Community Focus Drives Growth: Investing in Trusted Local News

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”

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”

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”

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”

Local News Day Is a Visibility Opportunity Hyperlocal Newsrooms Can’t Miss

Tracie Powell of The Pivot Fund speaks with John Adams, founder of Local News Day and Montana Free Press, about a new national effort to reconnect communities with trusted local news. They discuss the growing gap between trust and visibility in local journalism, why hyperlocal outlets — especially those serving underrepresented communities — are oftenContinue reading “Local News Day Is a Visibility Opportunity Hyperlocal Newsrooms Can’t Miss”

How community media earns youth trust

Join us for a conversation about how community media reaches and engages youth audiences—by trusting young people as contributors, storytellers, and civic participants. We’ll explore how community media involves youth in their newsrooms and why that engagement is essential to strong, community-centered journalism. Presenters: Moderator: DeAnna Sherman, Co-Founder and Executive Director of True Star Media

Print as Strategy: The Role of Print in Community News Ecosystems

Even in a digital-first era, many community and immigrant-serving outlets continue to rely on print — from newspapers to guides and special resources — as a trusted way to reach audiences and generate revenue. This webinar will explore why print endures, who’s using it effectively, and how it fits into sustainable, hybrid models for localContinue reading “Print as Strategy: The Role of Print in Community News Ecosystems”

Reporting on Domestic Violence: Storytelling with Care Webinar Takeaways

At The Pivot Fund, we believe journalism can be a tool for healing as well as for truth-telling — especially when covering topics as sensitive and urgent as domestic violence. That’s why we partnered with the Blue Shield of California Foundation to produce a webinar aimed at strengthening trauma-informed reporting practices across the country. Together,Continue reading “Reporting on Domestic Violence: Storytelling with Care Webinar Takeaways”