(March 24, 2025) — Local Media Association and Medill Local News initiative are pleased to announce the launch of the Medill-LMA Midwest Advanced Fundraising Lab. The program will help nine local news organizations in the region develop and execute advanced strategies to fund essential local journalism via philanthropy. The three-month intensive program runs from March through June 2026.
The cohort is free for invited newsrooms thanks to funding from Medill Local News Initiative, and additional support from Google News Initiative. It will be led by Local Media Association’s Lab for Journalism Funding.
The cohort includes deep-dive sessions on advanced fundraising practices including events, stewardship, planned giving and building relationships with high net worth donors. The curriculum has been developed in collaboration with the newsrooms and will emphasize peer learning.
Since its launch in 2020, the LMA Lab for Journalism Funding has helped more than 200 news organizations raise more than $38 million to support local journalism, with sustained support from Google News Initiative and additional support from Knight Foundation. In 2024, Medill and LMA collaborated to bring a state cohort of the lab to newsrooms across Illinois. This advanced cohort builds on that partnership. Newsrooms in this cohort will build on best practices documented in LMA’s industry report Pathways to Philanthropy and its 2024 report Sustaining Philanthropy for Journalism.
“Local news organizations, like any other businesses, need to strengthen existing revenue streams while also adding new ones,” said Mackenzie Warren, director of the Medill Local News Initiative. “That’s what our Lab is designed to help our partners do.”
“Each of these newsrooms has already earned community support for their public service journalism,” said Frank Mungeam, chief innovation officer at LMA. “We are pleased to partner with Medill to accelerate the growth of these newsrooms and increase their impact in the communities they serve.”
The nine newsrooms accepted into the advanced cohort include a diverse set of organizations in small and large markets, largely based in Illinois, including publishers who focus on traditionally underserved audiences. These news outlets share a commitment to civic journalism.
2026 Medill-LMA Midwest Advanced Fundraising Lab:
The cohort will be led by Mungeam and supported by project manager Nina Joss. The newsrooms will work one-on-one with a team of coaches including executive coach Joanne Heyman and experienced media executive Samantha Johnston. Medill will also offer coaching support from its team, including Yazmin Dominguez, assistant director of the Local News Accelerator; Audrey Azzo, Press Forward Chicago’s peer learning community program coordinator; researcher and reporter Eric Rynston-Lobel; and project manager Hannah Carroll.
LMA and Medill will collaborate to jointly publish industry case studies on lessons and successes from the lab that can be applied across the news industry.
Meet the Newsrooms
Capitol News Illinois
“I’m excited to learn from peers who’ve built successful membership and newsletter products — how they define value, shape content and grow loyal audiences. Just as important, I’m looking forward to turning those lessons into real workflows that better align our editorial, digital and development teams.”
– K.Ellen Stackhouse, director of audience development and engagement
City Bureau
“We are excited for the opportunity to share insights from our own experiences, connect with news organizations using innovative fundraising strategies and deepen our knowledge around donor cultivation in a collaborative learning environment. At City Bureau, we’ve always understood that sustaining local media is a group project, and we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with our peers in the field so we can all build toward a strong future for our work.”
– Jody Chong, interim executive director
Injustice Watch
“Injustice Watch is thrilled to be joining the Medill-LMA Midwest Advanced Fundraising Lab. Providing critical journalism and civic information to our region is a collaborative effort, and driving the necessary revenue to succeed in that work is not a zero-sum game. This program provides an opportunity to deepen our stewardship of our donors and readers, and to explore vital revenue paths, including legacy giving and event fundraising. We look forward to learning from and amplifying the fundraising work of our peers and partners.”
– Nathan Armstrong, executive director
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
“We’re excited to be part of this cohort. We have launched an effective fundraising effort, but know we have room to grow and look forward to tapping into the knowledge of others.”
– Greg Borowski, executive editor
The Chicago Reporter
“At a time when local journalism is under increasing pressure, I am excited for The Chicago Reporter to participate in this Lab as an opportunity to strengthen our capacity to tell the stories that matter most. Our work has always centered on truth, accountability and the lived experiences of communities across Chicago, particularly those that are too often overlooked. Through this Lab, I hope we can deepen our impact, explore innovative ways to engage audiences and build sustainable strategies that ensure investigative journalism continues to inform, empower and uplift our communities.”
– Joyce Hatch, fundraising development associate
The Culture
“Participating in this fundraising lab is an exciting, yet pivotal, next step for our newsroom. We look forward to gaining knowledge to expand fundraising strategies that allow us to integrate revenue generation with our editorial mission, increase audience engagement and strengthen community trust, while strengthening local journalism’s civic impact.”
– Kamil Brady, circulation manager/admin/sales
The Lansing Journal
“I’m so proud of my community for keeping this local newspaper going for so long — really, against the odds. That’s a testament to their generosity of spirit and, I think, their long-term outlook even during uncertain times. I’m committed to honoring their investment. Past partnerships with LMA and Medill have given me new skills, new tools, new networks and new ideas that are making me the leader The Lansing Journal needs so that we can be the newspaper our community deserves. I’m eager to roll up my sleeves again and see what else I can learn!”
– Melanie Jongsma, executive director
The Record North Shore
“The Record is honored to be part of the 2026 Medill-LMA Midwest Advanced Fundraising Lab. Through the lab, we’ll focus on scaling the systems and people that power our fundraising outreach so we can engage supporters more thoughtfully, more consistently and with greater impact. We’re excited to trade notes with other newsrooms, sharpen our own approach to sustainability and ensure we’re all built to last in the communities that we serve.”
– Ryan Osborn, director of development
Windy City Times
“I am excited to develop a comprehensive but efficient (and) convenient system of outreach to potential donors. We are a small shop, so our time and people-power are always limited — but I also want WCT to be ready to meet new funding opportunities quickly when they appear.”
– Matt Simonette, publisher