they can then teach, there’s no point in working on a team at all.

Helping teams work well together falls under our sustainability pillar of operational resilience, and has even earned its own LION Award, which recognizes leaders for “establishing processes, policies, and a people-centered company culture designed to support staff, manage growth, and promote sustainability.” It’s my favorite award to watch acceptance speeches for because the winners get a moment to be recognized for how the work gets done — not just the work itself. A few years ago, it would have been unheard of for this award to be handed out in a room full of journalists.

3. How might we share what we’ve learned with others?

One of our key values is transparency because it’s the way we build trust with our members, our LION colleagues and industry partners. But it can take a lot of extra work to proactively, not reactively, write about what we’ve learned. It requires carving out space for thinking and reflection.

But this sort of “learning out loud” is critical — and it isn’t a luxury that should only be reserved for executive leadership. Literally everything I’ve linked to in this post has been a result of our team making the time to reflect and analyze the work they’re doing — and I know, based on feedback from industry peers, these reflections have made an impact on how others approach their work.

The most common refrain we hear from new members who didn’t know LION existed is how grateful they are to find others who are doing this work. This camaraderie has sometimes been the only thing helping independent news publishers — who often feel quite isolated — continue pushing forward.

Making time to share what we learn with others is a gift, and it is key to making true progress as an industry.

Answering questions like these has been the best starting point for my work. The other critical piece? Having smart, thoughtful and dedicated colleagues who engage with these questions to design answers that I never could have dreamed up alone. I feel grateful to have had that at LION and know that this team will remain deeply committed to asking these questions in service of our members and the independent news industry at large.

And if you’re ever unsure of the exact question to ask, here’s my favorite: Why?

Anika’s last day at LION Publishers will be this Friday, May 3.

The post What I learned from (continuously) asking these three questions at LION Publishers appeared first on LION Publishers.

That was the premise that led to the creation of the LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program, which provides a comprehensive assessment of a news business’s strengths and opportunities, resulting in a report identifying short-, medium-, and long-term action items that will move the business closer to sustainability.

Since 2021, we’ve completed 350 Sustainability Audits and Progress Reports, which are completely free to selected member businesses. And 93 percent of Audit recipients have told us the roadmap the Audit provides makes them feel more confident in their organization’s ability to reach sustainability. 

There are still some opportunities for LION members to receive an Audit in 2024, but because of our limited capacity and resources, we can’t do Audits for the hundreds of remaining members who have yet to receive one or who have requested Progress Reports, regular follow-up assessments of their progress. In our strategic plan, we commit to ensuring every LION member can receive an Audit, and so we’re working on the next evolution of the Audit to meet that goal.

The history of the Audit

Inspired by SembraMedia’s Digital Media assessment protocol, we designed the first version of our Audit as part of the screening of applicants for our inaugural Google News Initiative Startups Lab. In our retrospective, though, we identified the need to clarify the purpose of the Audit: Is it a program application tool, or might it be better utilized as a service for publishers in its own right? Ultimately, we decided that if members were going to spend time sharing their data with us, they needed to more directly benefit from all that effort. So we spun the Audit out as a standalone learning and assessment tool.

Our first Audit consisted of 71 mostly open-ended qualitative questions, and over time, we’ve restructured the list to consist of 93 qualitative and quantitative questions that collect key process or health metric data across our three key pillars of sustainability: journalistic impact, operational resilience, and financial health. Every time we do a new round of Audits and see how our members answered the questions, it helps inform how we can ask better questions to get more relevant, actionable insights and recommendations for members to act upon.

We’ve also given direct dollars to publishers who have completed the Audit with the intention of those dollars lowering barriers to tackling the report’s short-term recommendations. As of today, thanks to support from the Knight Foundation and the Google News Initiative, we’re giving $20,000 stipends to each news business that completes the Sustainability Audit and Funding program. By the end of 2024, we will have given out over $7 million in direct funding through the Audit program since 2022, and we know that this combination of strategic advice plus unrestricted funding has made a big difference for members. (We share more below on the future of direct dollars attached to the Audit program).

