Photo by Hannah Yoon.

Lessons from the Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit

By Hayley Slusser

Photo by Hannah Yoon.

Photo by Hannah Yoon.

Reporting contributed by Jared Council, Joseph Lichterman, Marika Lynch, Caroline Merenda, Andrew Nodell, and Graham Ringo.

News philanthropy has come of age and become an important force for good in the world of journalism — just when journalism needs it most.

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and Press Forward convened more than 350 news fundraisers from across the country for the 2025 Lenfest News Philanthropy Summit last week in Philadelphia. The event is the first and largest convening dedicated solely to providing learning opportunities for journalism fundraising and development professionals, and it is part of the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network, which consists of 4,000 members worldwide.

The two days of hands-on workshops and inspirational keynote speakers were designed to advance the important work of creating sustainable local news organizations that can serve communities for years to come.

You can find a complete overview of the Summit’s programs here, and we’ve compiled many of the session slides and handouts here. We’ll share additional insights in the weeks to come.

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