WASHINGTON — Feb. 18, 2025 — The American Journalism Project today announced a new, $25 million investment from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, reinforcing the organization’s role as a leading force in building a sustainable nonprofit local news sector.
This new support will accelerate the growth of nonprofit local news organizations nationwide. The American Journalism Project will use this funding to provide growth capital and long-term operational support to up to 60 nonprofit news organizations, expand its partnerships with local philanthropy across the country to address news and information gaps, and launch the Knight Resiliency Lab at the American Journalism Project, a unit designed to strengthen the financial and operational resilience of nonprofit newsrooms.
“The nonprofit local news movement has gained incredible momentum, and the American Journalism Project has been a leading driver of that growth,” said Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, president and CEO of Knight Foundation. “With this investment, we’re ensuring that nonprofit local news organizations don’t just launch — they thrive. The Knight Resiliency Lab will provide essential expertise and support, helping local news organizations grow stronger and more sustainable for the long term.”
The Knight Resiliency Lab will provide news organizations with expertise, resources, and training for long-term sustainability, focusing on key areas such as audience development, major donor fundraising, membership models, and revenue diversification.
Knight Foundation was an early supporter of the American Journalism Project, investing $20 million in 2019 to help launch the organization. Since its launch, the American Journalism Project has raised more than $200 million, including over $68 million in local philanthropy to support new local news initiatives, and has supported a portfolio of 50 nonprofit news organizations in 36 states. Its investment model has proven effective: the first 22 organizations to partner with the American Journalism Project have doubled in size by diversifying revenue and added over 200 journalists to their staffs.
“Nonprofit local news is the fastest-growing part of the local news industry, and this investment from Knight Foundation is a testament to its momentum,” said Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project. “With Knight’s continued partnership, we’re not just supporting news organizations — we’re helping build a lasting, resilient future for local journalism. This funding will allow us to scale our impact, strengthen more newsrooms, and ensure more communities have access to the trustworthy local news they deserve.”
Joe Natoli, board chair of the American Journalism Project, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Baptist Health South Florida, and former publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, emphasized the significance of this support: “A thriving local news ecosystem is essential to the civic health of our communities. This support from Knight Foundation will ensure that communities across the country have access to high-quality, independent reporting that’s provided by local news organizations that are not just sustainable, but growing.”
About the American Journalism Project
The American Journalism Project is a venture philanthropy dedicated to local news. We believe in civic journalism as a public good and are reimagining its future by building a model to finance and sustain the local news our democracy requires. We make grants to local nonprofit news organizations to build their revenue and business operations, partner with communities to launch new organizations, and mentor leaders as they grow and sustain their newsrooms. To learn more about the American Journalism Project, visit theajp.org.
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
We are social investors who support a more effective democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once published newspapers.
Media contact: Roshni Neslage, Head of Communications, American Journalism Project, media@theajp.org, 954-526-1565
