NewsMatch Raises $38M for Nonprofit Newsrooms

For the first time, local funders raised more than national funders.

Last year was a good year for NewsMatch’s annual fundraising campaign. Between November 1 and December 31, 2022, NewsMatch helped raise $38 million for nonprofit newsrooms. For the first time, nonprofit newsrooms raised more matching funds from local contributors and funders than from regional and national foundations. Backed by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), NewsMatch is a matching-gift campaign to help fund nonprofit newsrooms like the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, Crosscut, Dallas Free Press, Investigate Midwest and the Salt Lake Tribune.

This year 303 nonprofit newsrooms, all INN members, participated in the campaign, securing $4.6 million in matching funds from national, regional and interest-based funders. The balance of contributions came from small businesses, local philanthropists and community foundations. Though overall giving in 2022 was down from 2020 ($47.2 million) and 2021 ($42.0 million), matching funds were at their highest point at $10.9 million, a 33.6% increase year-over-year.

“The question is less about how to save the business model than about how we can build enduring solutions for journalism that serve everyone,” said Courtney Lewis, chief of growth programs for INN, said in an April 5, 2023 news release. “The flexibility of NewsMatch allows philanthropists with a broad range of interests to invest in newsrooms that are building new models and methods to reach their communities. Seeing a growing swell of support for this type of journalism is truly exciting.”

Reporter covering riot in city — *Source: Envato Elements*

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2022 fundraising highlights

Nieman Lab shared other highlights from the 2022 fundraising campaign:

344,419 total donations were made.
231,240 of those donors were unique.
47,825 of 2022 donors were new donors.
There were 795 local match funders, 13 core funders and 10 partner funders.
The 50 largest newsrooms raised $24 million.
The median amount raised was approximately $36,000.

Matching gift model

Started in 2017, NewsMatch is the largest collaborative fundraising movement designed to support independent, public service journalism in the U.S. NewsMatch uses a matching gift model to help nonprofit newsrooms get support from individuals and other local supporters. The carrot is that there are national funding partners who will match donations, giving nonprofit newsrooms the incentive to leverage their local relationships and partnerships to help fund their work.

Since 2017, NewsMatch has helped raise more than $271 million to support emerging newsrooms and support independent media outlets that are focused on producing factual, nonpartisan news and information. The ultimate goal is to show readers the value of their local newsrooms and to ensure that every community has access to reliable news. With a growing number of news deserts across the country, the hope is to fill some of the gaps by supporting the work of nonprofit newsrooms who have boots on the ground.

To support nonprofit newsrooms, INN provides tools, training and resources to help them build skills and confidence to raise money to fund their work. NewsMatch encourages readers and other funders to contribute in three different ways:

Individual contributions to the pooled fund,
Creation or contribution to a special interest fund that support multiple organizations that cover a particular locale or cause
Make a contribution to support to a single newsroom they want to support

Fingers walk across hundred dollar bills — *Source: Envato Elements*

Insider Take

As the local newsrooms dry up, it is heartwarming to see that people value quality, local journalism, and they are willing to support it, whether on the local, regional or national level. Factual, nonpartisan reporting is hard to come by, and some communities are overlooked altogether. Through this program, nonprofit newsrooms have emerged to serve the underserved and to make a difference. Though overall giving is down, that’s to be expected in our current economy. We encourage NewsMatch, nonprofit newsrooms and funders at all levels to continue this important work.

Copyright © 2023 Authority Media Network, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Filed in Business Model, Consumer Media and Publishing, FInance, News

Dana E. Neuts

Dana Neuts is Subscription Insider's Editorial Director, covering our daily subscription news as well as member features, case studies, premium content, and reports. Dana is also a writer, editor, marketer and communications professional. Her work has appeared in AARP Bulletin, The Seattle Times, Seattle Business, 425 Business, 425 Magazine, South Sound Magazine, Northwest Travel and more. Her specialties include business writing, community news, senior issues, travel and, of course, subscriptions!