LION member Jay Senter of Johnson County Post told us based on their Audit report, his business decided to merge two publications, expand their coverage area, and wholly redesign their site, plus hire a full-time salesperson. “We’ve seen advertising revenue far outpace what we’d even hoped for. And subscriptions, which had been lagging last year, have jumped back on the growth track we’d aimed for,” he said. 

He added that the Audit analyst’s advice, combined with the $20,000, “have pushed us past a plateau we’d been struggling to move out of for a couple years,” and it’s been “a huge inflection point for our organization.”

How we currently produce Audits

Currently, all U.S.-based LION members who have been in existence for at least six months are eligible for the Sustainability Audits and Funding program. (Previously, we’ve also offered Audits to Canadian-based publishers). The application is meant to be low-lift for publishers and give our staff just enough information to prioritize the best candidates for the Audit. Some questions include:

• How would you rank your top three primary strategic challenges (based on a list we provide)?
• How do you evaluate opportunities or decisions for your news business?
• On a scale of 1 to 5, how close is your news business to reaching sustainability?
• What 1-3 questions about your news business would you like to address in the Audit process?

What we’re primarily screening for in the application process is whether publishers can benefit from the insights, plus their level of organizational commitment to the Audit process and capacity to implement the Audit recommendations. Also, so far, we’ve tried to select a mix of publications across organization size, geography, missions, and audiences served so that we can begin to pick out trends based on an accurate representation of LION’s membership.

Once publishers are selected, the Audits are completed in three main phases: 

• Audit questionnaire
• Audit interview 
• Audit report

The Audit questionnaire assesses the current state of a news organization across our three pillars of sustainability: operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact. A leader of the organization is given two weeks to fill out the questionnaire, which takes about three hours for most organizations to complete.

Sample questions from across these three categories

Operational Resilience

• Does your news business have a documented (i.e., formally written) one- or three-year plan?
• Which part of your news business could most benefit from additional staffing?
• Which of the following practices related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) apply to your news business’ operations? 

Financial Health

• Since launch, has your news business’ revenue consistently grown by 10 percent or more year over year?
• Which of the following financial documents (Profit and Loss Statement, Budget, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Forecast) does your news business create? 
• What key metrics does your news business use to gauge financial health?

Journalistic Impact

• Has your news business defined your target audience(s)? 
• What audience research has your news business done to better understand your community?
• What steps has your news business taken to ensure your coverage and sources reflect the diversity of the community you’re serving?

The Audit interview is a 90-minute call with an industry expert who LION has trained as an Audit analyst. The Audit analyst reads the complete questionnaire before the call, and then uses the interview to dig more deeply into questionnaire responses, goals, and organizational practices.

Some sample questions from our Audit interview

• What is your north star/mission/driving ambition?
• Tell me about a typical day or week. Where do you spend your time?
• What are your goals around [particular revenue stream]?

An Audit report is then created by the Audit analyst, with support from LION staff. The report provides:

•  A summary of where the publication is on its path to sustainability based on our evolving maturity model for independent news businesses 
• A selection of business’s strengths and how to capitalize on them
• A list of sustainability indicators the publication has completed and those it has yet to complete
• A customized and prioritized list of recommended actions (short/medium/long-term) to become more sustainable 

The Audit process from start to finish takes about 10 to 12 weeks, with an overall time commitment of about six hours from each news business, and they receive the completed Audit report at the end of an Audit cycle. 

Here’s a sample Audit report that’s been anonymized, and we’ve received permission from the publisher and analyst to share it.

Based on LION staff time, Audit analysts’ time, and the technology, each Audit currently costs LION roughly $3,000 to produce.

How we recruit and train Audit analysts

We decided early on that we wanted Audit recommendations to be based on diverse expertise from across the industry. That meant we shouldn’t have only LION staff writing them, and that we wanted each report to be informed by as many smart brains as possible. 

