About Journalism Funding Partners
Increase the depth, diversity and sustainability of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations.
Focus Areas
Local journalismInvestigative reportingClimate and environmental reportingEducation reportingEconomic mobilityHealth reportingHousing reportingGun violence reportingCommunity giving and fundraisingDiversity in journalism
Who They Fund
community-based news organizations / local newsroomslocal journalists and reportersunderreported or marginalized local communities
About Journalism Funding Partners
A single grant to the Associated Press for $1,918,484 in 2025 stands out in Journalism Funding Partners’ recent activity, and it points to how the foundation works: by moving large, targeted dollars into local journalism and related reporting efforts. The organization’s stated purpose is to increase the depth, diversity, and sustainability of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations. Its recent grants show that this is not limited to one type of newsroom or one model of support. The foundation has backed major outlets such as Gannett Co, The McClatchy Company, and URL Media, while also supporting smaller or more specialized organizations such as Trusting News and DeCapo Publishing Inc. Through those grants, Journalism Funding Partners appears to serve as a connector between philanthropic capital and journalism organizations that need project support, operating support, or facilitated funding structures. The funded work centers on local journalism, diversity in journalism, and coverage for communities that are often underreported, with grant activity stretching across multiple years and a range of newsroom types.
What Journalism Funding Partners Funds
Journalism Funding Partners supports local journalism through targeted grants tied to specific reporting and newsroom functions. In 2025, it gave $192,649 to Trusting News for targeted community journalism, and that sits alongside a broader pattern of support for newsroom sustainability and audience trust. The foundation also funds community-oriented distribution and reporting platforms: URL Media received $209,000 in 2025 and $190,000 in 2024 for targeted community journalism. Diversity in journalism is another clear theme. The Chips Quinn Reporter Fellowship is part of its active program set, pairing an early-career journalist with an experienced mentor for one year. Beyond that, the foundation has backed news organizations connected to economic mobility, education, health, housing, gun violence, climate and environmental reporting, and investigative reporting.
How Journalism Funding Partners Gives
Typical grants are substantial: the 25th percentile is $55,538, the median is $71,917, and the 75th percentile is $217,500. The recent record shows repeated support to the same recipients across multiple years, including SIJ Holdings, Associated Press, Gannett Co, The McClatchy Company, URL Media, and Capital BroadcastingWRAL Com. That pattern suggests ongoing relationship-based support rather than only one-off awards. Journalism Funding Partners is structured as a funder connector and fiscal sponsor for local journalism, and it also administers the Chips Quinn Reporter Fellowship program. Its listed grant programs are project-based and focused on direct support, capacity building, and facilitation of philanthropic gifts.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$4M
Total Assets
$1.9M
Total Revenue
$5.7M
Total Expenses
$4.7M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $56K and $218K, with a median of $72K.
25th Percentile
$56K
Median
$72K
75th Percentile
$218K
Geographic Reach
National11 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Rusty Coats
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