Tiny News Collective is made up of news startup founders who work incredibly hard to serve their communities’ information needs. They rarely have the time or resources to get the professional development they need to succeed in the long run.
That’s why we are excited to announce our first grants from the Spark Fund, Tiny News Collective’s professional and leadership development fund for members. This round of Spark Fund opportunities was funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of its three-year $2.275 million grant to Tiny News and its members. TNC is actively raising money from other sources to help support the Spark Fund for years to come. Tiny News will also offer other funding opportunities supported by the MacArthur grant.
“We are delighted to see our support for Tiny News Collective extend to professional and leadership development for the diverse range of founders who are members of TNC,” said Silvia Rivera, MacArthur’s director of local news. “Communities need strong local news leaders and information ecosystems to catalyze civic engagement and to help strengthen bonds and understanding between neighbors. This program is a step in that direction.”
For this first round of funding, TNC members applied for funds to cover the costs of conference travel, organization membership, classes or certifications, books or educational materials, or working with an executive coach. Members were encouraged to think expansively about how they viewed leadership and professional development.
“We heard from our members that they would like to pursue professional development opportunities but often couldn’t afford business training or travel to conferences,” said Amy L. Kovac-Ashley, executive director of Tiny News Collective. “Spark Fund grants will help them develop important journalism and business skills that will advance them as individual leaders, support the growth of their outlets and connect them with potential partners.”
Tiny News is thrilled to fund 14 newsrooms from the Spark Fund, each receiving $250 to $1,000 for a total of $12,000:
These grants will help support training for members in areas such as bookkeeping, self-defense, AI and filmmaking. The funding will also help members join their local chambers of commerce and travel to journalism conferences. Grantees will share their knowledge with the Collective, and we will share publicly some of their lessons learned. We anticipate offering another round of Spark Fund grants this fall.
Congratulations to all our grantee newsrooms! 💖
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