Community Voices ⎸ Project Optimist receives $100K Press Forward grant
Project Optimist is one of 205 small, local news publications to receive grants from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.
Project Optimist is part of a movement. And we're so proud of it.
Project Optimist is one of 205 small, local news publications to receive grants from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.
That's $100,000 for this organization from 2024 to 2025.
And $20 million in this funding round to help close coverage gaps in local news across the U.S.
Why it's a big deal
Local news has struggled with the rise of the internet. As funding from ads and subscriptions declined, newsrooms shrank or shuttered.
Audience needs have changed with these challenges.
Project Optimist emerged three years ago to meet this historic moment. We're here to provide you with constructive news and untold stories in a beautiful and user-friendly style.
What we'll do with the funding
Funding from Press Forward will allow Project Optimist to level up our business and revenue systems, including the creation of our first strategic plan.
I come from the world of journalism. We've been able to grow and innovate our news and arts content with my expertise and the talents of Managing Editor Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten and Visual Storyteller Erica Dischino.
The next goal is to improve our business operations.
Press Forward funding and our new board of directors will help us do that.
Remember: We're transitioning into an independent nonprofit after years under the umbrella of the Tiny News Collective.
Let's take it further
Project Optimist will use this grant to spur our end-of-year fundraising.
If all our subscribers give $5, we'll have nearly $25,000 in the bank to wrap up this year and jump into 2025!
Consider this latest grant a challenge to our community to invest in local news!
More congratulations
We are honored to be in this historic cohort of grant recipients.
We wish hearty congratulations to the other Minnesota organizations on the list:
- BLCK Press
- Cook County Community Radio Corporation - WTIP
- ICTV - Itasca Community Television
- Pine Knot News
- SPEAK MPLS
- Swift County Monitor-News
- University of St. Thomas - ThreeSixty Journalism
Other members of the Tiny News Collective received Press Forward grants including our friends at Atlantic City Focus in New Jersey, Austin Vida in Texas, Black Belt News Network in Alabama, and Future Tides in Washington.
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