Los Angeles, CA – As cuts in federal funding for social programs push foundations to increase their payouts and shift their priorities, one fundraising initiative offers a solution for funders and nonprofits alike. NewsMatch packages the promise of a matching gift with training and tools designed to empower nonprofit newsrooms to do more than earn the match: it teaches them how to engage small-dollar donations and major gifts, cultivate investments from local businesses and community foundations and even stand up their own matching gift incentives.
During the 10th annual NewsMatch fundraising campaign in November and December 2025, more than two-thirds of the 407 participating news organizations attracted additional matching gifts from individuals and institutions in their communities—exceeding the seed funding provided by NewsMatch for the fourth consecutive year. These newsrooms also attracted a record number of first-time donors. During a year marked by federal cuts and financial uncertainty for nonprofits, more than 100,000 individuals donated to INN Network newsrooms for the first time, up 34 percent from the previous year. Overall, INN’s member newsrooms leveraged $7.1 million in pooled investments from NewsMatch to generate nearly $70 million in individual donations and matching funds from their communities.
“What the numbers show us is that the collaborative fundraising model pioneered by NewsMatch is a proven and replicable recipe for increasing the capacity of nonprofit organizations to attract support from their communities,” said Karen Rundlet, Executive Director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News. “By positioning institutional philanthropy as a starting point, not an end goal, and coupling that with coaching and resources, NewsMatch has shown how even small nonprofits can build strategic relationships and strengthen their operations for the long haul.”
NewsMatch runs on collaboration and flexibility. Initially launched by Knight Foundation in 2016, NewsMatch has grown to include 22 funding partners in 2025—some contributing to the main matching pool and some creating dedicated funds for coverage of particular geographic areas or topics. Over time, INN has shifted curriculum developed by News Revenue Hub from live webinars to an on-demand model and added more coaching sessions to meet newsroom leaders where they are on their learning curve. INN also makes available a dedicated Network Philanthropy Director, Stephanie Schenkel, who meets with members year-round to help them identify and cultivate major donor prospects.
Participating news organizations say that the collaborative aspect is part of why INN’s NewsMatch works for them.
“As a local news organization, it bolsters our credibility to participate in this nationwide fundraising effort, while focusing on getting support from our community,” said Emily Reynolds, marketing chair of Limestone Post in Bloomington, Indiana. “Readers feel good about supporting local news that is part of the larger movement to provide public-service journalism.”
Even national and global newsrooms find the program beneficial.
Rocio Hernandez, Development Communications Manager of Religion News Service, said, “Beyond the revenue, NewsMatch fosters a sense of shared purpose and experimentation across nonprofit newsrooms, helping teams strengthen their fundraising practices while feeling supported through an intense and important season.”
About INN’s NewsMatch
NewsMatch is a collaborative fundraising initiative designed to attract and diversify nonprofit news supporters. The program engages small-dollar contributors, major donors, local foundations, and small businesses in the nonprofit news field by leveraging the power of matching campaigns and advancing newsroom skills to generate individual giving. All participating newsrooms are members of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) Network.
In 2025, a record number of 22 funders supported NewsMatch:
Barr Foundation, Carnegie Corporation of New York, DAFGiving 360 made possible by the generosity of the Present Progressive Fund, Democracy Fund, Golden Globe Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, Henry-Luce Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation,John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kaphan Foundation, McKnight Foundation, People’s Media Fund, Press Forward, Solidarity Giving, The New York Community Trust – Westchester, Tow Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and Wyncote Foundation. In-kind support was provided by The New York Times.
The collaborative fund is held by The Miami Foundation, and campaign support was provided by News Revenue Hub.
