The Pivot Fund Pod

In a recent Word on the Street interview, with Cumulus Media, CEO Tracie Powell shared how The Pivot Fund supports community-rooted newsrooms.It's not just about funding—it's about building real, lasting infrastructure.She spotlighted partners like Courier Eco Latino and BeeTV, each transforming access and revenue in their communities.Our approach is simple: trust media founders to lead. You know your audience. You know what works.We're here to back your vision—every step of the way.

This NotebookLM podcast episode discusses strategies for nonprofit media organizations to engage their boards of directors in fundraising. The conversation features the Pivot Fund's board chair and two nonprofit CEOs who share their experiences and tactics for recruiting diverse board members, setting clear expectations, and fostering strong communication. They emphasize the importance of storytelling, leveraging board members' networks, and creating a mutually beneficial board experience. The panelists also address challenges, such as underperforming board members and navigating economic downturns. Finally, they offer practical advice on managing board recruitment and fundraising processes.

In this episode, produced with Notebook LM, our AI hosts explore Tracie Powell and The Pivot Fund's research on the changing American news landscape by focusing on the state of Michigan. Increasingly, The Pivot Fund finds citizens are moving away from traditional news sources and instead seeking reliable information from independent outlets. Powell's research with The Pivot Fund reveals a rising demand for local, trusted news providers. Michigan's independent news sources, such as El Central, Planet Detroit, and Flint Beat, play an instrumental role in providing news that resonates on a local level, often overlooked by larger media outlets. The Pivot Fund's findings extend to the broader Midwest landscape. Powell contends that local journalism's future hinges on smaller and independent news sources.Reference links:Kalamazoo's Independent News Source – NowKalamazooDetroit news, Michigan environmental news, information | Planet DetroitFlint Beat | Your Community, Your Voice, Your News - Flint BeatNews Platform Fact Sheet, 2024 | Pew Research CenterEL CENTRAL Hispanic News

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell leads a discussion on the pivotal role of philanthropic intermediaries in supporting local and independent news outlets. Powell is joined by Carolyn Powers of Internews and the Listening Post Collective, Luella Brien of Four Points Press, and Saba Long of Atlanta Civic Circle. They share their experiences, challenges, and the critical need for more direct funding and strategic support in the journalism ecosystem. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org.

Kaylan Martin, principal of Blue Umbrella Strategies, and Kimberly Griffin, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Mississippi Free Press, joined The Pivot Fund's Kimberly Spencer for an insightful webinar on mastering donor stewardship strategies. The trio delved into the art of donor engagement with a focus on hyperlocal newsrooms and fundraisers of color, both facing unique challenges.Discover practical insights and best practices for nurturing donor relationships, from crafting effective stewardship plans to creating meaningful in-person experiences. Learn how to authentically build rapport by celebrating your donors' wins.During the Q&A session, our panelists shared how they would efficiently allocate just a few hours each week, their stance on formality versus informality with new donors, how to tactfully share setbacks with donors and more.To view the full Pivot Publisher Series, visit YouTube.com/@ThePivotFund.This series is supported by the Knight Foundation.

The latest Pivot Publisher Series webinar explored the question, “Is your newsroom ripe for revenue?” The panelists described a deep connection with their audience as the key to both editorial and business success, the importance of diverse revenue streams and the significance of relationships.Panelists: Todd Stauffer, Author,  Digital Revenue Playbook, Executive Director, Association of Alternative NewsmediaPenda Howell, Co-Founder, Publisher, CEO, New Jersey Urban News, Founder and CEO, PCH Multi-Cultural Media BuyingElizabeth Galarza, CEO and Publisher, Pasa La Voz NoticiasModerator:Justin Rushing, Chief Revenue Officer, The Pivot Fund

Amid all the hand-wringing over Sinclair Broadcasting chairman David Smith buying the Baltimore Sun, hardly anyone mentioned that he did it in partnership with Black businessman Armstrong Williams, who is now the first African American to own a major metropolitan newspaper since Bob Maynard bought and revitalized the Oakland Tribune four decades ago.Like Smith, Williams is a conservative, but in an interview, he describes newsroom independence as a core value and pledges that Sun reporters will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead – even if they lead to the disparagement of Donald Trump.Tune in for a compelling conversation between Armstrong and Tracie Powell, The Pivot Fund founder and CEO. About The Pivot Fund The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit thepivotfund.org. 

