What nonprofit news’ revenue growth means for the sector

The nonprofit news sector’s revenue growth in 2024 and the slow growth of new nonprofit newsrooms could mean the sector is maturing, according to a report from the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN). 

The 2025 INN Index, which surveys INN members across North America, found outlets were steadily building revenue over the previous year. The report comes as funders such as the Ford and MacArthur foundations reaffirm their commitments to supporting local and nonprofit news. At the same time, federal cuts to public media are pushing organizations—already accustomed to using collaboration as a key strategy—to find creative ways to stay afloat.  

What a maturing nonprofit news field looks like 

For the first time in five years, the report found that INN members generated more than $500,000 in median annual revenue, going from a median of $477,000 in 2023 to $532,000 in 2024. The revenue growth isn’t an outlier; roughly 80% of all outlets surveyed increased their total revenue over the last three years. While the report doesn’t draw concrete conclusions, data from INN members shows a broad mix of revenue streams and steady growth—over the last three years; 57% of INN members increased their earned revenue. INN estimates that the nearly 400 digital-first nonprofit newsrooms in its ranks took in a combined $650 million to $700 million in revenue last year, making 2024 the most successful year on record for the nonprofit news field.  

Local outlets now make up the majority of nonprofit news

This year’s report also found that local news outlets are steadily joining the nonprofit news sector. For the first time in the report’s history, local news outlets make up the majority of INN’s membership, rising to 51% in 2024 from 48% in 2023. The addition of more local news outlets to INN’s ranks bolsters the likelihood of the network’s coverage of rural communities and could be a factor in the increase in revenue diversification among INN members this year. Earned revenue makes up 25% of their local news income, while individual giving accounts for 25%. 

Funders fill gaps in a shifting news landscape 

While some foundations have long funded news as part of broader efforts to support democracy and local communities, recent philanthropic investments appear to be strengthening the trends that the report identifies in a maturing field. The INN Index mentions Press Forward’s $22.7 million initiative, but other recent commitments—such as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s $6.5 million for Chicago journalism and the American Journalism Project’s $3.5 million investment in local outlets—point to a broader trend of sustained philanthropic interest in nonprofit news.  

The 2025 report introduces a dedicated section to public media, a particularly delicate field within the news industry after the federal government cut $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and rescinded $9 billion in previously allocated funds. While the report surveyed just 27 of the more than 1,500 locally owned and operated public media stations in the country, the findings suggest the same level of editorial collaboration—two or more outlets sharing resources for news reporting—as other INN members, about 78% of them participated in at least one editorial collaboration. Following the federal cuts, funders have stepped up in an attempt to fill the gap. Just a month after cuts were announced a coalition of six grantmakers announced $36.5 million in emergency grants for public media stations, including Pivotal Ventures, as well as the John S. and James L. Knight, MacArthur, Robert Wood Johnson, Schmidt Family, and Ford foundations. 

How nonprofit newsrooms are adapting to capacity constraints

Editorial collaborations have long been a practice in nonprofit newsroom’s repertoire to expand reach and creatively manage editorial understaffing issues—INN’s report found that four in 10 surveyed organizations participated in four or more editorial collaborations, and nearly 80% partnered on at least one. 

While funders are investing in AI for news at the higher education level to equip the next generation of journalists with new tools, INN’s report found that most surveyed organizations are using AI for operations, rather than reporting.  AI is being used mainly to streamline operations, such as transcription and data analysis, and is increasingly being adopted for fundraising. The report found that nearly half of INN members using AI apply it to fundraising and donor outreach efforts, mostly as a time-saving tool rather than an editorial tool that transforms the work. 

What the trends signal for the sector 

While the political and funding landscape remains uncertain, the latest data highlights several encouraging trends for nonprofit newsrooms. The report underscores persistent funding and capacity challenges, but technology and collaboration are helping newsrooms adapt—with funders now investing in collaboratives and local news at scale. 

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