American Journalism Project
FoundationWashington Β· Pre-SeedβSeed
Investment thesis
The American Journalism Project positions itself as a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to local news. Its approach spans three activities: building new nonprofit newsrooms by identifying community information gaps and launching organizations through its Startup Studio; growing existing portfolio organizations via multi-year catalytic investments averaging about $1 million over three years plus dedicated venture support, training, and specialized help through the Knight Resiliency Lab and Product & AI Studio; and catalyzing the broader local news movement by making the case for local news as a public good, sharing learnings, and mobilizing national and local philanthropic funding toward sustainable local journalism.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 7, 2026.
What they invest in
from 55 of 62 portfolio companiesMedia & Entertainment Γ55Impact & Social Good Γ28GovTech Γ27Social Γ4Climate Tech Γ1Digital Health Γ1EdTech Γ1
HQs:United StatesΓ55
Investments Β· 62 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathCharlottesville Tomorrow is an independent nonprofit newsroom providing free local news and analysis for central Virginia with a focus on community-driven reporting and equity.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentSocialCharlottesville, US
Angilee Shah(CEO and Editor-in-Chief)
Co-investorsJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Enlace Latino NC is a nonprofit, Spanish-language digital media newsroom serving North Carolina's Latino and immigrant communities with original journalism on politics, government, immigration, health, and education.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentNorth Carolina, US
Paola Jaramillo(Executive Director)Walter GΓ³mez(General Editor)
San JosΓ© Spotlight is a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local journalism for Northern California's largest city, with multilingual coverage in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentSan Jose, US
Josh Barousse(Co-Founder & Co-CEO)
Co-investorsJohn D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationJohn S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Signal Cleveland is a nonprofit newsroom that produces local journalism on government, economy, education, health, and safety for Greater Cleveland residents.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentCleveland, US
Lila Mills(Editor-in-Chief)in
Signal Ohio is a network of independent nonprofit newsrooms across Ohio that produces community-led journalism and accountability reporting.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentColumbus, US
Susan Brownknight(CEO)
A 15-year-old community newsroom for the Eastside of L.A., integrated into The LA Local.
CalMatters is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization that covers California state politics and policy issues for residents across the state.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentSacramento, US
Simone Coxe(Chair Emeritus and Co-Founder)inChris Boskin(Co-Founder)Dave Lesher(Co-Founder and Former Editor)in
Local news outlet in Gary, Indiana supported through Free Press Indiana investments.
Capital B is a nonprofit news organization that produces in-depth journalism on topics affecting Black communities nationwide, including politics, health, criminal justice, and the environment.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentNot stated, US
Lauren Williams(Chief Executive Officer and co-founder)Akoto Ofori-Atta(Chief Audience Officer and co-founder)
Cardinal News is an independent, nonprofit news organization that publishes in-depth reporting on politics, economics, and culture for Southwest and Southside Virginia.
Media & EntertainmentVirginia, US
Luanne Rife(Founding Executive Director and Chief Development Officer)Debbie Meade(Secretary (at founding))Chris Turnbull(Treasurer (at founding))Dwayne Yancey(Founding Executive Editor)
A nonprofit journalism organization operating three local news outlets (Berkeleyside, The Oaklandside, and Richmondside) in the San Francisco Bay Area that covers hyperlocal news for Berkeley, Oakland, and Richmond communities.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentBerkeley, US
Frances Dinkelspiel(Founder)Lance Knobel(Founder)Tasneem Raja(Founder)Tracey Taylor(Founder)
Civil Beat is a Hawaii-based news organization producing investigative reporting and local news coverage.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentHonolulu, US
Pierre Omidyar(Founder)Randy Ching(Co-founder)
A nonprofit network of local newsrooms including Mississippi Today, Verite News, and The Current.
Documented is a nonprofit news organization providing investigative journalism and actionable resources for immigrant communities in New York and the United States, with reporting available in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Haitian Creole.
