The Institute for Nonprofit News (formerly the Investigative News Network) is a left-of-center network of not-for-profit media organizations such as Mother Jones, ProPublica, and The Intercept.

Background

In 2009, journalists from 27 media organizations met at the Pocantico Center in New York, a historic home of the Rockefeller Family in Kykuit, New York operated as a conference center by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund for a conference funded by RBF, the Surdna Foundation, and William Penn Foundation. At the conference, participants, who included representatives from the Center for Public Integrity, National Public Radio, Center for Investigative Reporting, and Center for Public Integrity, signed the Pocantico Declaration, a document claiming that investigative reporting was “under threat” and vital to the health of “functioning democracy,” which established the Institute for Nonprofit News (then named the Investigate News Network). Later in March 2012, the organization was registered as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, California. ^{1 2 3}

In March 2015, the organization officially changed its name to the Institute for Nonprofit News and a month later in April announced the departure of its then executive director Kevin Davis following a clash over differences in goals for the organization. According to reporting from NiemanLab, Davis had been interested in building programs that would help the institute’s member organizations become financially independent and less dependent on foundation grants whereas the board of the Institute was more interested in building out its business-education programming and further engaging in advocacy campaigns characterizing nonprofit journalism as a philanthropic cause. ⁴

As of 2023, the Institute for Nonprofit News claimed to have over 425 member organizations. ²

In June 2024, the Institute released a 2023 Index Survey report detailing its findings on the nonprofit news sector: According to the report, the Institute claims that between 2022 and 2023, about half of outlets surveyed saw their overall revenue numbers increase, the number of local news groups surveyed in the index was up to 48% (as opposed to 46% in 2022), two-thirds of the nonprofits had at least three revenue streams (which was noted to be seen by older and larger nonprofit news groups), and nonprofits that spent at least 20% of their total budget reported larger median earnings. ⁵

Priorities and Membership Requirements

The Institute for Nonprofit News espouses and supports critical race theory-aligned claims and objectives. For instance, the institute notes on its website that “equity is fundamental” to news coverage and that in journalism, “antiracism work is necessary.” To that end, the institute also notes that one of its main priorities is to “center diversity, equity and inclusion” as “norms” in the field of journalism. In line with that priority, the institute requires that member organizations post a “value statement” detailing their policies on inclusion and equity, and generally report on the “full diversity” of the “communities” they serve. ^{6 2}

Members

Member organizations of the Institute for Nonprofit News include national left-of-center organizations such as Mother Jones, ProPublica, The Intercept, Pulitzer Center, and PolitiFact, as well as smaller local media and watchdog news groups such as the Adirondack Explorer, Alameda Post, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, New Pine Plains Herald, and Stocktonia News Service. ⁷

Funding

Organizations that have provided financial support over $100,000 to the Institute for Nonprofit News include the Democracy Fund, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, Google News Initiative, Bernard and Anne Spitzer Charitable Trust, Columbia University, Inasmuch Foundation, Miami Foundation, Present Progressive Fund at the Schwab Charitable Trust, and Walton Family Foundation. ⁸

Leadership

Sue Cross has been the executive director and CEO of the Institute for Nonprofit News since 2015. Previously, she was the senior vice president for the Associated Press global news agency. ⁹

Lisa Gardner-Springer is the chief development officer of the Institute for Nonprofit News. Previously, she was the senior director of institutional giving at Public Radio Exchange (PRX). ⁹

Soraya Membreno is the chief operating officer of the Institute for Nonprofit News. Previously, she was the publisher of Bitch Media, a now-defunct feminist media organization. ^{10 9}

Marcia Parker is the chair of the Institute for Nonprofit News’s board of directors as well as the vice president of philanthropic partnerships at the New York Times. Previously, she was the chief operating officer of CalMatters, the executive director of content and audience engagement for Penton’s Technology news portfolio, the editorial programming and audience development director at State.com, as well as the West Coast editorial director of Patch.com. ¹¹

1. “Institute for Nonprofit News.” ProPublica. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/272614911
2. “INN Mission & History.” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://inn.org/about/who-we-are/
3. “The Pocantico Declaration: Creating a Nonprofit Investigative News Network.” Institute for Nonprofit News. July 1, 2009. Accessed December 4, 2023.  https://inn.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Pocantico-Declaration.pdf
4. Lichterman, Joseph. “INN splits with CEO Davis as it refocuses its efforts to promote nonprofit journalism.” NiemanLab. April 9, 2015. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://www.niemanlab.org/2015/04/inn-splits-with-ceo-davis-as-it-refocuses-its-efforts-to-promote-nonprofit-journalism/
5. Rosem, Emily, Jesse Holcomb, and Karen Rundlet. “The sky is not falling: Annual INN Index data show nonprofit news is stable, but not foolproof.” Institute for Nonprofit News, June 5, 2024. https://inn.org/news/the-sky-is-not-falling-annual-inn-index/
6. “Membership Standards.” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023.  https://inn.org/about/membership-standards/
7. “INN Network Directory.” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://findyournews.org/campaign/inn-network-directory/
8. “Supporters & Financials” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://inn.org/about/supporters/
9. “Team and Leadership.” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://inn.org/about/staff/
10. Schwedel, Heather. “Bitch Media’s Co-Founder Explains Why Bitch Media Had to Fold.” Slate. May 12, 2022. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://slate.com/business/2022/05/bitch-magazine-feminist-publishing-non-profit.html
11. “Board of Directors.” Institute for Nonprofit News. Accessed December 4, 2023. https://inn.org/about/board-of-directors/