Strengthening a free press. Restoring trust in media. Building the capacity of local and investigative reporting.

1. NewsMatch Unpacked
Strengthening a free press. Restoring trust in media.
Building the capacity of local and investigative reporting.
#INNDays2018

2. Together we can make NewsMatch
2018 even bigger
NewsMatch 2017 was the largest
grassroots fundraising campaign for
nonprofit journalism ever

3. NewsMatch Goals
Raise awareness about journalism’s role in
democracy and the need to support nonprofit
news.
Accelerate and increase end-of-year giving to
local and investigative reporting.
Build your capacity as nonprofit newsrooms to
cultivate an individual donor base and build
community investment in your work.

4. Simple 1:1 match for eligible
donations to nonprofit news
organizations
Open fund for maximum impact and
participation by local and national
funders
One-stop giving site
NewsMatch.org and paid ad
campaign to engage new donors
How It Works

5. In-person and online capacity
building, plus one-on-one support
Everyone gets a professional
fundraising toolkit with 8-10 weeks
of campaign materials
Backed by a national public
awareness campaign and
#GivingNewsDay
How it Works

6. Why Funders Like NewsMatch
NewsMatch is designed for partnership and
impact:
● Easy to invest — Centralized staffing
and grants administration
● Trustworthy newsrooms — Eligible
newsrooms commit to industry ethics
and best practices
● Double and triple impact — Foundation
dollars are matched by individuals and
other partners
● Fostering sustainability — Capacity-
building support promotes newsroom
sustainability

7. In 2017 NewsMatch ran from October to December. The vast majority of NewsMatch
participants raised more money, attracted more new donors, and received more
donations in 2017 than they did in 2016.
● $4.8 million raised, including $2.36 million in individual donations
● Average year-end donor gave $130
● 43,000 new donors gave to news organizations
From the external evaluation:
● 94% of participating orgs said NewsMatch enabled them to raise more money
● 86% said NewsMatch enabled them to bring in more donors
● 55% said NewsMatch helped build awareness and support for journalism
NewsMatch 2017 Outcomes

8. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Six Lightning Talks

9. Lauren Fuhrmann
Wisconsin Center for
Investigative Journalism
James Burnett
The Trace
Dena Drabek
Oklahoma Watch
John Bebow
Bridge Magazine
Jabari Gray
Youth Radio
Michael Ellis
Scalawag

10. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Oklahoma Watch

11. Statewide investigative
newsroom.

12. OURFUNDERS
FUNDRAISINGCAMPAIGNS

13. NEWSMATCH TOOLKIT – THE ONE STOP SHOP

14. OUR NEWSMATCH RESULTS
2017
• $21,287 matched
• 174 donations from individuals
during NewsMatch II
• 151 unique donors
• 89 new donors
2016
• $16,300 matched
• 89 donations from individuals
during NewsMatch I
• 83 unique donors
• 52 new donors

15. OUR TAKEAWAY
• We gained three new $1,000 donors in 2017.
• We need more $1,000 donors to help us meet
the match.
• Focused on cultivating major donors in 2018.
• Participating in the INN’s Major Donor
Training.

16. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Scalawag

25. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Youth Radio

33. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Bridge Magazine

44. NewsMatch Unpacked:
Wisconsin Center for
Investigative Journalism

45. NewsMatch 2017
Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
Lauren Fuhrmann
associate director

46. Who we are:
● Mission: To increase the quality, quantity and understanding of investigative journalism to foster an
informed citizenry and strengthen democracy
● Produce major investigative reports and train fellows and students
● More than three dozen alums reporting (and engaging the public) around the globe
● Since July 2009, more than 330 major news reports that have been published on WisconsinWatch.org
and cited, published or broadcast by more than 650 newspapers, radio and TV stations and news
websites in Wisconsin and nationwide to reach more than 64 million people.
● $500,000 budget, four full-time staff
● Housed in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication

47. Our NewsMatch game plan: Club memberships
1. Buy a bottle of wine for Lorie Hearn
2. Gather charter members ($1,000 and up) and raise triple match fund
3. Launch the Watchdog Club with NewsMatch campaign
4. Make $$$

48. How did we do?
Raised $77,135 from Oct. 1-Dec. 31, 2017
Individual and business donations increased 56 percent from $60,045 in 2016 to
$93,794 in 2017
Watchdog Club membership grew from 28 to 50 during the final three months of
the year
The number of Center donors in each year grew from 229 in 2016 to 256 in 2017

49. Steal this idea

50. NewsMatch Unpacked:
The Trace

51. NewsMatch Unpacked:
NewsMatch 2018

52. ● New Calendar
○ Apply by Aug. 1
○ “Quiet” phase in September and October
○ Open Match phase: Nov. 1 to Dec. 31
● Matching Fund + New Member Bonus
○ All participants are eligible for a 1:1 match
○ New recurring donations matched at full-year value
○ E.g., new $10/month donation is eligible for $120 match
● Goal-Based Bonuses
○ Introducing bonuses for small- and medium-sized
participants for reaching certain goals
● Gifts from Businesses and Family Foundations
○ Individuals can give in many more ways to earn a match
What’s new in 2018?

53. All Participants:
● Eligible for a 1:1 match. Cap will be announced in early fall based on total
fundraising. Up to $1,000 per donor is eligible.
● Membership Bonus. New recurring donations matched at full-year value. E.g.,
a new $10/month donation is eligible for $120 match
● Potential for 2:1 Matches. Support to help recruit local and issue funders to
create 2:1 matches around particular topics and places.
● Capacity building support

54. ● All of the above, plus:
Participants with 2017 budgets of $2M or less:
Goal Bonus Amount
Get 100 new individual donors during
NewsMatch
To be announced
Increase your total number of
individual donors from 2017 to 2018
To be announced

55. ● All of the above, plus:
Participants that did not max out in 2017:
Goal Bonus Amount
Raise more toward the NewsMatch cap
in 2018 vs. 2017
To be announced

56. What Do I Need to Apply?
● Organization contact info (including 1-2 people who should
get NewsMatch emails)
● 2017 fundraising benchmarks
● Bank account info and a W9 (so you can get your money)
You must be an actively publishing, full INN member in good standing to apply.

57. Apply now! (by Aug. 1)
bit.ly/newsmatch2018

58. For details see FAQ on NewsMatch.org
or email me at jason@inn.org
Questions?