Who do you need on your team? The hiring process can be daunting, and making the right choices about who to bring on board and when can have a major impact on your newsroom. Zuri Berry, The Baltimore Banner's digital strategy editor; Lisa Snowden, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Beat; Susan Gluck Pappajohn, a talent and organizational strategy consultant; and Madeleine Bair, founding director of El Tímpano, shared their experience and approach to growing their teams, tips to secure funding, and more.  Resources mentioned in this episode: Introducing ‘Leavers': results from a survey of 101 former journalists of color: https://source.opennews.org/articles/introducing-leavers-results-survey/Toward equitable models of journalism sustainability: https://www.eltimpano.org/inside-el-timpano/toward-equitable-models-of-journalism-sustainability/Airtable: https://www.airtable.comLion Publishers: https://www.lionpublishers.comInstitute for Nonprofit News (INN): https://inn.orgThis conversation was sponsored by the Knight Foundation.--The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit thepivotfund.org. 

In the latest Pivot Publisher Series episode, The Kansas City Defender's Ryan Sorrell, AfroLA's Dana Amihere, and Haitian Times' Garry Pierre-Pierre share innovative strategies to reach Black audiences and share news they can use, including impactful community-based programs, surveys, and social media strategies. The founders also delve into the (sometimes complicated) relationship between digital startups and traditional legacy news with examples of what and how they can learn from one another. This episode is thoughtfully moderated by The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell and sponsored by the Knight Foundation.The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting.For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org.

The Pivot Publisher Series aims to equip hyperlocal BIPOC publishers and news leaders with tools, strategies and tactics to support their growth and continued success.Each month, we will gather industry experts, experienced publishers, news leaders and more to share their expertise, best practices and tools to shed light on a variety of topics including organizational design, how to hire top talent and more.The monthly webinar series kicked off with “Preparing for Transitions: Succession Planning," bringing together the experts and the experienced to share their journeys and tips for navigating the intricacies of succession planning.How can you exit responsibly and that's respectful to the work that you've done? What is philanthropy doing to support digital news pioneers? When is the ideal time to begin preparing?Moderator Evelyn Hsu, co-executive director at Maynard Institute, and panelists Mukhtar Ibrahim, founder of the Sahan Journal, Randall Yip, founder and editor of AsAmNews and Jane McDonnell, CEO of free range media and former executive director of the Online News Association shared their personal experience, tips for seamless, stress-free leadership transitions, and practical tools to ensure your news organization's long-term success.About The Pivot FundThe Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org. 

At The Pivot Fund, we know true empowerment for community-led news outlets goes beyond the headlines. It's about providing the necessary tools and support to drive sustainable growth and success. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Justworks, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), to bring you an exciting opportunity! The Just Thrive program offers women and minority-owned businesses a grant to support their administrative services.Solutions That Just Work reviews practical HR tips for startups and resources to streamline processes, save time, comply with state and federal laws and regulations, and more.Guests: Tracie Powell, Founder and CEO, The PIvot Fund Khadija Collins, Operation Manager, Documented NY Vania Andre, Chief Technology Officer, Haitian Times Doug Drosin, Channel Manage, Partnerships, Justworks Moses Balian, HR Consultant, Justworks --The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit https://thepivotfund.org. 

BIPOC news leaders have a hard time overcoming racial bias to find funding and support.Black women are starting businesses at the fastest clip of any other racial group. Many of these startups don't reach their full potential — or fail — in part because they can't raise the capital to start or sustain their businesses.In that spirit, The Pivot Fund held an intimate conversation between Amethyst J. Davis, the founder and publisher of the Harvey World Herald, and Wendi C. Thomas, the founder and publisher of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism, a nonprofit based in Memphis, Tennessee. Though at different points in their journeys, Davis and Thomas discuss their difficulties and challenges as startup newsroom leaders.Panelists included:  Amethyst J. Davis, The Harvey World Herald Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism  About The Pivot FundThe Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org. 

The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell and Northeastern University associate professor Dr. Meredith Clark discuss the unique difficulties BIPOC-led news organizations and startups face.This conversation is moderated by Melanie Sill, the founding executive director of the NC Local News Workshop at Elon University.The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting.For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org. 

Raising funds is hard! But it doesn't have to be. In this panel discussion, we review strategies for turning members of your board of directors into effective fundraisers by tapping into their wealth of knowledge, connections, and resources.Panelists included:  Kyra Kyles — CEO of YR Media Elisa Lees Muñoz — Executive Director of the International Women's Media Foundation Jamaal Glenn, The Pivot Fund's board chair, moderated this discussion.This conversation was sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.--The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit https://thepivotfund.org. 

