"Philanthropy and Local News Report" table of contents
Philanthropy and Local News: Mapping Capacity, Gaps, and Opportunities
Jessica Mahone, Interim Director, CISLM
Yanan Sun, Local News Researcher, CISLM
Local journalism is under strain across the United States. Communities have lost more than 3,200 newspapers over the past two decades, leaving growing news deserts and weakening the flow of civic information essential to democracy. In response, philanthropy has emerged as a critical lifeline for local news. National initiatives such as Press Forward, a coalition committing more than $500 million over five years to strengthen local journalism, have brought new attention to the role of philanthropy in sustaining civic information.
Press Forward has underscored the importance of mobilizing not only national funders but also local and regional philanthropy through its local chapters. This report highlights the philanthropic capacity that exists in each state in light of Press Forward’s call. By mapping philanthropic assets alongside indicators of journalism need, we aim to provide a clearer picture of where local resources could be brought to bear and where additional support may be required.
Our analysis emphasizes capacity rather than willingness: foundations may or may not choose to support journalism, but their assets indicate the potential resources available. By normalizing philanthropic assets and journalism indicators for population, we compare states on a more even footing and highlight patterns that are otherwise difficult to see.
The findings reveal four broad scenarios, ranging from states with both more philanthropic assets and lower journalism need to those with fewer assets and greater need. These quadrants, considered alongside the momentum of efforts like Press Forward, illustrate both the opportunities and the limits of relying on philanthropy to sustain local news, and point to where targeted strategies may be most effective.
Key Takeaways:
- Philanthropic capacity in the US is highly uneven. A small number of states hold the majority of philanthropic assets while many others have relatively little.
- Capacity and need are often misaligned. Some states with the greatest gaps in local journalism have few philanthropic resources while states with greater wealth may face comparatively lower need.
- Four distinct scenarios emerged:
- Strengthen & Scale: More assets, lower need — opportunities to expand and model sustainability.
- Leverage Opportunity: More assets, higher need — strong potential to mobilize resources.
- Monitor & Support: Fewer assets, lower need — relatively stable but vulnerable over time.
- Urgent Intervention: Fewer assets, higher need — national and policy action most critical.