August 18, 2021

News and media fundraising professional Lisa Gardner-Springer is joining INN in the new role of chief development officer, building institutional and individual support for the Institute for Nonprofit News and the NewsMatch campaign that is transforming community support of public service journalism.

“Gardner-Springer brings a deep understanding of the U.S. news philanthropy community and the strategic importance of NewsMatch as a philanthropic lever,” said Sue Cross, INN’s executive director & CEO.

Gardner-Springer will lead development initiatives benefiting the 350 nonprofit newsrooms that are members of INN and make up the fastest growing news network in North America. In this role of attracting philanthropic investment, she advances INN’s mission of expanding Americans’ access to trusted sources of news.

Most recently Gardner-Springer has been the Senior Director of Institutional Giving at PRX, where she has overseen strategies to secure foundation and government grants for the organization and its programs.

“Gardner-Springer brings a deep understanding of the U.S. news philanthropy community and the strategic importance of NewsMatch as a philanthropic lever speeding the restoration and reinvention of local news,” said Sue Cross, INN’s executive director and CEO.

Prior to joining PRX in 2018, Lisa worked in institutional fundraising for PRI for 15 years, and managed direct membership fundraising for national conservation groups. In addition to her work advancing PRI and PRX, Gardner-Springer has been a leader in the INN membership. She spearheaded efforts to have PRI (now PRX) join INN — and participate in NewsMatch — and has served on the advisory group for INN’s Community of News Fundraising Professionals.

“I am thrilled for this amazing opportunity to help the growing nonprofit news field to thrive and to elevate journalism as a philanthropic priority,” says Gardner-Springer. “I have deep respect for the vital resources INN provides its hundreds of members that enable them to realize their respective public service missions. And I am so excited to start working with INN’s exceptional, dedicated team.”

Gardner-Springer also serves as a board member for the Society for Humanistic Judaism, plays a decent game of tennis, loves to bike and has recently taken up running. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband Colin, two teenage daughters, and a tuxedo cat named Etsy.