Фонд Линкольна выделил более $500 тыс. на поддержку местной журналистики и гражданских инициатив в регионе Спрингфилд

Local Journalism and Civic Engagement The Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln has committed more than $500,000 to strengthen local journalism and civic engagement through grants to Local Journalism Matters, the nonprofit operator of Illinois Times, and the Citizens Club of Springfield. The commitments include $500,000 over three years to Local Journalism Matters – of which $170,000 has been awarded to date – and $20,000 to Citizens Club. Three-Year commitment supports Illinois Times transition The Community Foundation has made a three-year, $500,000 grant commitment to Local Journalism Matters to support the continued transition of Illinois Times into a sustainable nonprofit daily news organization. The grant will help strengthen newsroom capacity; increase the frequency and depth of local journalism; enhance digital infrastructure and audience engagement; and build diverse, sustainable revenue streams. “Independent, high-quality local journalism helps residents understand the issues shaping their lives and gives communities the information they need to participate in their own future,” said Stacy Reed, chief program officer of the Community Foundation and manager of Press Forward Springfield. “This long-term commitment is designed to give Illinois Times the capacity and runway to serve more readers, deepen its reporting and build a durable nonprofit model.” The organization’s transition is already taking shape. Kate McKenzie joined Local Journalism Matters as its first CEO in April, and Illinois Times announced Aug. 11 that Maria Gardner Lara has joined the newsroom as a full-time reporter, bringing its full-time reporting staff to three. McKenzie has a master’s degree in Public Affairs Reporting from University of Illinois Springfield. She spent more than 15 years as a reporter and editor for daily publications in Indiana, Wisconsin and Illinois, including as editor of The Herald-News in Joliet and opinion page editor at The State Journal-Register. Immediately prior to her current role, she was the chief fundraiser for NPR Illinois. Gardner Lara holds a master’s degree from the UIS PAR program and served as a corps member with Report for America at the NPR station in DeKalb. She’s a current fellow with the Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources and a 2023 National Press Foundation fellow. The Chicago native is bilingual in Spanish and will cover municipal government for Illinois Times. Local Journalism Matters has also assembled a board of directors, chaired by Fletcher Farrar, former owner of Illinois Times. Additional board members include Sheila Caldwell, Melissa Hamilton, Larry Johnson, Bernard Schoenburg, Lisa Clemmons Stott and Peter Wise. “It’s an exciting time to be at Illinois Times. What we’ve accomplished just since April 1 paves the way to help us achieve our goal of being a daily digital news outlet that serves our region,” McKenzie said. “I look forward to the day when we can, with the philanthropic support of our readers, hire even more reporters to expand daily coverage of our communities. There are so many stories waiting to be told – and we want to be the ones to tell them.” The Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund contributed to the grant, along with funding from a Community Foundation partnership grant with The Driehaus Foundation and three donor-advised funds at the Community Foundation: the Denes-Blythe Family Fund, Hanson Family Fund and Sommer Family Fund. Grant expands Citizens Club public forums The Community Foundation also awarded $20,000 to the Citizens Club of Springfield earlier this year to strengthen its public-facing activities on issues of critical importance to the community. The grant will support expertly facilitated panel discussions and forums featuring local and outside experts. Citizens Club hosts free monthly forums to promote civic awareness through education and engagement. The non-partisan nonprofit provides an open platform for civil discussion of local issues, community development and public affairs in the Greater Springfield area. Its vision is an informed community shaping its own future. “This grant will help Citizens Club bring thoughtful voices together around the issues that matter most to Springfield,” said Joyce Nardulli, president of Citizens Club of Springfield. “By keeping our forums free, accessible and grounded in civil dialogue, we can help more residents learn, connect and take part in shaping our community’s future.” The Patrick F. Coburn Press Forward Endowment Fund contributed to the grant, with additional support from a Community Foundation partnership grant with The Driehaus Foundation. About Press Forward Springfield Press Forward Springfield is a special initiative managed by the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln that brings funders and community partners together to expand resources for local news and information and strengthen the region’s civic information ecosystem. About the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln Through philanthropic services, strategic grantmaking and community leadership, the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln “connects people who care with causes that matter.” The Community Foundation serves Cass, Christian, Logan, Macoupin, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan and Sangamon counties.