Media & EntertainmentSocialNew York, US
Max Siegelbaum(Co-founder & Special Projects Editor)Mazin Sidahmed
El Paso Matters is a member-supported nonprofit journalism organization that produces in-depth investigative reporting on civic issues affecting El Paso, Ciudad JuΓ‘rez, and the broader Paso del Norte region.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentEl Paso, US
Robert Moore(Founder & CEO)
Fort Worth Report is a nonprofit local journalism organization that informs, engages and empowers the Fort Worth community through news reporting.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentFort Worth, US
William W. Meadows(President and Co-chair, Board of Directors)Wes Turner(Director and Co-chair, Board of Directors)Marianne Auld(Director)Jonathan Morris(Director)John Lumpkin(Director and Secretary)Rachel Navejar Phillips(Director)
Free Press Indiana is a nonprofit organization working to fill information gaps in Indiana by funding and supporting local news outlets and journalism initiatives.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentIndianapolis, US
Bro Kriftin
ICT (Indian Country Today) is a nonprofit news organization providing independent reporting on Indigenous peoples, covering politics, arts and entertainment, powwow culture, and Native community news.
Media & Entertainment
inewsource is a nonprofit investigative journalism organization based in San Diego that conducts in-depth reporting on local and regional issues including public health, housing, immigration, criminal justice, and labor practices.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentSan Diego, US
Lorie Hearn(Founder and former CEO and Editor)
LAist is a Southern California public radio and media organization operated under Southern California Public Radio.
Media & EntertainmentLos Angeles, US
William H. Kling(Founding Vice Chair)Thomas William Davis(President Emeritus)
BoardRonald L. Olson(Founding Chair)
Free Press Indiana (FPI) is a nonprofit that funds, coordinates, and operates local news organizations across Indiana, including its Central Indiana newsroom Mirror Indy and statewide newsroom FPI News.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentIndianapolis, US
Mirror Indy is a nonprofit news organization providing community-based journalism focused on Indianapolis.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentIndianapolis, US
Oseye Boyd(Editor in Chief)in
Mission Local is a nonprofit news organization based in San Francisco that produces investigative journalism covering local politics, housing, police reform, and civic issues affecting the city and its neighborhoods.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US
Lydia ChΓ‘vez(Founder/Editor)
Montana Free Press is an independent nonprofit newsroom producing investigative journalism focused on Montana state and local issues, including politics, education, environment, and Indigenous affairs.
Media & EntertainmentHelena, US
John S. Adams(Founder and CEO)
Mountain State Spotlight is a nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism exposing abuses of power by government and institutions in West Virginia.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentCharleston, US
Ken Ward Jr.(Founding Editor-in-Chief and President)
The Nebraska Journalism Trust is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 2021 that produces local journalism and accountability reporting serving Nebraska communities.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentNebraska, US
Matt Wynn(Executive Director)
A news and journalism outlet focused on New York State coverage and reporting.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentNew York, US
Akash Mehta(Editor-in-Chief)Rebecca Klein(Publisher)
Open Campus is a nonprofit news organization that investigates and reports on higher education through a network of local journalists embedded in partner newsrooms, combined with a national team of subject-matter experts.
EdTechMedia & Entertainment
Scott SmallwoodSara Hebel
The Richmonder is a nonprofit local news outlet serving Richmond that publishes independent journalism focused on community accountability and civic engagement.
Media & EntertainmentRichmond, US
Michael Phillips(Founding Editor)
Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center is a nonprofit organization providing services and support to survivors of abuse, with a focus on training and addressing abuse in older adults through federal grant funding.
Digital HealthImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentAkron, US
Teresa Stafford-Wright(CEO)
Signal Cincinnati is a nonprofit local news organization serving Greater Cincinnati residents with journalism focused on civic engagement and community information needs.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentSocialCincinnati, US
The Salt Lake Tribune is a local news organization based in Utah that delivers reporting on state and local government, politics, environment, education, religion, criminal justice, and sports.
