The Chronicle of Social Change earned nearly $100K in national NewsMatch campaign

LOS ANGELES - March 5, 2019 - PRLog -- Fostering Media Connections joined more than 150 nonprofit newsrooms across the country to participate in NewsMatch 2018, a grassroots fundraising campaign to support nonprofit news organizations.

This most recent campaign generated $7.6 million from individual donors and a coalition of foundations and companies, making it the largest-ever grassroots fundraising campaign to support local news. Over 240,000 people gave between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, and more than 50,000 new donors supported a nonprofit newsroom for the first time.

The 154 organizations participating averaged about $50,000 each in donations. Fostering Media Connections and The Chronicle of Social Change nearly doubled that, pulling in a total of $96,000.

This surge was fueled by grants from The Zellerbach Family Foundation and the Ralph M. Parsons Foundation to augment incredible support from individual donors towards FMC's overall NewsMatch campaign.

"We are so thankful to all our supporters who came out to make this year's campaign a stunning success," said FMC President Daniel Heimpel. "NewsMatch has become an important part of nonprofit journalism's funding landscape, and we are thrilled that it is supporting so many newsrooms like ours."

Working with the Institute for Nonprofit News and the News Revenue Hub, two organizations helping build more sustainable models for journalism in the U.S., NewsMatch is pioneering new approaches to supporting and strengthening local news and investigative reporting.

"In an environment where news faces growing threats, these results are a bright spot, showing how individuals from coast to coast are committed to supporting quality news." said Sue Cross, Executive Director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News.

"We are thrilled that more and more people understand the value and importance of supporting journalism, and, in particular, the growing field of local and nonprofit news. These organizations produce terrific stories that hold the powerful accountable and connect people with their communities and each other. It's clear that people are taking notice and stepping up to help sustain them," said Jennifer Preston, Knight Foundation vice president for journalism.

The NewsMatch campaign is driven by a partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit News and the News Revenue Hub, Democracy Fund, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Ethics and Excellence Foundation. The Miami Foundation serves as fiscal sponsor for the fund. The Facebook Journalism Project also made a $1 million donation to NewsMatch in 2018 (https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/blog/the-next-step...).

Knight Foundation launched the inaugural NewsMatch in 2016, helping 57 nonprofit news organizations raise more than $2.4 million.

NewsMatch Contact:

Elle Communications
Prerana Swami
855.438.3553
newsmatch@ellecomm.com

About Fostering Media Connections:

Fostering Media Connections is a 501c (3) non-profit that harnesses the power of journalism to advance child welfare reform by covering emerging solutions to the system's challenges. The Chronicle of Social Change is a national online news site published by Fostering Media Connections that produces daily news about child welfare, juvenile justice and children's mental health issues.

To learn more about Fostering Media Connections or The Chronicle of Social Change, contact Victoria Rocha at 213-265-7767 or media@fosteringmediaconnections.org.

About the Institute for Nonprofit News:

The Institute for Nonprofit News is an incubator and support network for nonprofit newsrooms, strengthening the sources of independent, public service information and investigative journalism for thousands of communities across the U.S. INN is the only organization in the U.S. specifically focused on supporting the emerging nonprofit news sector. For more, visit INN.org.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation:

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit knightfoundation.org.