Sustainability Audits: A detailed assessment of your news business, with expert recommendations and resources to help enhance your organization’s sustainability. The Sustainability Audit is most beneficial for news publishers that have been operating for at least six months. Applications are now open for 2024!

News Entrepreneur Community: Join our vibrant Slack community of news publishers and aspiring entrepreneurs to ask questions and participate in conversations about the independent local news industry and what it takes to grow and sustain a news business. While some channels are members-only, others are open to anyone interested in news entrepreneurship.

News Entrepreneur Academy: A learning hub with practical training, resources, and case studies to help news publishers navigate common challenges in launching, growing, and sustaining a thriving news business. The NEA is accessible to LION members only.

GNI Startups Playbook: Created by LION and the Google News Initiative, the Playbook demystifies the process of launching a news startup and helps founders build a business that’s operationally resilient, financially viable, and journalistically impactful. This comprehensive must-read is broken into six chapters and offers four starter guides on specific topics that you’ll need to consider once your product is launched.

News Founder Challenge: If you’re feeling intimidated by the Playbook and want a simplified primer to get started, try this six-week, self-guided course to help you put your news business idea to the test. We’ll send you one email each week with actionable advice from the Playbook and a challenge to complete by the following week. Once you complete all six challenges, you can sign up for a one-on-one consulting session with LION to discuss your idea and a plan for next steps.

LION Tools and Services Directory: LION regularly hears from its members that it's helpful to know what tools and services they might use to build, manage, and grow their news businesses. While LION does not endorse any particular tools or services, we have compiled ones we've heard of or that members have told us they like across various business categories.

Project Oasis Report and Database: Project Oasis seeks to map and showcase the growing number of locally focused digital news publications in the U.S. and Canada. The report highlights information about the choices local independent news organizations are making on their paths to sustainability.

Sustainability Lab: Unblocking Revenue Barriers: Developed in partnership with the Google News Initiative and building on the success of our Startups Labs, the Sustainability Lab was an eight-week program in late 2023 intended to help independent news organizations identify and address blockers to their revenue goals. Participants received asynchronous training, one-on-one coaching, peer learning, and $9,000 in funding.

News Guest: This podcast offers practical advice on how to build a stronger, more sustainable news business.