September 6, 2024

Nonprofit news leaders need to have a vision for their organization and its evolution. But they also need to be able to adapt to the times. 

That’s something Erin Orr, executive director of Investigate Midwest, has learned during a three-decade journalism career. 

“It’s important to have a plan,” Orr said, “but at the same time, you have to be able to adapt it as needs dictate.” 

The Institute for Nonprofit News, and resources like its members-only email listserv, help Orr stay abreast of industry changes and how peers at other news organizations navigate the shifting tides. 

The Champaign, Illinois-based, eight-staffer Investigate Midwest exemplifies how nonprofit news organizations can engage with INN in various ways throughout the year. The outlet had participated in core INN programs such as the annual NewsMatch fundraising campaign before Orr took the reins as executive director in 2022; over time, that engagement has expanded. Investigate Midwest staff have joined INN webinars on topics ranging from donor wealth screening to audience engagement, attended the Nonprofit News Awards and the annual INN Days conference, been selected for months-long training programs and joined multiple peer-to-peer communities –  and that was just in 2023. 

“I feel I have barely tapped the resources that are out there and available,” Orr said. 

INN aims to partner with nonprofit news organizations on their respective sustainability journeys. At a recent retreat, INN staff discussed a perennial question: What are ways to serve member news organizations of different sizes and scopes? Such discussions often lead to new programs and efforts, such as a partnership to get real-time election results from the Associated Press and facilitating peer-to-peer learning among newsrooms through the Pods program. 

With INN’s Resources page listing 97 entries on everything from accounting to website optimization, being able to talk to peers about their experiences really helps. 

Orr says she has found the INN member listserv particularly useful. On the listserv, journalists and other staff from nonprofit news outlets ask questions and offer feedback. Sometimes INN staff join the conversation. For example, they acknowledge a frequent discussion topic and ask members if there’s interest in INN developing training around the issue. The latter is something Orr said she loves. 

“That’s great engagement.” 

She has bookmarked some of the listserv exchanges for future reference.

A challenge for many news leaders is to learn the skills needed to run a nonprofit news organization. “Many of us come from traditional media. That’s how we started our careers and spent most of our careers,” Orr said. “I know that was the case with me.” 

There’s a learning curve, she said. 

Orr is curious to learn more about tools powered by artificial intelligence, and using them in a meaningful and careful way in the newsroom and on the business side. She’s interested in boosting audience development and engagement. She also wants to optimize Investigate Midwest’s weekly editorial newsletter.

“I anticipate we will continue to be very engaged with INN, and that will grow because of the areas that we want to really focus on moving forward,” Orr said. INN is “a primary source for us that way.”