So we opened an application process to recruit analysts and then developed standards to train them on our maturity model, theory of sustainability, and Audit report framework. Then, we created an onboarding process for new analysts and opportunities for them to connect with and learn from each other. We’ve found that the best analysts –– the ones who receive the highest praise from publishers –– are those who recognize they don’t need to be experts in everything and can curate the LION community, industry knowledge, and their networks to design their Audit recommendations.

We typically ask analysts to commit to three reports in each 10-week cycle, and they are compensated for their time.

To date, we’ve worked with a total of 40 Audit analysts. They represent diverse expertise from across the news and small business industries, and we’re grateful that so many talented and experienced industry professionals see this as an opportunity to stay connected to and support local news publishers’ work.

Here are some testimonials from analysts we’ve worked with:

The future of the Audit

We’ve learned so much from approaching our Audits as a custom, bespoke process for each member who receives one. And many of our analysts have found that they’re often repeating the same recommendations for news businesses who are at specific stages of development. Additionally, we’ve heard that the simple act of answering Audit questions helps publishers think more strategically about their business.  

Given these considerations, we realized a self-service, technology-based product would help us achieve that and our goal of ensuring every LION member who wants an Audit can receive one. So that’s where the Audit is headed: A self-service product available in our forthcoming LION Member Portal that any LION member can input information into and receive a useful and actionable Audit report.

We’re particularly excited for this vision of the Audit for three main reasons.

First, we believe this will allow us to create industry benchmarks to help publishers set realistic goals of success. A question we regularly get from new members is, “How is my business doing compared to others?” or “What kind of growth is possible given my market size and staff capacity?” By collecting data points from across hundreds of independent news publishers, we want to set performance standards so news businesses can better understand what long-term success can look like.

Second, we believe it will make it easier for LION members to decide what steps to take on the path to sustainability. We envision that the Audit will become a starting point for members to access tailored member benefits for their stage of development and immediate goals, from asynchronous courses and peer groups to engaging with our forthcoming Expert Network, a database of industry experts with whom members can book consulting time. We foresee a future where consultants and coaches read the Audit report as a baseline for specific, tailored advice or recommendations that publishers are seeking.

Third, we believe it could help align all funders, news organizations, and industry support organizations on success metrics for local news. We know that many funders and support organizations are eager to have consistent, standardized reports that allow them to better understand a news business’s mission, impact, and areas where their investment will truly make a catalytic difference. The Audit provides this, and thus makes it easier for our members to use their Audit report as a starting place to design their fundraising strategies and specific asks. We’d also expect this to help members make more effective pitches to prospective large and small donors, and advertisers. It is important that members be able to use the Audit as a basis for generating revenue, especially given that we aren’t planning to continue to give direct dollars attached to these self-service Audits. (As we wrote in our strategic plan, being a funder is not our long-term strategy).

As we continue to reimagine the future of our Audit, we’re also looking for trusted partners to help us evolve our definition of sustainability and develop the resources that will best guide organizations toward that goal. Later this month, we’ll share our latest round of Audit recipients, which includes newsrooms that we classify as being in our Growing stage who will be audited by our partner, Blue Engine Collaborative. Our hope is through their strategic thought partnership, we can get even smarter about how we’re measuring sustainability across the spectrum of the independent news industry, from new startups to established operations.

Finally, we are reimagining the future of a bespoke Audit product as a collaboration across our Audit and coaching programs, but one thing we know for sure based on feedback from our members is that more independent news publishers would benefit from having access to this critical strategic tool — so expanding that accessibility is our number one goal right now. 

A big thank you to the Knight Foundation and Google News Initiative for supporting our Sustainability Audits and Funding program, our evolving research, and the continued development of this product.

If you’re a funder interested in learning more about how and where LION’s Sustainability Audits might fit in your plans for existing or prospective grantees, reach out to our Executive Director Chris Krewson at chriskrewson@lionpublishers.com. 

If you’re a member interested in giving feedback on how the Audit can be a more effective tool for you, reach out to our Membership Director Sarah Gustavus Lim at sarahlim@lionpublishers.com. 

If you’re a researcher interested in learning more about our methodology, reach out to me at chloekizer@lionpublishers.com.

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