September 9, 2025 — WASHINGTON — The American Journalism Project today released its 2026 Impact Report, documenting growth across its portfolio and the nonprofit local news sector.
After two decades of newsroom closures and declining local coverage, the American Journalism Project is helping lead the growth of nonprofit local news as a public good, and the results across its portfolio offer clear evidence that durable local news organizations can be built at scale. AJP’s portfolio now includes more than 50 nonprofit news organizations serving more than 100 communities across 38 states. Key findings from the report include:
- Across 28 completed investments, organizations generated $53 million in annual revenue growth, more than doubled their median annual revenue and added more than 250 journalists.
- AJP’s portfolio generated $160 million in revenue in 2025 — a 28% increase — and supported 1,170 full-time jobs, including 843 journalists; 81% of organizations grew their revenue.
- Revenue grew across every major stream across the portfolio, including major gifts, membership revenue, earned revenue, local foundation support and national grants.
- Since AJP’s founding, the philanthropy has raised nearly $272 million in national and local markets, including $76 million catalyzed for new local news initiatives.
The report also documents the journalistic excellence and community impact made possible by stronger local news organizations. In 2026, CT Mirror won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting in partnership with ProPublica, marking the third time in the last four years an organization in the AJP portfolio has received the recognition. Reporting from across the portfolio also helped people better understand and connect with their communities, changed policy, exposed corruption, returned money to residents, expanded access to voting and provided critical information during moments of need.
Read the full 2026 Impact Report: https://theajp.org/impact/
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About the American Journalism Project
The American Journalism Project is the first venture philanthropy organization dedicated to local news. We make catalytic investments in nonprofit news organizations and partner with communities to launch new outlets. Since 2019, we’ve invested in dozens of local news outlets, providing them with capital, strategic guidance and operational expertise to grow their reach and impact. By strengthening and scaling a sustainable field of local news organizations, we are working to ensure that people have access to the trusted, independent local journalism they need to participate in civic life.
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Media Contact: Roshni Neslage, Head of Communications, American Journalism Project, 954-526-1565
