Lenfest Institute for Journalism announces $150,000 grant to Spotlight Delaware

Spotlight Delaware joins the Philadelphia Local News Sustainability Initiative, which provides core operating support and advisory services to 18 Philadelphia-area news organizations

February 27, 2025

The Lenfest Institute for Journalism is today welcoming Spotlight Delaware to the Philadelphia Local News Sustainability Initiative, which provides core operating support, capacity-building funding, and advisory services to local news organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region. 

Spotlight Delaware, a statewide investigative news organization that focuses on public policy in the First State, is receiving $150,000 to support its business staff and operational needs.  

Spotlight Delaware is focusing on three key areas for growth: community support, including membership and other revenue streams; partnerships with diverse media outlets throughout Delaware; and civic engagement among its readers.  

“The Lenfest Institute is proud to help support welcome Spotlight Delaware. We are eager to learn from them as they provide vital news and information to the residents of Delaware and beyond,” said Institute Head of Philadelphia Programs Shawn Mooring. 

Spotlight Delaware joins 17 other newsrooms participating in the Philadelphia Local News Sustainability Initiative. The Initiative works with Philadelphia-area news organizations with approximate annual revenue between $500,000 and $5 million. Each grant is intended to help address the specific sustainability needs of a news organization serving a key community in the region. Sustainability Initiative members also attend regular meetings with their peers and Institute advisors to share lessons from their experiments and highlight best practices for building sustainable news businesses. 

The addition of Spotlight Delaware is intended to address gaps in coverage for those living in the Delaware Valley region, but outside of Philadelphia proper. 

“We are so grateful for The Lenfest Institute’s support as we strive to empower, engage and connect our communities, many of which cross state lines in our tightly bound region,” said Spotlight Delaware Publisher and CEO Allison Taylor Levine. “With many of our neighbors living in one state and working in the other, it’s critical that we build and support a holistic local news ecosystem that serves the region effectively.”   

The Lenfest Institute had earlier awarded a grant to Spotlight Delaware to assist in strategic planning and market assessment prior to its launch in 2024. The Institute was the founder of Spotlight PA and drew heavily on its successful business model to help advise Spotlight Delaware.  

The Philadelphia Local News Sustainability Initiative launched in 2023. Participating outlets have had early success across disciplines such as audience engagement, new revenue strategies, and digital transformation.   

A few of the highlights from the first year of the program include: 

• Billy Penn at WHYY saw a 48% increase in Instagram followers. Its newsletter open rate grew to 41%, surpassing industry averages. 

• WURD Radio, Philadelphia’s only Black-owned talk radio station, saw a 300% increase in app downloads since May 2024 thanks to targeted marketing. 

• Spanish-language newspaper Impacto’s digital readership grew to 26,000 unique visitors per month, up from 10,000 at the start of the program. 

• The African Cultural Alliance of North America, which publishes Philly Southwest View Magazine, leveraged in-person events to connect with more than 15,000 attendees at community events, which is translating into online readership growth. 

As the 18 news enterprises continue their business sustainability experiments, they will continue to meet to discuss successes, address challenges, and share lessons.