WATCH: The 2020 Journalism Funders Gathering

Last week, we convened our peers for our annual journalism funders gathering to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing journalism—and our nation—today. We hope that our two days of programming and breakout sessions introduced you to new people, new ideas, and a new way forward. We are so grateful to the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation and Independence Public Media Foundation for sponsoring our first online journalism funders conference. (And special thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Henry L. Hillman Foundation, and the Rita Allen Foundation for their support.) Zoom fatigue is real, and we are that much more grateful for the network’s participation our virtual format. We also know that many of you are juggling work and other family responsibilities, whether it’s your kids’ remote learning or caring for a loved one. Because of that, we’ve recorded all of our plenary discussions so that you can watch them at a time that’s more convenient for you. As we grapple with seemingly growing efforts to spread lies online, persistent issues preventing the advancement of newsroom culture, and what we need to do now to ensure a more equitable media ecosystem in the future, we hope you’ll… Read More

How do you raise thoughtful, caring, emotionally healthy children? And how do you do it in the face of struggle? If you’re a parent, no doubt these are questions you’ve asked yourself countless times. So for our latest webinar, we invited longtime friend and MIF board member Joy Thomas Moore and Pittsburgh Foundation President Maxwell King to offer their insights on those questions and more. Both Moore and King have recently published books that offer wonderful insights on engaged parenting and early childhood development. Moore, who has endured and overcome many obstacles throughout her single parenting journey, has beautifully packaged the lessons she has learned in her new book, The Power of Presence: Be a Voice in Your Child’s Ear Even When You’re Not With Them. In the book, Moore explores seven pillars of presence—heart, faith, mind, courage, financial freedom, values, and connectedness—that all parents can use to positively influence their children. The book takes a practical approach to finding ways to be the best parent you can be in spite of the exhaustion and challenges that come with parenting—single or not. King’s new book, The Good Neighbor: The Life and… Read More

Philanthropy plays a critical role in maintaining our First Amendment freedoms by supporting institutions and independent voices that strengthen a culture of free, democratic discourse. To continue the conversation around protecting these core values, we invited participants in The Pittsburgh Foundation’s recent First Amendment conferences—The National Conference on the First Amendment: Bedrock of American Freedoms, held in October at Duquesne University, and the First Amendment for the Twenty-First Century conference held in June—to share their thoughts on supporting and promoting a First Amendment culture. Watch the webinar below and use the time stamps to follow along in the recording: The webinar featured: Maxwell King (5:03), President and CEO of The Pittsburgh Foundation, the driving force behind the “1A” conferences. King explained that the foundation’s interest in press freedom issues Pittsburgh goes back more than a year and a half ago, when President Trump first started talking about the press as the enemy of the people. At a number of events, King said, members of the press were heckled and threatened. That concern quickly translated into the public’s understanding of the First Amendment, and how critical it is to democracy. Fiona Morgan (14:39), who manages MIF’s journalism… Read More