Across The Pivot Fund’s portfolio, grantees have grown their audiences by an average of 218%—evidence that deeply understanding and serving communities can be a powerful growth strategy. Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service (NNS) offers another compelling example. Although NNS is not currently a Pivot grantee, its publisher credits an early investment from Pivot CEO Tracie PowellContinue reading “Community Focus Drives Growth: Investing in Trusted Local News”
Author Archives: Haeven Gibbons
Growing a Newsroom Around Community Needs: 285 South’s Impact
The Pivot Fund’s $150,000 investment helped 285 South grow from a one-person newsletter into a community newsroom with the staff, infrastructure and distribution needed to more consistently serve Metro Atlanta’s immigrant and refugee communities. The investment supported the launch of the outlet’s first website, its first full-time reporter and a part-time editor, while helping buildContinue reading “Growing a Newsroom Around Community Needs: 285 South’s Impact”
Building Community Power Through Movement Journalism: The Kansas City Defender’s Impact Story
The Pivot Fund’s $150,000 investment helped The Kansas City Defender build the infrastructure needed to grow beyond a founder-led newsroom. The investment supported key leadership hires, including the organization’s first director of development and revenue and its first senior editor, creating the capacity to strengthen fundraising, expand editorial operations and build long-term sustainability. Those investmentsContinue reading “Building Community Power Through Movement Journalism: The Kansas City Defender’s Impact Story”
Illinois Community News Landscape Today
Original research by The Pivot Fund investigates the local news landscape in Illinois.
Wisconsin Community News Landscape Today
Original research by The Pivot Fund investigates the local news landscape in Wisconsin.
From Crisis Response to Community Infrastructure: Conecta Arizona’s Impact Story
Community trust doesn’t happen by accident — it requires sustained investment. With support from The Pivot Fund, Conecta Arizona transformed from a newsroom operating in crisis mode into a stronger, more sustainable institution. The organization expanded coverage into Southern Arizona, strengthened its leadership team and grew a community network of more than 80,000 people throughContinue reading “From Crisis Response to Community Infrastructure: Conecta Arizona’s Impact Story”
Capacity Creates Opportunity: Radio Campesina’s Growth Story
As part of The Pivot Fund’s Impact Series, we’re highlighting how investments in trusted, community-rooted publishers builds stronger organizations, healthier local information ecosystems and more resilient communities. First up is Radio Campesina, whose story shows what becomes possible when trusted newsrooms have the capacity to grow. The Pivot Fund’s $150,000 investment helped Radio Campesina hasContinue reading “Capacity Creates Opportunity: Radio Campesina’s Growth Story”
How to Tell Immigration Stories That Inform, Empower and Mobilize Communities
Immigration enforcement is one of the biggest stories facing many communities today. But community publishers aren’t just documenting arrests and detentions — their reporting informs civic participation and helps communities respond in real time to critical decisions shaping their future. Over the past several months, Pivot Fund grantees have demonstrated what that looks like inContinue reading “How to Tell Immigration Stories That Inform, Empower and Mobilize Communities”
Webinar Takeaways: Fostering Context, Community and Connection in the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence is changing journalism faster than many publishers expected. For community publishers, that reality brings understandable questions. Should we use AI? How much? Will audiences trust us? How do we protect our credibility while still taking advantage of tools that can save time? Those questions were at the center of a recent Pivot FundContinue reading “Webinar Takeaways: Fostering Context, Community and Connection in the Age of AI”
AI Can’t Replace Community. It Can Create More Time for It.
Artificial intelligence is changing journalism faster than many publishers expected. For community publishers, that reality brings understandable questions. Should we use AI? How much? Will audiences trust us? How do we protect our credibility while still taking advantage of tools that can save time? Those questions were at the center of a recent Pivot FundContinue reading “AI Can’t Replace Community. It Can Create More Time for It.”