Since 2020, the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has trained nearly 200 newsrooms to fund essential local journalism in part through philanthropy. This year, with new support from Google News Initiative, the lab has added several new coaches to support our cohorts in California, Illinois and New Mexico.

Judi Terzotis, CEO of The Advocate/Times Picayune, is a graduate of the lab and a leader in philanthropic initiatives in her news organization. Sam Moody, Associate Director of Colorado Media Project, joins the lab as a coach after partnering with Local Media Association in 2024 to support the Colorado cohort of the Lab for Journalism Funding. Newsrooms in New Mexico get to benefit from the coaching of Rashad Mahmood, Executive Director of the New Mexico Local News Fund; and Mackenzie Warren, Director of the Medill Local News Accelerator, is coaching the Illinois cohort. Both organizations are partnering with LMA to make the New Mexico and Illinois cohorts possible this year.

In the lab curriculum and through one-on-one sessions with the newsrooms, coaches support and guide local newsrooms toward successful philanthropic strategies. To share their wisdom with a wider audience, we asked these coaches for their insights on the questions newsrooms most commonly ask about fundraising for local journalism.

What is your best piece of advice for news organizations interested in funding their journalism through philanthropy?

“Start with listening—and don’t stop,” Terzotis said. “Hold thoughtful, inclusive conversations with community stakeholders to understand what coverage is truly needed. Don’t assume the gaps—let the community guide you.”

Then, as you fundraise, Terzotis said it’s important to continue listening and gathering input, both to ensure your work stays relevant and to build lasting trust. “Listening is both your editorial compass and your fundraising foundation,” she said.

The listening Terzotis describes is a crucial first step when beginning a journalism fundraising journey because it helps root the work in community need. Mahmood expanded on this point, adding that “the most important thing is to remember: what matters to funders is the real world impact your work is having. It’s not about how many stories, or the number of reporters involved. Is your journalism work making the lives of people in your community? A few compelling stories about that will go a long way to convincing an individual or foundation to give.”

Warren said funders are more interested in positive outcomes for the communities than about journalism specifically. “You should position your journalism as a means to those ends,” he said. “This has the added benefit of making you relevant to funders who don’t focus specifically on journalism.”

What are the biggest misconceptions newsrooms begin with when starting to fundraise?

“That it is a silver bullet,” Warren said. “Even the most generous philanthropic investments will not alleviate a newsroom’s need to hustle to keep its business/nonprofit solvent or thriving financially. It’s a single wedge of the pie, and a wedge that might/should get smaller over time.”

Mahmood added that many news leaders incorrectly think that only nonprofits are eligible to receive philanthropic investments.

“We’ve worked with a number of for-profit news organizations that were shocked at the positive response from their audience when they directly asked them for support for a special project, or other charitable activity that they had been doing for years without any extra revenue attached,” he said.

Another misconception, according to Moody, is that “reporting” is an important outcome for funders.

“Remember that you’re not funding your journalism, you’re funding what your journalism does for your community,” he said. “You’re not funding a reporter, you’re funding the relationship that reporter will have with their audience, and the things the audience will learn from the reporter, and the decisions and connections that a community will build on your reporting.”

What advice do you have for newsrooms when approaching and interacting with funders?

“Obsess over truly understanding each funder’s interests,” Warren said. “This starts with research and background on the funder well before the first approach. Shape your ask to align with the funder’s explicitly stated or demonstrated interests.”

Moody agreed, saying that before you ask for money, you should “ask for advice, ask for feedback, ask about their work, their priorities, and what community issues keep them up at night.”

In addition to “doing your homework” to learn about a potential funder, Terzotis said it’s helpful to use your connections.

“If possible, seek a warm introduction from someone who knows the funder and supports your work—relationships matter just as much as the pitch,” she said.

“Another key is that it often takes a long time to build relationships with potential funders,” Mahmood said. “Many funders have opportunities to meet the staff, or talk with existing grantees. Take advantage of those!”

What are the keys to making a strong case for a journalism project to be funded through philanthropy or community support?

Based on his experience in the funding community, Moody said that “more and more funders are keenly aware of the shortfalls and inadequacies of the historic (and in some cases modern) news industry in this country.”

Because of this, it’s important for newsrooms to be specific when pitching a funder about their work and the way it serves the community, he said.

“If you talk about the value of your work and its impact in general, traditional terms like ‘we report on vital community issues’ without explaining how you know which issues are vital to your community – and what kind of reporting they need to address those issues – there is a very good chance that funders will assume that your newsroom isn’t addressing (industry shortfalls), and may even be likely to replicate them,” Moody said.

Terzotis said a strong case for support requires matching the goals of funders, community members and the newsroom.

“A strong case starts with clear alignment—between the community’s needs, your newsroom’s mission and credibility, and the funder’s priorities,” she said. “Be specific: articulate the problem, your proposed coverage as the solution, the resources required, and the impact it can deliver. Funders want to see that your journalism is both community-informed and outcomes-driven.”

For more fundraising insights, check out earlier advice from our other Lab for Journalism Funding coaches here.