"Press Forward aims to grow the overall investment in local news and strengthen communities across the country over the next five years by focusing on such shared values as equity, accessibility, collaboration and centering community needs. The vision of the founding coalition is to increase resources for local news by supporting efforts to move from individual grantmaking to a shared vision and coordinated action for investments in high-impact local news organizations and projects [...]
The success of Press Forward is dependent on the involvement of national, regional and local funders. This guide is designed for funders at the local level. By engaging with community members and diverse stakeholders throughout the process of assessing your local news ecosystem and setting shared priorities, you can ensure that your investments are responding to the greatest news and information needs in your community [...]
This resource is designed to provide background information and case studies to support local grantmakers and/or coalitions of grantmakers that want to start funding journalism or get involved with Press Forward. Since the conversations about local news and information are dependent on local relationships and knowledge, local chapters play an important role in Press Forward. Local chapters are led by local or regional coalitions committed to supporting local news information ecosystems. Many early chapters are led by an anchor partner, often a local foundation or ecosystem hub organization. Chapters must be approved by Press Forward and will receive guidance from advisers, access to a learning community and partnership in fundraising efforts." (Introduction, page 2)