LION Publishers strengthens the local news industry by helping independent news publishers build more sustainable businesses.
Local Independent Online News Publishers Inc. concentrates on the business side of independent local journalism, with grants that support revenue strategy, organizational sustainability, and the operational systems newsrooms need to keep going. A defining pattern in the recent grant list is direct support tied to coaching and capacity-building programs: The 2025 grant to Institute for Nonprofit News reached $80,000, and Tiny News Collective also received $80,000 in 2025. Earlier awards show the same emphasis in different forms, including funding for sustainability audits, revenue growth fellowships, and training programs for local publishers. The foundation also supports convenings and professional development, including work connected to the Independent News Sustainability Summit. Its beneficiary mix includes local and regional newsrooms, early-stage media ventures, nonprofit news organizations, and individual journalists receiving travel support. The result is a funder profile centered less on content production and more on the infrastructure of independent news operations: business models, management systems, peer learning, and practical tools for long-term stability.
Capacity building is the clearest throughline in the grant list. In 2024, Tiny News Collective received $49,000 for an OKC Free Press sustainability audit, showing interest in diagnosing newsroom operations and planning for resilience. The foundation also backed The Lansing Journal with $29,000 for a sustainability audit, another sign that operational review is part of its approach. Revenue strategy is another major theme: The 2023 grant to Independent Arts & Media totaled $65,251 and supported a revenue growth fellowship, GNI Startups Lab, and travel scholarship. Convening and peer learning also appear in the record through News Revenue Hub, which received $49,910 for revenue share and direct cost reimbursement for the INSS event. Together, these grants point to a funder that supports the systems, training, and learning environments behind independent local news.
Typical awards cluster tightly at $20,000, with the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile all at $20,000. That suggests a standardized grantmaking pattern even though some larger program and partnership grants appear in the recent record. The foundation is a Pure DAF Provider, so its grantmaking comes through a donor-advised fund structure rather than an operating foundation model. Recipients appear across multiple years, including organizations that were funded in both 2023 and 2024, which indicates repeat support for some grantees rather than isolated one-time gifts. The data shows no grants to individuals and no program-related investments.
$3.9M
$8.9M
$11.8M
$7M
Most grants fall between $20K and $20K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$20K
About 0% of grants go to recipients in NY.
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Grantmaking is national, and every recipient in the country distribution is in the United States. The highest concentration of grants goes to New York state recipients, while 0% of grants go to Delaware recipients, despite the headquarters being in Wilmington. Recent awards also reach Philadelphia, Beverly Hills, Dallas, and Washington, DC, with additional recipients in cities such as Brooklyn, Oakland, and Detroit. The geographic pattern reflects a broad U.S. local-news portfolio rather than a single-region focus.
The recipient mix includes local and regional newsrooms, news startups and early-stage media ventures, nonprofit news organizations, and individual journalists receiving travel support. The recent grants list also shows support for organizations such as Institute for Nonprofit News, Tiny News Collective, and several local publishers tied to sustainability and revenue-building programs.
Typical grants are $20,000 across the distribution shown: the 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile are all $20,000. That points to a common award level even though some recent grants are larger, including $80,000 awards in 2025.
Yes. The recent grants list includes organizations funded in multiple years, such as Tiny News Collective, which appears in 2024 and 2025, and Green Philly Company, which appears in 2023 and 2024. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships with some recipients.
Its grantmaking is national, but the top state by grant count is New York. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 443 grants and 100% of grants going to U.S. recipients.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates funds individuals is false, and makes program-related investments is false. The recent grant list is therefore focused on organizations and programmatic support rather than individual giving or PRI activity.
