The Pivot Fund Pod

What happens when a small, independent newsroom suddenly loses $350,000 in funding? In this episode of the Pivot Fund Pod, Pivot Fund grantee Black By God shares how an unexpected funding crisis forced the West Virginia newsroom to act quickly, rethink its approach to sustainability and lean into the community it serves. Founder Crystal Good and members of the Black By God team join Tracie Powell to talk about choosing to invest in their journalism instead of retreating, mobilizing supporters, building new capacity and what other independent publishers can learn from their experience. It’s a conversation about resilience, relationships and why the right support at the right moment can help save a newsroom. In this episode: Tracie Powell, Pivot Fund CEO Crystal Good, Black By God Founder Traci Phillips, BBG Editor Vivian Stockman, BBG Volunteer

In this episode, Tracie Powell speaks with John Adams, founder of Local News Day and Montana Free Press, about a new national effort to reconnect communities with trusted local news. They discuss the growing gap between trust and visibility in local journalism, why hyperlocal outlets — especially those serving underrepresented communities — are often overlooked, and how Local News Day aims to bring them into the spotlight. The conversation explores how the initiative works, what success looks like, and why audience engagement is key to sustaining local news. Plus, Adams shares powerful examples of how local reporting helps communities understand the real-life impact of national issues.

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod , host Haeven Gibbons talks with MLK50’s Co-Executive Directors, Ayanna Watkins and Adrienne Martin, about how co-leadership strengthens justice-centered journalism, deepens accountability to community needs, and helps prevent burnout in local news. They share how their lived experiences shape their roles, how shared decision-making works day to day, and what other community outlets can learn from MLK50’s approach. This episode offers a thoughtful, candid look at why shared leadership is more than a structure — it’s a strategy for sustainability. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org.

In this episode of the Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell, founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, speaks with Oscar Guevara from MG News. When veteran reporter Mario Guevara was detained by ICE, Atlanta’s Hispanic community lost a vital source of trusted news and information. In this webinar, The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell sits down with Mario’s son, Oscar Guevara, to discuss what it has taken to keep MG News running in his father’s absence. Together, they explore how the arrest has affected both the newsroom and the community it serves, what the experience reveals about the importance of trusted local media, and the ongoing challenges of journalist safety. This conversation is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org.

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell, founder and CEO of The Pivot Fund, speaks with Myers Reece, an Asian American journalist and leader of Underscore Native News, a newsroom focused on indigenous-centered journalism in the Pacific Northwest. They discuss the challenges and insights of leading a newsroom dedicated to a community different from one's own, building trust and the importance of representation in media. Reece shares his experiences in navigating his role with humility, his strategies for building community trust and the organizational growth through dedicated work and strategic funding. The conversation delves into the dynamics of leadership, engagement, accountability and the future vision for Underscore Native News. This conversation is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, CEO Tracie Powell talks with media entrepreneur and independent journalist Georgia Fort about her successful news outlet BLCK Press , her nonprofit work at the Center for Broadcast Journalism to grow the next generation of journalists, and how she is thinking strategically about trust and the media landscape of the future from her home state of Minnesota. This conversation is sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

In a recent Word on the Street interview, with Cumulus Media, CEO Tracie Powell shared how The Pivot Fund supports community-rooted newsrooms. It’s not just about funding—it’s about building real, lasting infrastructure. She spotlighted partners like Courier Eco Latino and BeeTV , each transforming access and revenue in their communities. Our approach is simple: trust media founders to lead. You know your audience. You know what works. We're here to back your vision—every step of the way.

This NotebookLM podcast episode discusses strategies for nonprofit media organizations to engage their boards of directors in fundraising. The conversation features the Pivot Fund's board chair and two nonprofit CEOs who share their experiences and tactics for recruiting diverse board members, setting clear expectations, and fostering strong communication. They emphasize the importance of storytelling, leveraging board members' networks, and creating a mutually beneficial board experience. The panelists also address challenges, such as underperforming board members and navigating economic downturns. Finally, they offer practical advice on managing board recruitment and fundraising processes.

