Alternative Newsweekly Foundation
The Alternative Newsweekly Foundation (ANF) is a Washington, DC-based public charity that supports independent journalism. It serves as a fiscal sponsor for news and information projects and collaborates with journalism organizations on initiatives intended to support local news outlets.
Key facts about Alternative Newsweekly Foundation
In short: Alternative Newsweekly Foundation gave $2.2M across 69 grants in 2025 (avg $32K), top state Oregon. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 30-0100369
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $2,184,624
- Grants made (2025)
- 69
- Average grant
- $31,661
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $2,777,760
- Primary geography
- Oregon (23% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$2.8M
+94.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.2M
-43.3% YoY
Grant Count
69
-57.1% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$32K
+32.4% YoY
How Alternative Newsweekly Foundation gives
- 25% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
ANF states that its mission is to promote and support independent journalism. Its website describes fiscal sponsorship for journalism projects of different sizes and media types, with the aims of increasing public access to reporting, supporting investigative and enterprise reporting, and advancing education about journalism.
ANF’s website lists projects including Arkansas Times, Chicago News Weekly, Grassroots DC, and the HBCU Digital Media Collaborative. Its Fund for Equity in Local News is a fiscally sponsored project developed with the National Newspaper Publishers Association, AAN Publishers, and the National Association of Hispanic Publications. ANF describes the Fund as supporting community publishers across North America. The website says the Fund aims to support more than 500 Black- and Latino-owned news outlets, local alternative publications, and online news sites.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, ANF reported 69 grants totaling **$2,184,624**. Grant amounts ranged from **$6,592 to $375,000**, with a median grant of **$20,000**. The largest reported grants included:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ANF’s website describes its work as supporting news outlets across the country and community publishers across North America. Its 2025 grant dollars went primarily to recipients in Oregon (23%), California (15%), Illinois (8%), Arkansas (6%), and Arizona (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 69 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2023 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $352K (2023) to $3.9M (2024). In 2025 it made 69 grants totaling $2.2M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oregon Journalism Project ($375K). Together the top 10 received $1.1M.
Grant Size Distribution
246 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 233 grants of 246 (95%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon Journalism Project Portland, OR | Project Fulfillment | $375,000 |
| Chicago News Weekly LLC Chicago, IL | Project Fulfillment | $151,450 |
| Grassroots DC Washington DC, DC | Project Fulfillment | $109,250 |
| What's Happening Inc Eugene, OR | Project Fulfillment | $102,025 |
| Arkansas Times Limited Partnership Little Rock, AR | Project Fulfillment | $99,988 |
| Milestone Communications Inc Seaside, CA | Project Fulfillment | $62,337 |
| HBCU Digital Media Collaborative Rancho Cordova, CA | Project Fulfillment | $60,957 |
| Embarcadero Media Foundation Palo Alto, CA | Transformation Tech Participant | $40,000 |
| Valeria Fernandez Phoenix, AZ | Project Management | $33,335 |
| Flagpole Inc Athens, GA | Project Fulfillment | $29,300 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,777,760 | $5,286,232 | $3,870,070 | $2,184,624 |
| 2024 | $1,428,426 | $5,467,227 | $6,060,414 | $3,851,168 |
| 2023 | $2,046,058 | $2,818,603 | $895,139 | $351,538 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $2,777,760 | $1,428,426 | $2,046,058 |
| Revenue | $5,286,232 | $5,467,227 | $2,818,603 |
| Expenses | $3,870,070 | $6,060,414 | $895,139 |
| Net Investment Income | $412 | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 15, 2022)
- Added Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS August 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS August 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS February 20, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS February 16, 2026)
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kevin Goldberg as president, Graham Jarrett as vice president, and George Thurlow as treasurer. Directors listed on that filing are Blair Barna, Jason Pramas, Justin Rushing, Ron Burke, Evelyn Castro, Jimmy Boegle, and Kimberly Spencer.
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation is led by Ellen J. Meany, Executive Director & Secretary since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 11 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Ellen J. Meany
Executive Director & Secretary
President → Executive Director & Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
40 hrs/week
$20K (2024) → $74K (2025)
Kevin Goldberg
President
Secretary → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Blair Barna
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evelyn Castro
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jason Pramas
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ron Burke
Director
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jimmy Boegle
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Justin Rushing
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberly Spencer
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George Thurlow
Treasurer
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Graham Jarrett
Vice President
Vice President → President, 2023
President → Vice President, 2025
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (2)
- Former: Julie Ann Grimm (2022) — Director
- Former: Todd Stauffer (2022) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $74K, to Ellen Meany (Executive Director & Secretary).
Contact
Mailing address: 253 Tennessee Ave Ne, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (608) 772-0693
Website: https://altnewsfoundation.org
Frequently asked questions about Alternative Newsweekly Foundation
How much does Alternative Newsweekly Foundation give each year?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation gave $2.2M across 69 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $3.9M across 161 grants.
What is Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's typical grant size?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $31,661, across 69 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Where does Alternative Newsweekly Foundation give grants?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's top state is Oregon, with 23% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were California (15%) and Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Phoenix, AZ (6 grants), Portland, OR (2 grants), Chicago, IL (2 grants) and Jackson, MS (2 grants).
Does Alternative Newsweekly Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 69 grants with a stated purpose on Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Transformation Tech Participant" (48 grants), "Project Fulfillment" (16 grants) and "Project Management" (4 grants).
Who are Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's largest grantees?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Oregon Journalism Project ($375,000), Chicago News Weekly LLC ($151,450) and Grassroots DC ($109,250), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 29% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Alternative Newsweekly Foundation?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation reported $2.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.3M.
What does Alternative Newsweekly Foundation fund?
ANF states that its mission is to promote and support independent journalism. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Alternative Newsweekly Foundation?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check altnewsfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's EIN?
Alternative Newsweekly Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 30-0100369. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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