DNCinPHL: Funders and nonprofit news on the scene

Editor's note: This piece was updated on Aug. 5, 2016, to include DNC contributions by graphic journalist and VR/AR expert Dan Archer, the Youth News Team, and the NoVo Foundation. This week's Democratic Convention is taking place in our hometown. So, we're reporting from both inside and outside the event on how nonprofit outlets and their funders are addressing issues at the center of this highly contested election. Here are some initial observations; we'll be updating this as we go.  Many thanks to our partners at LinkTV for securing us a pair of press passes—follow their conference coverage here. Read More

At the 2016 Media Impact Forum, we explored the networks, data and collaborations that support and amplify powerful narratives in film, journalism virtual reality and more. Agenda 9:30 a.m.—Welcome and Introductions Vince Stehle, Executive Director, Media Impact Funders Andrew Rasiej, Founder/CEO, Civic Hall Musical interlude Michael Thurber, Composer, Performer, From the Top 9:55 a.m.—Tech Support: Mapping Our Networks Foundation Maps for Media Funding Sarah Armour-Jones, Consultant, Media Impact Funders Nicholas Savot, Electronic Grant Analyst, Foundation Center Mapping the System Dynamics of Local Journalism Jessica Clark, Research and Strategy Director, Media Impact Funders Paul Waters, Program Associate, Democracy Fund The Story that Moved Us: When I Walk + AXS Map as Building Blocks for Change Jason DaSilva, Producer, Director, Writer, Activist & Founder, AXS Labs Vince Stehle, Executive Director, Media Impact Funders 11 a.m.—Networking Break 11:30 a.m.—The Power and Impact of Investigative Reporting David Rousseau, Vice President and Executive Director of Health Policy Media Technology, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation Troubled Water: Uncovering Massive Fraud in Flint, Michigan Amy Goodman, Co-host, Democracy Now! Curt Guyette, Investigative… Read More

PHILADELPHIA, PA (May 31, 2016)—Media Impact Funders (MIF), a member-supported network of funders who seek to improve society through media and technology, has been awarded a two-year, $500,000 matching grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies, a limited-life foundation. It is the largest-ever grant awarded to the nonprofit since its incorporation in 2009. Read More

The nonprofit news sector is having a really great year: Two beloved hometown newspapers on the brink of collapse were saved by a new nonprofit in January. Pulitzers were awarded for exceptional reporting in April. A new watchdog-focused outlet joined the fold this month. And this week, two sizable grants from two foundations known for their commitment to and preservation of journalism and media were announced. Read More

The American Press Institute—an educational nonprofit that helps advance news media in the digital age—released a report last month that explores the ethical terrain of nonprofit journalism.  “The ethics of taking grants from foundations and gifts from donors to produce news is still evolving and not without controversy,” the report reads. Read More

With support from the MacArthur Foundation, Catapult Film Fund, and others, Indian director Vaishali Sinha examines how Indians discuss sex in her documentary Ask the Sexpert. This feature length documentary is centered on a highly popular sex advice columnist in Mumbai, India—Dr. Mahinder Watsa. Read More

PARK CITY, Utah — When media funders talk about impact, what do they mean, and how do they demonstrate it? At the Sundance Film Festival, Media Impact Funders (MIF) released a new report, Funder Perspectives: Assessing Media Investments. It explores the multiple and sometimes overlapping lenses through which grantmakers view media evaluation, and confirms that there are still many unanswered questions. The report contributes to a growing dialogue about ways to quantify and qualify the impact of public interest media. Such examinations have stimulated debate among both funders and grantees. Read More

National Geographic President Gary Knell (above left) welcomed attendees to the June 3 celebration of the Media Impact Festival’s award winners at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC: Read More

A guest post by Kerry McCarthy, The New York Community Trust What does the Media Grants Database offer funders? I decided to find out. In the process, I got a better picture of the role of my foundation in the media landscape, and learned a bit more about how our grantees are faring. Read More