NewsMatch, the annual fundraising campaign spearheaded by the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), begins on Nov. 1 with a record amount of funds pledged to bolster local support for independent journalism. Initially inspired by an uptick in donations to supporting nonprofit journalism after the 2016 election raised concerns about misinformation, NewsMatch continues to play a vital role in supporting nonpartisan reporting for communities nationwide in this critical election year.

Eighteen national and regional funders have pledged $7.5 million to NewsMatch, the largest grassroots fundraising campaign to support nonprofit journalism in the U.S. Since 2017, participating news organizations in the INN Network have leveraged $31 million in NewsMatch funding to help generate nearly $300 million in support from their communities. All of these newsrooms have met INN’s membership standards for financial transparency, editorial independence, and original public service reporting. Not every nonprofit news outlet meets those standards and is able to become an INN member.

NewsMatch presents an opportunity for funders to provide matching gifts to hundreds of newsrooms across the INN Network or to partner with INN in creating funds that support independent journalism in particular states or regions or on particular topics. This year, these opportunities include a fund that supports newsrooms led by and serving communities of color, a newly launched fund to support rural newsrooms, as well as a variety of statewide and local funds.

The McKnight Foundation, a first-time NewsMatch funder, created a dedicated fund to support Minnesota-based newsrooms. McKnight is among the NewsMatch funders investing this year as part of their commitment to the Press Forward initiative, which launched in 2023 to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.

“The McKnight Foundation is excited to support NewsMatch in Minnesota this year as a proven way to build a more collaborative, resilient nonprofit news sector,” said Tim Murphy, a program officer for the McKnight Foundation. “We know the civic health of our communities depends on access to reliable, truthful information, and INN has been a key part of this movement to bolster access to local news.”

Read the full article about supporting nonprofit journalism at Institute for Nonprofit News.