Chris Krewson
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiny News Collective | Philadelphia, PA | $80,000 | 2025 | — |
| Institute for Nonprofit News | Beverly Hills, CA | $80,000 | 2025 | — |
| Coachella Valley Independent LLC | Cathedral City, CA | $40,600 | 2025 | — |
| Alternative Newsweekly Foundation | Washington, DC | $40,000 | 2025 | — |
| MuckRock Foundation | Boston, MA | $27,600 | 2025 | — |
| Block Club Chicago Nfp | Chicago, IL | $23,500 | 2025 | — |
| Spotlight PA | Harrisburg, PA | $23,100 | 2025 | — |
| Canopy Atlanta Inc | Atlanta, GA | $23,100 | 2025 | — |
| Borderless Magazine NFP | Chicago, IL | $22,500 | 2025 | — |
| Technically Media Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $22,500 | 2025 | — |
| The Local Journalism Foundation Inc | Kalamazoo, MI | $21,200 | 2025 | — |
| Verified News Network LLC | Broken Arrow, OK | $21,200 | 2025 | — |
| Clayton Carte | Locust Grove, GA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| AfroLA Media Group | Los Angeles, CA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Sopris Sun | Carbondale, CO | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Mississippi Journalism and Educatio | Jackson, MS | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| SmithBarbieri Progressive Fund A | Spokane, WA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| North Island LLC dba The Coronado | Coronado, CA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Advocate Foundation Inc dba Dallas | Dallas, TX | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| The GeorgiaVoice LLC | Atlanta, GA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| The Bedford Citizen | Bedford, MA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Voice Publishing Company | Dallas, TX | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Jesus Sanchez Jr | Los Angeles, CA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Southeast Ohio Independent News | Athens, OH | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Narrative Arts | Wilmington, NC | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Steven Jon Hanson | Menomonie, WI | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Lee Publishing Company | Sacramento, CA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Tucson Investigative Reporting Cent | Tucson, AZ | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| LOOKOUT Publications | Phoenix, AZ | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Urbaanite LLC | Nashville, TN | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Larry Persily | Anchorage, AK | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Montclair Local Nonprofit News Inc | Montclair, NJ | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| ClearHealthCostscom Inc | Pelham, NY | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Local Journalism Initiative | Wilmington, DE | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Anchor Media LLC | Hingham, MA | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Newsberg Media LLC | Newberg, OR | $20,600 | 2025 | — |
| Conrad Communications LLC | Reno, NV | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Four Points Media Inc | Crow Agency, MT | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Eden Prairie Local News Inc | Eden Prairie, MN | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Ansel J Sears | Rye, NY | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| The Northeast Florida Journalism Co | Jacksonville, FL | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Benitolink Inc | Hollister, CA | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Asheville Watchdog | Asheville, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| The Ipswich Local News LLC | Ipswich, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Sacramento Mountain News LLC | Cloudcroft, NM | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| The Current Media Inc | Lafayette, LA | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Charlene Rhinehart | Chicago, IL | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| Central Connecticut Online Journali | Bristol, CT | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE | Salt Lake City, UT | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
| NH Center for Public Interest Journ | Barrington, NH | $20,000 | 2025 | — |
Tiny News Collective
$80,000Institute for Nonprofit News
$80,000Coachella Valley Independent LLC
$40,600Alternative Newsweekly Foundation
$40,000MuckRock Foundation
$27,600Block Club Chicago Nfp
$23,500Spotlight PA
$23,100Canopy Atlanta Inc
Borderless Magazine NFP
$22,500Technically Media Inc
$22,500The Local Journalism Foundation Inc
$21,200Verified News Network LLC
$21,200Clayton Carte
$20,600AfroLA Media Group
$20,600Sopris Sun
$20,600Mississippi Journalism and Educatio
$20,600SmithBarbieri Progressive Fund A
$20,600North Island LLC dba The Coronado
$20,600Advocate Foundation Inc dba Dallas
$20,600The GeorgiaVoice LLC
$20,600The Bedford Citizen
$20,600Voice Publishing Company
$20,600Jesus Sanchez Jr
$20,600Southeast Ohio Independent News
$20,600Narrative Arts
$20,600Steven Jon Hanson
$20,600Lee Publishing Company
$20,600Tucson Investigative Reporting Cent
$20,600LOOKOUT Publications
$20,600Urbaanite LLC
$20,600Larry Persily
$20,600Montclair Local Nonprofit News Inc
$20,600ClearHealthCostscom Inc
$20,600Local Journalism Initiative
$20,600Anchor Media LLC
$20,600Newsberg Media LLC
$20,600Conrad Communications LLC
$20,000Four Points Media Inc
$20,000Eden Prairie Local News Inc
$20,000Ansel J Sears
$20,000The Northeast Florida Journalism Co
$20,000Benitolink Inc
$20,000Asheville Watchdog
$20,000The Ipswich Local News LLC
$20,000Sacramento Mountain News LLC
$20,000The Current Media Inc
$20,000Charlene Rhinehart
$20,000Central Connecticut Online Journali
$20,000THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE
$20,000NH Center for Public Interest Journ
$20,000Current and upcoming funding from Local Independent Online News Publishers that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Must be a LION member to qualify, unless the organization is in partnership with LION.
Deadline: Available to all LION members at any time.
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Create a free accountDeadlines and eligibility are summarized from public sources and may change — always confirm the details on the funder's official application page before applying.