Our grantmaking rubric

Your organization has a demonstrated track record of identifying and meeting critical local information needs for your community and intends to expand toward becoming a primary source of original reporting for a defined region or identity group. We’re currently prioritizing regions that are either an entire state or large population area.

Your organization has demonstrated leadership within the ecosystem you serve today, effectively collaborates with partners, and will elevate in a tangible manner the broader movement for local nonprofit news as you grow.

Your organization is consistently working to become more just, equitable, and inclusive. You are actively committed to DEI, with a track record that is reflected in the experience of your employees and communities served. Your employees would speak highly of your commitment to building a healthy culture. Your commitment to DEI is reflected in the composition of your staff, leadership, board, audiences served, and in the systems and structures you’ve put in place.

You have a demonstrated track record of attracting a community of champions and a financial base of support from which you can expand your organization. You have a credible path to funding sources in your growth plan.

Your team includes (or will include):

-An experienced editorial leader who inherently understands and believes in the intersection of community, product and revenue.

-A business or nonprofit professional in senior leadership who is committed to the mission of local, equitable, community-driven news and First Amendment values.

-A highly engaged board that has demonstrated value to date and has the skills and expertise to support you in your next phase of growth.

You are working toward strong financial systems and controls, a staff and board with financial-management experience, and a healthy governance culture.

You are ready to engage in strategic growth planning – based on a full understanding of your market, its local news ecosystem and its revenue potential – with a credible path to scaling your organization’s original local reporting to meet the needs of your region. You’re looking to quickly grow your organization by at least $1M in annual budget in the next three years. You have or can build a bottoms-up financial model that projects revenues and costs for an enterprise that is sustainable after the conclusion of AJP’s three-year injection of growth capital.

You are committed to being a part of the broader national movement for local nonprofit news, and are eager to both learn from and teach other organizations and leaders with the goal of strengthening and growing the overall field. You have important and scalable lessons that the broader field can learn from.