In this episode, produced with Notebook LM, our AI hosts explore Tracie Powell and The Pivot Fund's research on the changing American news landscape by focusing on the state of Michigan. Increasingly, The Pivot Fund finds citizens are moving away from traditional news sources and instead seeking reliable information from independent outlets. Powell's research with The Pivot Fund reveals a rising demand for local, trusted news providers. Michigan's independent news sources, such as El Central, Planet Detroit, and Flint Beat, play an instrumental role in providing news that resonates on a local level, often overlooked by larger media outlets. The Pivot Fund's findings extend to the broader Midwest landscape. Powell contends that local journalism's future hinges on smaller and independent news sources. Reference links: Kalamazoo’s Independent News Source – NowKalamazoo Detroit news, Michigan environmental news, information | Planet Detroit Flint Beat | Your Community, Your Voice, Your News - Flint Beat News Platform Fact Sheet, 2024 | Pew Research Center EL CENTRAL Hispanic News

In this episode of The Pivot Fund Pod, Tracie Powell leads a discussion on the pivotal role of philanthropic intermediaries in supporting local and independent news outlets. Powell is joined by Carolyn Powers of Internews and the Listening Post Collective, Luella Brien of Four Points Press, and Saba Long of Atlanta Civic Circle. They share their experiences, challenges, and the critical need for more direct funding and strategic support in the journalism ecosystem. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

Kaylan Martin, principal of Blue Umbrella Strategies, and Kimberly Griffin, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Mississippi Free Press, joined The Pivot Fund's Kimberly Spencer for an insightful webinar on mastering donor stewardship strategies. The trio delved into the art of donor engagement with a focus on hyperlocal newsrooms and fundraisers of color, both facing unique challenges. Discover practical insights and best practices for nurturing donor relationships, from crafting effective stewardship plans to creating meaningful in-person experiences. Learn how to authentically build rapport by celebrating your donors' wins. During the Q&A session, our panelists shared how they would efficiently allocate just a few hours each week, their stance on formality versus informality with new donors, how to tactfully share setbacks with donors and more. To view the full Pivot Publisher Series, visit YouTube.com/@ThePivotFund . This series is supported by the Knight Foundation.

The latest Pivot Publisher Series webinar explored the question, “Is your newsroom ripe for revenue?” The panelists described a deep connection with their audience as the key to both editorial and business success, the importance of diverse revenue streams and the significance of relationships. Panelists: Todd Stauffer, Author, Digital Revenue Playbook, Executive Director, Association of Alternative Newsmedia Penda Howell, Co-Founder, Publisher, CEO, New Jersey Urban News, Founder and CEO, PCH Multi-Cultural Media Buying Elizabeth Galarza, CEO and Publisher, Pasa La Voz Noticias Moderator: Justin Rushing, Chief Revenue Officer, The Pivot Fund

Amid all the hand-wringing over Sinclair Broadcasting chairman David Smith buying the Baltimore Sun, hardly anyone mentioned that he did it in partnership with Black businessman Armstrong Williams, who is now the first African American to own a major metropolitan newspaper since Bob Maynard bought and revitalized the Oakland Tribune four decades ago. Like Smith, Williams is a conservative, but in an interview, he describes newsroom independence as a core value and pledges that Sun reporters will continue to follow the facts wherever they lead – even if they lead to the disparagement of Donald Trump. Tune in for a compelling conversation between Armstrong and Tracie Powell, The Pivot Fund founder and CEO. About The Pivot Fund The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit thepivotfund.org .

Who do you need on your team? The hiring process can be daunting, and making the right choices about who to bring on board and when can have a major impact on your newsroom. Zuri Berry, The Baltimore Banner's digital strategy editor; Lisa Snowden, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Beat; Susan Gluck Pappajohn, a talent and organizational strategy consultant; and Madeleine Bair, founding director of El Tímpano, shared their experience and approach to growing their teams, tips to secure funding, and more. Resources mentioned in this episode: Introducing ‘Leavers’: results from a survey of 101 former journalists of color: https://source.opennews.org/articles/introducing-leavers-results-survey/ Toward equitable models of journalism sustainability: https://www.eltimpano.org/inside-el-timpano/toward-equitable-models-of-journalism-sustainability/ Airtable: https://www.airtable.com Lion Publishers: https://www.lionpublishers.com Institute for Nonprofit News (INN): https://inn.org This conversation was sponsored by the Knight Foundation . -- The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit thepivotfund.org .

