Category Archives: News

Vania André, editor-in-chief of The Haitian Times, is leading a quiet revolution. She has transformed her newsroom with artificial intelligence. For André, AI isn’t a futuristic tool reserved for tech giants—it’s a lifeline for her small, community-focused newsroom. She uses technology to help fill in the gaps. “ChatGPT has become an essential part of our workflow,”Continue reading “How Small Publishers are Innovating with AI”

Susan Smith Richardson, former managing editor of Guardian US and CEO of the Center for Public Integrity, has joined The Pivot Fund as managing director, as the fund expands to support hyperlocal news outlets serving communities of color nationwide. The Pivot Fund also announced that foundations and major donors have invested more than $2 millionContinue reading “News leader Susan Smith Richardson joins The Pivot Fund”

In a significant development, the Fearless Fund, a trailblazing Atlanta-based venture capital firm focused on empowering women of color entrepreneurs, has settled a lawsuit with the American Alliance for Equal Rights (AAER), a conservative nonprofit led by prominent legal activist Edward Blum. This case attracted nationwide attention, representing a critical clash over addressing racial disparitiesContinue reading “Fearless Fund Settles with Conservative Group in Pivotal Case”

BeeTV started with April Ross filming news events and paid advertisements on her cell phone and streaming them on Facebook Live. Now, she airs them over the air on her cable TV channel. She credits a transformational grant from The Pivot Fund. That grant was accompanied by wrap-around services that helped her tap into local advertisingContinue reading “BeeTV’s new local advertising strategy fuels growth”

Democracy Day, an initiative tied to the International Day of Democracy on September 15, has grown into a vital effort to enhance democracy-related reporting across the United States. What began as a simple idea from Rachel Glickhouse of Grist three years ago has evolved into a collaborative movement involving over 150 newsrooms, many of whichContinue reading “Democracy Day: A Collaborative Effort for Strengthening Democracy”

We’re always excited to bring fresh talent and valuable experience into The Pivot Fund. Eric Ortiz, a longtime journalist and founder of the Youth Community Journalism Institute at the Strong Mind Strong Body Foundation, has joined as Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation. The Stanford University alum, who is based in Minneapolis, hit theContinue reading “Meet Eric Ortiz, Pivot’s New Associate Director of Research, Learning and Evaluation”

At a luncheon last month in Atlanta, The Pivot Fund team showcased its innovative approach to supporting community-centered news outlets and the tangible impact of investing in nontraditional newsrooms. The event drew a diverse audience of philanthropists and publishers. Jean Marie Brown, Director of Research, Learning, and Evaluation, provided an insightful presentation on journalism’s evolutionContinue reading “How a Landscape Analysis Builds Journalism from the Ground Up”

Press Forward this week announced applications to its pooled fund would open April 30 and hired nonprofit news vet Christina Shih as associate director. That made it a great time to hear from Director Dale Anglin about the direction of the six-month-old, $500-million fund to reinvigorate local news. In response to The Pivot Fund’s questions, Anglin spoke about investingContinue reading “Delve into Press Forward with Director Dale Anglin”

Report finds that philanthropic support for Black nonprofits isn’t keeping up with their impact With their experience, resilience, and resourcefulness, Black nonprofit leaders often create high-impact, high-performing organizations that philanthropists want to fund. So why do white-led nonprofit organizations receive 76 percent more revenue than Black-led nonprofit organizations on average and have 24 percent moreContinue reading “The gap is real”

The Pivot Fund invited AfroLA founder Dana Amihere, Haitian Times publisher Gary Pierre-Pierre, and Ryan Sorrell, founder of The Kansas City Defender, to discuss how they successfully serve Black audiences. One portion of the conversation regards the integral role of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean, along with their descendants, in the Black American narrative.Continue reading “The Future of News & Information for Black Audiences”