Building and retaining a strong board for journalism nonprofits

08/24/21 • 51 min

Board development might be one of the driest topics of conversation when it comes to entrepreneurship. It's also one of the hardest things to do, especially in the journalism business, where many publishers want to recruit people who are in the industry and have a working knowledge about news media and the ethics that govern it. However, despite its lack of appeal, building a strong board of directors is critical to a news outlet's success and sustainability.

That's why The Pivot Fund hosted an important conversation about board development with BoardSource affiliate and nonprofit consultant Glenda Hicks and Josué Rojas, an artist and former publisher of El Tecolote, the longest-running bilingual newspaper in California. Rojas also serves on the advisory board for El Tímpano.

The Pivot Fund Pod is edited and produced by ZMC Podcasts.

The Pivot Fund Pod is edited and produced by ZMC Podcasts.

Previous Episode

Does your journalism organization need to hire development staff?

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More than $2.7 billion has been invested in the journalism ecosystem. That influx of cash has led many news outlets to seek development staff for the first time. But hiring development staff isn’t easy. These are professionals who are in demand but short in supply. It takes special expertise to raise money for journalistic institutions. And for many news outlets, it might not be necessary or the right time to hire development staff.

The Pivot Fund hosted a special panel discussion about grants and funding focused on helping independent, BIPOC-led news outlets answer these very questions. Including at what point they’ll need to hire development staff and where to find them, how much organizations can expect to pay, and alternatives to hiring a full-time development director.

Panelists included:

Lolly Bowean — Media & Storytelling Program Officer for The Field Foundation
Susan Gluck Pappajohn — Management Consultant with Phillips Oppenheim
Julia Howell Barros — Nonprofit consultant
Kaylan Somerville — Founder of Blue Umbrella Fundraising

Mazin Sidahmed, co-founder and senior reporter for Documented, a hyper-local community new outlet that covers immigrant communities in New York City, moderated the discussion.

This conversation was sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Pivot Fund Pod is edited and produced by ZMC Podcasts.

Next Episode

How to turn newsletters into a media empire with S. Mitra Kalita

S. Mitra Kalita, the publisher of Epicenter-NYC, talks about leaving behind a high-profile job at CNN and a guaranteed paycheck to launch her own brand.

Kalita joined The Pivot Fund on Oct. 27, 2021, to discuss how she’s part of the movement to reimagine community-centered journalism and how Epicenter-NYC grew newsletters into an empire.

This conversation is co-moderated by The Pivot Fund's chief executive officer Tracie Powell and Liz Alarcón, the founder and executive director of Pulso, a nonprofit media start-up that shares news, history, and culture stories by and for Latinos.

The Pivot Fund Pod is edited and produced by ZMC Podcasts.