In the latest Pivot Publisher Series episode, The Kansas City Defender’s Ryan Sorrell, AfroLA’s Dana Amihere, and Haitian Times’ Garry Pierre-Pierre share innovative strategies to reach Black audiences and share news they can use, including impactful community-based programs, surveys, and social media strategies. The founders also delve into the (sometimes complicated) relationship between digital startups and traditional legacy news with examples of what and how they can learn from one another. This episode is thoughtfully moderated by The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell and sponsored by the Knight Foundation. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

The Pivot Publisher Series aims to equip hyperlocal BIPOC publishers and news leaders with tools, strategies and tactics to support their growth and continued success.Each month, we will gather industry experts, experienced publishers, news leaders and more to share their expertise, best practices and tools to shed light on a variety of topics including organizational design, how to hire top talent and more. The monthly webinar series kicked off with “Preparing for Transitions: Succession Planning," bringing together the experts and the experienced to share their journeys and tips for navigating the intricacies of succession planning. How can you exit responsibly and that's respectful to the work that you’ve done? What is philanthropy doing to support digital news pioneers? When is the ideal time to begin preparing? Moderator Evelyn Hsu, co-executive director at Maynard Institute, and panelists Mukhtar Ibrahim, founder of the Sahan Journal, Randall Yip, founder and editor of AsAmNews and Jane McDonnell, CEO of free range media and former executive director of the Online News Association shared their personal experience, tips for seamless, stress-free leadership transitions, and practical tools to ensure your news organization’s long-term success. About The Pivot Fund The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

At The Pivot Fund, we know true empowerment for community-led news outlets goes beyond the headlines. It's about providing the necessary tools and support to drive sustainable growth and success. That's why we're thrilled to partner with Justworks, a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), to bring you an exciting opportunity! The Just Thrive program offers women and minority-owned businesses a grant to support their administrative services. Solutions That Just Work reviews practical HR tips for startups and resources to streamline processes, save time, comply with state and federal laws and regulations, and more. Guests: Tracie Powell , Founder and CEO, The PIvot Fund Khadija Collins , Operation Manager, Documented NY Vania Andre , Chief Technology Officer, Haitian Times Doug Drosin , Channel Manage, Partnerships, Justworks Moses Balian , HR Consultant, Justworks -- The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit https://thepivotfund.org.

BIPOC news leaders have a hard time overcoming racial bias to find funding and support. Black women are starting businesses at the fastest clip of any other racial group . Many of these startups don’t reach their full potential — or fail — in part because they can't raise the capital to start or sustain their businesses. In that spirit, The Pivot Fund held an intimate conversation between Amethyst J. Davis , the founder and publisher of the Harvey World Herald , and Wendi C. Thomas , the founder and publisher of MLK50: Justice Through Journalism , a nonprofit based in Memphis, Tennessee. Though at different points in their journeys, Davis and Thomas discuss their difficulties and challenges as startup newsroom leaders. Panelists included: Amethyst J. Davis, The Harvey World Herald Wendi C. Thomas, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism About The Pivot Fund The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

The Pivot Fund CEO Tracie Powell and Northeastern University associate professor Dr. Meredith Clark discuss the unique difficulties BIPOC-led news organizations and startups face. This conversation is moderated by Melanie Sill, the founding executive director of the NC Local News Workshop at Elon University. The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit www.thepivotfund.org .

Raising funds is hard! But it doesn’t have to be. In this panel discussion, we review strategies for turning members of your board of directors into effective fundraisers by tapping into their wealth of knowledge, connections, and resources. Panelists included: Kyra Kyles — CEO of YR Media Elisa Lees Muñoz — Executive Director of the International Women’s Media Foundation Jamaal Glenn , The Pivot Fund’s board chair, moderated this discussion. This conversation was sponsored by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. -- The Pivot Fund is a new venture philanthropy organization dedicated to investing $500 million into independent BIPOC-led community news outlets through grantmaking, development support, and strategic consulting. For more information on The Pivot Fund, visit https://thepivotfund.org . The Pivot Fund Pod is edited and produced by ZMC Podcasts .