Economists are forecasting a “mild” recession in 2023. That's driven by inflation, higher interest rates, and a tight labor market. What can news publishers and entrepreneurs do to prepare for an economic downturn?Listen for an assessment of the current economic climate for journalism and advice on how small and bootstrapped newsrooms can survive a recession.Panelists included: Glenn Burkins — Founder and Publisher of QCityMetro.com in Charlotte, North Carolina Anita Li — Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Green Line in Toronto, Canada Justin Rushing — Director of Growth and Partnerships at inewsource.org in San Diego, California Zuri Berry, the principal producer and owner of ZMC Podcasts, moderated this discussion.This conversation was sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.--The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit https://thepivotfund.org. 

What does it mean to be Black media? And how can media that targets Black audiences be culturally competent?The Pivot Fund and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press hosted this conversation on Feb. 23, 2022, about Black media ownership and the support systems they need to be successful and serve the Black community.Tracie Powell, The Pivot Fund's CEO, moderated the discussion with Kamesha Laurry, an attorney and fellow at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.Panelists included:  Joseph A. Torres, co-author of "News for All the People: The Epic Story of Race and the American Media"  Sara Lomax-Reese, co-founder of URL Media and president and CEO of WURD Radio Cheryl Thompson-Morton, director of the Black Media Initiative at the Center for Community Media at City University of New York Hiram Jackson, the CEO of Real Times Media Resources:  Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press hotline: 1-800-336-4243. rcfp.org  The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting.For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit thepivotfund.org.

Dr. Marisela Martinez-Cola, professor of sociology at Morehouse College, and Meena Thiruvengadam, an audience development consultant and former global head of audience engagement for Bloomberg, discuss the demographic changes currently underway in the South and how publishers can connect with new Black, Brown, and Asian community members. The conversation was hosted by The Pivot Fund on September 21, 2021, and sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.Martinez-Cola and Thiruvendgadam were joined by Sonny “Messiah” Jiles, the publisher of the Houston Defender, and Cierra Hinton, the executive director and publisher of Scalawag magazine.

S. Mitra Kalita, the publisher of Epicenter-NYC, talks about leaving behind a high-profile job at CNN and a guaranteed paycheck to launch her own brand.Kalita joined The Pivot Fund on Oct. 27, 2021, to discuss how she's part of the movement to reimagine community-centered journalism and how Epicenter-NYC grew newsletters into an empire. This conversation is co-moderated by The Pivot Fund's chief executive officer Tracie Powell and Liz Alarcón, the founder and executive director of Pulso, a nonprofit media start-up that shares news, history, and culture stories by and for Latinos.

Board development might be one of the driest topics of conversation when it comes to entrepreneurship. It's also one of the hardest things to do, especially in the journalism business, where many publishers want to recruit people who are in the industry and have a working knowledge about news media and the ethics that govern it. However, despite its lack of appeal, building a strong board of directors is critical to a news outlet's success and sustainability.That's why The Pivot Fund hosted an important conversation about board development with BoardSource affiliate and nonprofit consultant Glenda Hicks and Josué Rojas, an artist and former publisher of El Tecolote, the longest-running bilingual newspaper in California. Rojas also serves on the advisory board for El Tímpano.

More than $2.7 billion has been invested in the journalism ecosystem. That influx of cash has led many news outlets to seek development staff for the first time. But hiring development staff isn't easy. These are professionals who are in demand but short in supply. It takes special expertise to raise money for journalistic institutions. And for many news outlets, it might not be necessary or the right time to hire development staff.The Pivot Fund hosted a special panel discussion about grants and funding focused on helping independent, BIPOC-led news outlets answer these very questions. Including at what point they'll need to hire development staff and where to find them, how much organizations can expect to pay, and alternatives to hiring a full-time development director.Panelists included: Lolly Bowean — Media & Storytelling Program Officer for The Field Foundation Susan Gluck Pappajohn — Management Consultant with Phillips Oppenheim Julia Howell Barros — Nonprofit consultant Kaylan Somerville — Founder of Blue Umbrella Fundraising Mazin Sidahmed, co-founder and senior reporter for Documented, a hyper-local community new outlet that covers immigrant communities in New York City, moderated the discussion.This conversation was sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.