Media & EntertainmentSalt Lake City, US
Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom that produces investigative journalism focused on Pennsylvania government and statewide issues.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentPennsylvania, US
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan digital-first news organization based in Austin that provides free coverage of Texas politics, government, and public policy.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentAustin, US
John Thornton(Founder)Evan Smith(Co-founder & CEO (retired 2022))inRoss Ramsey(Co-founder & Executive Editor (retired 2022))inSarah Adler Hartman(CEO)
The LA Local is a nonprofit news organization serving the Los Angeles region with community-focused journalism covering local neighborhoods.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentLos Angeles, US
BoardMonica Lozano(Board Chair)Kevin Merida(Former Executive Editor, LA Times)Giselle Fernandez(Emmy Award-winning News Anchor)
The Oklahoma Eagle is a local news outlet in Tulsa, Oklahoma that has reported on the Black and underserved communities for over a century since its founding in 1922.
Media & EntertainmentTulsa, US
Theodore BaughmanJames O. Goodwin(Publisher)
The City Reporter is an independent non-profit newsroom producing investigative journalism, data-driven reporting, and explainer guides about New York City and its five boroughs.
Media & EntertainmentNew York, US
The Maine Monitor is a nonpartisan, independent publication of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, a nonprofit organization dedicated to investigative and explanatory journalism serving Maine.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentHallowell, US
Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm(Executive Director)
The Marshall Project is a nonprofit news organization that covers the U.S. criminal justice system through investigative journalism, datasets, and reporting resources focused on issues including police misconduct, prison conditions, and deaths in custody.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentNew York, US
The Nevada Independent is a statewide, reader-supported nonprofit newsroom that provides nonpartisan digital journalism covering state and local government, elections, the Nevada economy, and policy issues including education, healthcare, and energy.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentLas Vegas, US
Elizabeth Thompson
The Oklahoma Eagle is a newspaper serving Tulsa's Black and underserved communities, founded in 1922 and now operating in partnership with the Tulsa Flyer.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentTulsa, US
Theodore Baughman(Founder)Ziva Branstetter(Chief Executive Officer)inEdward L. Goodwin Sr.
Underscore Native News is a journalism outlet that produces reporting on issues affecting Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest, with focus on the intersection of sovereignty and justice.
Impact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentPacific Northwest, US
Myers Reece(Executive Director)
VTDigger is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that produces journalism covering statewide issues in Vermont.
GovTechMedia & EntertainmentVermont, US
Anne GallowayinBrendan Kinney(Chief Executive Officer)in
Co-investorsVermont Center for Emerging Technologies (VCET)
Wisconsin Watch is a nonprofit investigative news organization that publishes fact-checked local journalism across Wisconsin through multiple newsrooms.
GovTechImpact & Social GoodMedia & EntertainmentMadison, US
Andy Pennington(CEO)Lauren Fuhrmann(Chief Strategy Officer)Jim Malewitz(Managing Editor)
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesThe Oklahoma Eagle Β· newsbreak.com Β· Sep 13, 2026
Tulsa Flyer Β· hoodline.com Β· Sep 5, 2026
Signal Ohio Β· signalohio.org Β· Aug 24, 2026
Signal Akron Β· signalakron.org Β· Jan 2, 2026
VT Digger Β· fyivt.com Β· Sep 18, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has American Journalism Project made?
- American Journalism Project has 15 tracked investments.
- What stage does American Journalism Project invest at?
- American Journalism Project invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed stages.
- What is American Journalism Project's typical check size?
- American Journalism Project typically writes checks of $1M β $1.5M.
- What sectors does American Journalism Project focus on?
- American Journalism Project focuses on AI & Machine Learning, Impact & Social Good, Media & Entertainment, Social.
- Where is American Journalism Project located?
- American Journalism Project is headquartered in Washington, US.
- Does American Journalism Project lead rounds?
- American Journalism Project typically participates in rounds rather than leading them.
Media Β· Podcasts & interviews
featuring the team300 Million Reasons to Believe - Sarabeth Berman, American Journalism Project - YouTube
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Β· Sarabeth Berman
Images
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