Becoming a Press Forward Local Chapter
Interested in forming a local chapter in your community? Here’s more information to start you on your journey.
About Press Forward Locals
All Press Forward Local Funders have committed to:
- Support local journalism beyond existing commitments
- Bring new donors to the local effort
- Represent Press Forward in their communities
- Establish or support pooled funds, aligned giving or other funder collaborations
- Convene local stakeholders to conduct research and advance the mutual understanding of the local information ecosystem
- Establish or support pooled funds or funding collaborations that build common purpose and strengthen the local news ecosystem
- Track and report grantmaking activity and other metrics to Press Forward
- Share models, tools, and lessons learned with other Press Forward Locals chapters
Press Forward chapters have foundation chapter leads that have:
- A deep connection to their community
- Access to, or plans to conduct, research on their local news ecosystem
- A desire to recruit and work with other donors and
- A willingness to listen and learn from diverse stakeholders, representative of the communities that they serve.
These chapter leads also are ready to make a meaningful financial contribution to their local news ecosystem.
If a chapter is ready to initiate the formal review process, we ask each prospective chapter to fill out this application form.
Tap into a national network
By becoming a chapter lead, you will receive guidance from advisors with deep expertise in funding in local news ecosystems.
Chapters will also join a community of practice, have the option to join Press Forward national working groups, gain support and partnership in fundraising efforts and be eligible to apply for Press Forward Locals Catalyst Funds, of up to $250,000.
How to learn more
Press Forward hosts regular information sessions that provide an overview of chapters, outline expectations for funders and share examples from existing chapters.
We will post a new session soon.
Ready to build?
Here are the steps to launching a Press Forward local chapter.
If a chapter is ready to initiate the formal review process, we ask each prospective chapter to fill out this application form.
A member of the team will reach out to you so we can learn more about your communities, your vision and your existing efforts. We understand that each region is different and that it will take time to build a long-term funding collaborative. Press Forward expects each chapter to be at different stages at the time of application so these conversations are designed to address topics around proposed governance, fundraising approaches, research and grantmaking activity.
In short, these conversations help Press Forward assess chapter readiness or connect you with resources and guidance to prepare you. We may also work with potential chapters to connect you with other funders who are exploring this effort in the same region.
“Chapter ready” applications are reviewed and approved by the Press Forward management committee on a quarterly basis.
Press Forward’s local chapter network is built thanks to lessons learned from local funder collaboratives in journalism and other fields. We will continue to learn with our first cohorts of Locals, and may introduce adjustments to this process and resources for the network as this dynamic group of funders develops over time.