Apply for Lenfest News Philanthropy Network catalyst grants

August 12, 2024

With the goal of supporting year-end fundraising efforts, we invite members of The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network to apply for funding to experiment with innovative approaches to end-of-year fundraising — including, but certainly not limited to, direct mail fundraising, SMS messaging, live events, and more.

The Lenfest Institute intends to support up to 20 news organizations, and applicants can apply for grants between $5,000-$20,000 each. This is a one-time grant program; once funds have been depleted, the program will close. 

The Lenfest News Philanthropy Network is a community of practice led by The Lenfest Institute for Journalism to support and build capacity for fundraising and development professionals in journalism. 

Catalyst grants are made possible through the generous support of the Knight-Lenfest Local News Transformation Fund.

Grant guidelines

• Active members of the Lenfest News Philanthropy Network may apply regardless of business model or tax status. (You can join the Network here!) 
• Only organizations based in the United States are eligible to apply.
• Projects should focus on experimental year-end fundraising channels grantees have not used before.
• Funding amounts will range from $5,000 to $20,000.
• The grant period can range from 1 to 3 months depending on the scope of the proposed project. We encourage applicants to determine the timeline and grant amount that best suits the proposed project.
• Each application must be submitted by a lead partner, who will receive the grant funds and be responsible for grant reporting. 
• Applicants may only submit one application per organization.
• Grantees will be required to submit a final report on the learnings and insights from the fundraising experiment and work with the Institute’s editorial team to publish and present a case study to the News Philanthropy Network so lessons can be applied by others in the industry.

Application and review process

• News Philanthropy Network members may submit an application between August 12 and September 5, 2024. 
• Applications will be reviewed in late September and selected applicants will be informed by October 31, 2024 at the latest. 
• The Lenfest Institute team will review applications and determine approval based on the following criteria:
  • Alignment with the grant program’s overall goals and fundraising priorities
  • Clear explanation of project plan, goals, and centering of fundraising needs
  • A spirit of innovation and experimentation
  • Reasonable ability to achieve the proposed project (budget, management, buy-in from key stakeholders)

How to apply

Organizations who meet the eligibility requirements above may apply through the Institute’s Fluxx grantee portal. Applications will be accepted from August 12 through September 5th.

Apply on Fluxx Apply on Fluxx

To submit an application through Fluxx, please click here and create an account. An administrator will validate your account within 48 hours via email and send you a link to create a password for your grantee account. You can then access the grantee portal, where you will see a list of open applications. Click the “Apply Now” button under the grant opportunity labeled “News Philanthropy Network Catalyst Grants.”   

Application questions (read only version) Application questions (read only version)

For questions or more information, please contact [email protected].