(June 11, 2025) — All local media companies are invited to apply to join the 2025 national cohort of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding to learn how to sustain their journalism with philanthropic support.
Applications are open and will be accepted until June 30. Up to 24 media companies will be invited to participate in the six-month program that runs from August through January 2026.
Since its launch in 2020, the lab has helped nearly 150 news organizations raise more than $30 million to support local journalism, thanks to sustained support from Google News Initiative. Newsrooms in the new cohort will learn best practices documented in LMA’s industry reports Pathways to Philanthropy and the 2024 report Sustaining Philanthropy for Journalism.
The 2025 national cohort of the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding is made possible through funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
“As a former participant in the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding, I can attest to how helpful it was as I sought and secured my first philanthropic grants,” said Duc Luu, Director of Journalism Sustainability at Knight Foundation. “As more national and local funders are committing to supporting local journalism, this program will be an important resource for newsrooms who are deeply focused on their communities’ needs and hoping to find like-minded funders that can help them make their communities thrive.”
The new cohort will again be led by Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer at Local Media Association; Liz White, LMA Co-CEO; and project manager Nina Joss. The lab features a team of best-in-class coaches including Joaquin Alvarado, who has been instrumental in the development of philanthropic funding at The Seattle Times and other local newsrooms; Jennifer Preston, formerly vice president of journalism at Knight Foundation; executive coach Joanne Heyman; and Judi Terzotis, CEO of Georges Media, among others.
“We are thrilled to pair newsrooms with this incredible team of experienced coaches and fundraisers in order to help these organizations develop philanthropy as another pillar to sustain their essential local journalism,” said Frank Mungeam.
The lab seeks a varied mix of media companies and welcomes both nonprofit and for-profit news organizations focused on civic journalism.
Each publisher in the cohort of the lab will set a fundraising goal in consultation with the coaches that is in line with markets their size. Case studies and an industry playbook will be published, sharing best practices and lessons learned.
Preference will be given to media organizations that:
- Have strong local leadership with deep ties to the community
- Are focused on high-quality local journalism
- Have CEO-level buy-in to participate in this lab and make the time/resource commitment
Applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until June 30.
For more information, please contact Nina Joss at nina.joss@localmedia.org.