The Pivot Fund

The Pivot Fund The Pivot Fund empowers independent, community-rooted news outlets serving under-resourced urban and rural areas.

We provide funding and support that strengthen local news and build a more inclusive democracy. Our work envisions a reality in which journalism is responsive, reflective, and reimagined by the communities newsrooms are supposed to serve, particularly those communities that are currently underserved with credible news and information-- Black, Latinx, Indigenous, immigrant, and other communities o

f color across the U.S. Our approach is rooted in the knowledge that accessible and fact-based news provided by trusted and culturally-competent news organizations is the primary solution to fighting the spread of disinformation, misinformation, and disconnection to civic and public life.

08/14/2026

285 South’s growth shows what happens when a community newsroom has the capacity to turn trust into action.

With support from The Pivot Fund, 285 South grew from a one-person newsletter into a newsroom reaching 22,500 people across Metro Atlanta. But its impact goes beyond audience growth.

Its reporting helped prompt Georgia to add Dari to its driver’s permit test, while coverage of a driving program for immigrant and refugee women helped generate enough donations to keep the program operating.

At 285 South, community trust helps surface needs that might otherwise go unseen — and greater newsroom capacity makes it possible to report on them in ways that create tangible change.

Stay tuned for more stories about how community publishers are building stronger newsrooms and stronger communities.

07/23/2026

Capacity creates opportunity.

With support from The Pivot Fund, Radio Campesina expanded its reporting capacity — making it possible to consistently livestream radio programs on YouTube, grow its digital presence and show up in the community every day.

The results? 📈 432% YouTube growth, nearly double the monthly website audience, new revenue streams and stronger community connections.

But the biggest impact goes beyond the numbers. The trust the outlet has built with its community by being present is invaluable.

Watch Radio Campesina’s testimony + learn more at https://shorturl.at/wAEGm

Stay tuned for more stories about how community publishers are building stronger newsrooms — and stronger communities.

Sustainable local news requires strong organizations — newsrooms with diverse revenue, deeper community relationships an...
07/20/2026

Sustainable local news requires strong organizations — newsrooms with diverse revenue, deeper community relationships and the capacity to keep serving their audiences long after a grant ends.

Since our first cohort in 2022, Pivot grantees have:

• Increased revenue streams by 69%
• Grown non-grant revenue by 530% on average
• Built more sustainable business models, with 60% now generating revenue from three or more sources.

Capacity isn’t just about growth. It’s about giving trusted community publishers the stability to continue informing their communities for years to come.

That’s the kind of investment communities deserve.

What happens when you invest in community publishers?Stronger newsrooms. Greater reach. More sustainable organizations.S...
07/15/2026

What happens when you invest in community publishers?Stronger newsrooms. Greater reach. More sustainable organizations.

Since receiving Pivot support, publishers across our portfolio have collectively grown their audiences by 253%, increased revenue by 63%, secured $4.8 million in additional funding and created 18 full-time jobs.

These numbers reflect what’s possible when philanthropy invests in the organizations communities already trust.

Stay tuned over the next two months as we share the stories, data and impact behind our work — and why investing in trusted local publishers is an investment in stronger communities and a more inclusive democracy.

Since our first grantee cohort in 2022, Pivot has invested in independent, community-rooted news organizations serving c...
07/08/2026

Since our first grantee cohort in 2022, Pivot has invested in independent, community-rooted news organizations serving communities too often overlooked by philanthropy.

As local news faces funding cuts, layoffs and growing uncertainty, we're focused on strengthening the publishers communities already trust. Through funding, research and hands-on support, we help community publishers build capacity, grow sustainably and better serve their audiences.

Over the next two months, we'll share the stories, data and impact behind our work — and why investing in trusted local publishers is an investment in stronger communities and a more inclusive democracy.

Learn more about where The Pivot Fund fits in the local news ecosystem and why our model matters: https://shorturl.at/cpYj6

Thanks for following along as we've shared key insights from The Pivot Fund's Great Lakes news ecosystem research.We're ...
06/25/2026

Thanks for following along as we've shared key insights from The Pivot Fund's Great Lakes news ecosystem research.

We're wrapping up with Minnesota, where our analysis shows that some of the state's most trusted sources of information aren't traditional newsrooms—they're community leaders, ethnic media outlets and grassroots information networks rooted in the communities they serve.

From Indigenous Facebook groups to bilingual public health newsrooms, community-rooted publishers are reshaping how local information reaches people where they are.

Explore the full Minnesota and Michigan reports at thepivotfund.org/news-resources under "Reports," and stay tuned for the release of our Illinois and Wisconsin reports.

05/27/2026

Grantee testimony: Pivot’s support for Black By God is “transformational.”

In 2024, The Pivot Fund awarded $150K in unrestricted funding—helping stabilize operations, expand capacity, and build toward long-term sustainability.

Recently, the outlet lost $350K in federal funding tied to broader USDA rollbacks of DEI-related programs. The grant supported their agriculture reporting, including a reporter position at approximately $70,000 annually over five years.

Rather than retreat, the organization launched a community campaign anchored by a 24-hour live podcast-a-thon on a houseboat! The Pivot Fund agreed to match $35,000 in donations to sustain the reporter position for another year because losing this reporting capacity would mean the loss of trusted reporting for Black communities in a state where civic information gaps already run deep.

BBG is showing how community media adapts, activates support, and continues showing up for the communities it serves.

What happens when community publishers start planning not just for today — but for the next generation?After nearly 50 y...
05/21/2026

What happens when community publishers start planning not just for today — but for the next generation?

After nearly 50 years , including more than three decades as publisher, Janis Ware is stepping back and passing leadership to the next generation.

Founded in 1966 during the Civil Rights Movement, The Atlanta Voice has remained rooted in a mission that still resonates today: “A people without a voice cannot be heard.”

For community publishers, her transition offers a reminder: succession planning is an important part of sustainability.

Start early. Mentor future leaders. Create opportunities across roles. Build something that can outlast you.

Ask yourself:
➡️ Who are you bringing along?
➡️ Who are you making space for?
➡️ What will this look like without you?

Read more: https://shorturl.at/3kLxu

For many hyperlocal publishers, traditional local news revenue models built around advertising, affluent audiences, and ...
05/15/2026

For many hyperlocal publishers, traditional local news revenue models built around advertising, affluent audiences, and memberships simply don’t reflect the realities of the communities they serve.

is offering another approach.

The Bay Area outlet recently released its Civic Partnerships Playbook, showing how publishers can generate revenue through partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies, and mission-aligned organizations seeking to reach “hard-to-reach” communities.

The model generated roughly $300K through 18 civic partnerships in 2024 and $350K in 2025—making it El Tímpano’s second-largest source of revenue.

View the playbook and takeaways at: https://shorturl.at/zIH7D

After unknowingly publishing an AI-generated column under a fake author, Mississippi Free Press responded with transpare...
05/13/2026

After unknowingly publishing an AI-generated column under a fake author, Mississippi Free Press responded with transparency—removing the piece, acknowledging the mistake, and strengthening internal safeguards.

For community publishers, the lesson is in how the newsroom responded, but it also highlights a growing issue with how AI is reshaping trust, verification, and accountability under limited capacity.

👉🏾Resources for publishers include Poynter’s AI policy starter kit. Plus, Indiegraf is hosting a May 28 webinar on building newsroom AI policies that strengthen audience trust.

For funders, the lesson is clear: supporting local news now also means investing in trust infrastructure, training, and operational capacity.

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