NewsMatch is a collective fundraising campaign designed to transform how communities support public service and investigative journalism.
By pairing a matching gift program with learning resources and a public awareness campaign to engage new supporters, NewsMatch equips INN members with the tools and skills they need to effectively generate funds from their communities through individual giving, generating local matches and more.
Since 2016, members have raised more than $192 million from individual donors during the NewsMatch matching-gift campaign. This investment is made up of a combination of small-dollar donations as well as additional local match funds secured independently by newsrooms from major donations, local businesses, and foundations.
NewsMatch is a national campaign to grow funding and fundraising capacity for local newsrooms around the country. In its six years of existence, NewsMatch has increased funding for local newsrooms by over $223 million through matching funds, bonuses, and individual contributions. Through NewsMatch, individual donations to nonprofit news organizations around the country are matched by national and local funders.
The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is responsible for coordinating the NewsMatch program and providing training resources and support to participating organizations. This includes training on campaign-specific topics such as how to secure local matches and improve the donor user flow as well as learning on other fundraising topics throughout the year. NewsMatch is supported through the Fund for Nonprofit News, an open collaborative fund at The Miami Foundation. The foundation oversees the fiscal administration of NewsMatch funds and oversees the application and reporting process for NewsMatch. News Revenue Hub provides a series of resources and webinars on digital fundraising best practices. This includes topics around audience development, newsletter engagement, and membership conversion. Most notably, News Revenue Hub produces the NewsMatch Campaign Toolkit which includes a library of templated emails, banner ads, and social media assets that participating newsrooms run their year-end campaign.
The NewsMatch matching gift campaign begins on November 1 and ends on December 31. NewsMatch training and learning experiences are made accessible to INN members beginning in June. The deadline to apply for INN membership is April 14, 2023 (learn more about membership). NewsMatch applications will open to INN members in June.
NewsMatch is open to active members of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). Standards for INN membership can be found here. The deadline to apply for INN membership in time to participate in NewsMatch is April 14, 2023.
For questions about your member status, please contact membership@inn.org.
INN members of all sizes gain access to an array of services, tools and resources that help them grow their businesses, find sustainability and expand their reach. Our members are part of a news ecosystem that is helping build equity in our communities and supporting the growth of civic engagement and service. Explore membership
Each year, NewsMatch determines an individual donation cap and campaign match cap.
The individual donation cap is the maximum amount that will be matched of each individual donation made to an organization. NewsMatch will match any donation by an individual up to this individual donation cap amount. The campaign match cap is the maximum amount that a news organization will receive from NewsMatch.
The national match cap for eligible newsrooms with operating budgets under $1 million was $15,000 in 2022.
The match cap is calculated based on the size of the NewsMatch fund and the number of participating organizations. NewsMatch actively fundraises until the end of the year, and match cap updates will be announced if applicable.
NewsMatch is much more than a dollar-for-dollar match; it’s a nationwide catalyst for supporting nonprofit journalism. As a newsroom with a budget above $1 million, you’ll benefit from the national messaging campaign promoting the value of local journalism. In addition, you’re still eligible to receive partner funds and bonuses, and the NewsMatch team will assist in securing local matches that can be leveraged to grow your NewsMatch pool. Through partnerships with News Revenue Hub , NewsMatch also provides a series of resources and webinars on digital fundraising best practices, including topics around audience development, newsletter engagement, and membership conversion. Training is open to all participating members, regardless of size.
If you are a program participant, you should have received information about how to access the NewsMatch support site. If you’re looking for support resources, email hello@newsmatch.org.
For other support and questions, please schedule time to speak with NewsMatch Program Manager Meta Stange or send an email to hello@newsmatch.org and someone on the NewsMatch team will get back to you.
NewsMatch is generously supported by John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Loud Hound, Democracy Fund, Heising-Simons Foundation, Inasmuch Foundation, Independence Public Media Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Joyce Foundation, Kaphan Foundation, Maida Lynn, the New York Times, the Present Progressive Fund at Schwab Charitable, Solidarity Giving the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and Dirk and Natasha Ziff. Dozens of local and issue-based funders are also secured by newsrooms, increasing the pool of match funds during the year-end campaign. National partners include the Institute for Nonprofit News, the Miami Foundation, and News Revenue Hub.
National partners include the Institute for Nonprofit News, the Miami Foundation, and News Revenue Hub.
As our NewsMatch program manager, Meta leads the largest collaborative fundraising campaign building awareness and support for nonprofit journalism.