Our Work
We help major funders identify, invest in and support hyperlocal news outlets at scale, to create significant local, state and national impact.
Some of the most innovative publishers in news are those embedded in underserved communities, where they have built audiences and revenue. Most funders aren’t equipped to identify these grassroots outlets, vet them, and support them effectively.
Research + Consulting
We provide custom research and analysis of local news landscapes and consulting to bridge gaps between funders and grassroots news outlets.
Grantmaking + Support
We channel meaningful levels of funding and culturally competent support to grantees who have earned trust and generated revenue in underserved communities.
Thought Leadership
We contribute innovative, evidence-based insights to address challenges and encourage solutions in funding local news.
Our Strengths
Our CEO, Tracie Powell, came up on the business side of journalism and earned a law degree from Georgetown University. Our managing director, Susan Richardson, led the Center for Public Integrity and Guardian US. Our research director, Jean Marie Brown, is a journalism professor at TCU, with more than 25 years of newsroom experience working with Knight-Ridder/McClatchy.
The future of local news and with it, inclusive democracy, is playing out at the grassroots. Funders who want to help build inclusive news ecosystems need a partner to help them identify, connect with and support the news entrepreneurs serving communities of color.
Our landscape surveys help funders translate high-level strategies to fund journalism or advance issues into ground-level impact. In the course of our research, we build relationships of trust with prospective grantees.
Community publishers often can’t afford the time needed to chase small grants conditioned on attending accelerators or boot camps. We disburse grants big enough to hire at least one staffer who can help transform a business.
Our trainers have firsthand experience with the challenges and the opportunities of publishers serving communities of color, where the standard playbook doesn’t apply. We provide customized support for revenue, technology and audience strategies.
What does “culturally competent” mean and why does it matter?
The leaders of news outlets that serve communities of color are incredibly resourceful, but they can rarely rely on the revenue strategies employed in wealthier communities. The Pivot Fund staff, who are Black and Latino, earn trust, communicate effectively, and help design solutions that fit specific markets.
The Pivot Fund represents a critical turning point for NotiVisión Georgia. The growth we’ve experienced—the learning opportunities, the doors that have opened, the valuable connections made, and the knowledge we’ve gained—would not have been possible without the support of the Pivot Fund.
Monica Pirella, Notivisión Georgia CEO & founder