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Last week, Congress passed H.R. 4, the Rescissions Act of 2025, which cuts $1.1 billion from public media funding, delivering a devastating blow to the institutions that millions of Americans depend on for trusted information, education, and connection. This decision is unthinkable—and unacceptable. Public media has long served as a critical thread in the fabric of our democracy—fostering civic participation, providing educational resources for children, delivering emergency information, and telling the stories of our diverse communities. These cuts threaten the ability of public media to fulfill its mission, but they also underscore the urgency of supporting its evolution. In order to be solutions-focused and forward-thinking, we should look at this as a chance to reimagine public media’s role as a trusted backbone of civic life. As public media is being reshaped, here are some questions for funders to consider as we envision its future together: ? How can philanthropy support public media’s transformation from a traditional broadcaster into a platform for local information and community storytelling? ? What investments in technology, partnerships, and infrastructure will help public media better serve communities at the neighborhood and regional level? ? How can funders help public media deepen trust and… Read More

We’re thrilled to announce exciting leadership changes to the Media Impact Funders Board of Directors! Kayce Ataiyero, Chief External Affairs Officer at the Joyce Foundation, brings her expertise in journalism funding to the role of Chair, while Kaitlin Yarnall, Chief Storytelling Officer at National Geographic Society, steps up as Vice Chair. Kayce joined the Board in 2020, and Kaitlin, who joined in 2018, also serves as the chair of our Program & Communications Board Committee. Kayce and Kaitlin bring decades of journalism, media and grantmaking experience to our board and to the field. We’re incredibly excited about this new chapter with Kayce and Kaitlin leading the way. Their combined expertise and vision will be instrumental in helping Media Impact Funders ensure a thriving media landscape that serves the public interest. A huge thank you to outgoing leaders We extend our deepest gratitude to David Rousseau, Publisher and Executive director of KFF Health News, and Elizabeth Christopherson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rita Allen Foundation, for their incredible leadership as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, since 2013. Their unwavering commitment to MIF’s mission will continue as they… Read More

Media Impact Funders has received a three-year, $300,000 general-operating grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the U.S. Read More

This members briefing was organized in partnership with New Media Ventures and co-sponsored with Philanthropy New York. All members and supporters of Media Impact Funders have the opportunity to initiate and produce issue-related programming for their peers. Learn more about member briefings. This week, experts from industry leaders New Media Ventures and Accelerate Change joined a discussion about how the media landscape is shifting, why philanthropic investment is necessary, and opportunities for collaboration. Philanthropy has long been critical in sustaining public interest media through the various stages of landscape shifts. Now as the country faces unprecedented polarization, rampant disinformation, and the overall erosion of trust in media, philanthropy must again shift—this time, to target investment in sustainable, scalable media companies and organizations. Across the board, media in the public interest is losing critical ground on emerging social platforms. Meanwhile, an insidious media infrastructure rooted in disinformation is gaining traction on emerging platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, and Discord. These efforts are building massive audiences while also misleading them with completely evidence-free narratives. The pathway is clear and the time is now—in order to protect democracy, we need a decentralized, innovative media ecosystem able to meet targeted audiences where they… Read More

As we prepare for our first in-person gathering since the pandemic began, the Media Impact Forum at the National Geographic Society on June 1, we have been thinking back to the last time we got together in person for our Forum—titled Radio Active Culture—in May 2019, at the American Philosophical Society, here in Philadelphia. In that program we explored the power of local radio to nurture cultural expression and build community, along with broader efforts of cultural organizations to use digital media to deliver content and programs. Read More

In partnership with Candid (formerly Foundation Center and GuideStar)—which provides data-driven tools, educational resources and trainings, analyses, and more to the philanthropic sector—MIF offered a workshop to help funders learn how to use data maps to inform funding priorities and strategic decision-making. These maps are free, interactive tools that show the full scope of philanthropically-funded projects. Read More

There’s a foreboding sketch of an hour glass with an image of a melting globe dripping through it on the most recent edition of h magazine, the semi-annual publication produced by The Heinz Endowments. The headline on the cover declares, “Moment of Truth: Action is Needed to Address Environmental Crises Before Time Runs Out.” Read More

We know that narratives matter. And the prevailing one of Africa is that it's a monolithic continent wracked by poverty, disease, conflict, poor leadership and corruption. Enough with the harmful stereotyping. Africa No Filter (ANF) is a donor collaborative that supports the development of nuanced and contemporary stories that shift stereotypical and harmful narratives within and about Africa. In this Q&A, we talked to ANF's executive director, Moky Makura — who was recently named one of Quartz Africa's top innovators — on how fellow funders can get it right when it comes to the multifaceted continent of 54 countries. Read More

Wichita Community Foundation, a member of MIF since July 2021, was funded in 1986 and partners with people, families, and organizations in Kansas to devote resources to causes that matter. The News and Information Fund at WCF invests in strengthening the local news ecosystem, leading to a more informed and engaged city. Last summer, WCF made its single largest grant—more than $1 million—to launch The Wichita Beacon, a nonprofit news organization dedicated to public service journalism. In this Q&A, Courtney Bengtson, WCF's Director of Strategic Initiatives talks about how media fits into the organization's overall goals and the importance of journalism for healthy communities. Read More

The NIHCM Foundation, a member of MIF since 2019, funds health care journalism that examines issues impacting the United States health care system and consumers, such as access to care, cost and quality, and equity. The impact of its investments can be seen in work such as "The Aftermath," a Vox series about the collateral health effects of Covid-19. A recent NIHCM-supported story in the series, "The Doctors Are Not All Right," confronted the devastating mental health toll that COVID-19 has taken on doctors around the country. This is the kind of high-quality journalism to which NIHCM is committed. That's why, for the second year, NIHCM is making $1 million available to support new awards in journalism and research. The deadline to apply is July 12. In this Q&A, Nancy Chockley, founding President and CEO of the National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation, and Kathryn Santoro, Director of Programming, share details about NIHCM’s commitment to supporting high-quality health journalism. Read More