The American Journalism Project (AJP) is a 501(c)(3) venture philanthropy organization headquartered in Washington, DC, dedicated to rebuilding and sustaining local news across the United States. Founded in 2019, AJP functions as both a funder and operational support organization for nonprofit news outlets, providing financial investment alongside hands-on strategic and operational assistance to help newsrooms strengthen and scale.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$66.4M
+16.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$18.5M
+39.7% YoY
Grant Count
52
+23.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$357K
+12.8% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
AJP's mission is to create a public service media ecosystem that is governed by, sustained by, and looks like the public it serves. The organization focuses on:
- Financial Investment: Providing grants to mission-driven, digital-forward nonprofit news organizations that meet critical information needs in their communities
- Grantee Support: Offering venture-style support including operational and strategic coaching, best practice curation, and peer learning opportunities across the portfolio
- Equity & Representation: Advancing a more diverse and inclusive news media that serves historically underserved communities and advances human and civil rights
- Sustainability: Building resilient nonprofit newsroom models with diversified revenue streams
The organization operates according to five core values: Local First, Bold Leadership, Constant Learning, Commitment to Equity, and Integrity.
Grantmaking
AJP has backed 54 nonprofit news organizations and facilitated $243 million in total dollars raised for local nonprofit news. The organization employs a competitive grantmaking process with board oversight.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
AJP funds nonprofit news organizations across the United States. The organization has demonstrated activity in communities including Tulsa, Oklahoma, and operates a national grantmaking program without geographic restrictions.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $38,097,727
- Total Expenses: $30,264,843
- Net Income: $7,832,884
- Total Assets: $66,446,853
- Total Liabilities: $1,740,000
2023 Financial Data:
- Total Expenses: $20,350,451
- Net Income: $4,077,829
- Net Assets: $56,860,671
2022 Financial Data:
- Total Expenses: $20,645,281
- Net Income: $21,766,579
- Net Assets: $52,577,354
Staffing: 90 employees as of 2024
Rating: Four-Star rating with 100% score, reflecting strong performance across accountability, finance, leadership, adaptability, and culture metrics.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $66,446,853 | $57,277,288 | $54,991,005 |
| Revenue | $38,097,727 | $24,428,280 | $42,411,860 |
| Expenses | $30,264,843 | $20,350,451 | $20,645,281 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,538,355 | $983,405 | $-173,457 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
172 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from American Journalism Project Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Founders: John Thornton (venture capitalist and founder of The Texas Tribune) and Elizabeth Green (co-founder and former CEO of Chalkbeat, now co-founder of Civic News Company)
Current Leadership: Sarabeth Berman, Chief Executive Officer
The organization is led by an experienced team with expertise in grantmaking, fundraising, movement building, and organizational growth.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOE NATOLI | CHAIRPERSON | 1 | — |
| IRVING WASHINGTON | VICE CHAIRPERSON | 1 | — |
| JOHN THORNTON | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| ROSENTHAL ALVES | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JEFF COHEN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHELLE DE LA ISLA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| TERESA GORMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| PETER LATTMAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARIA THOMAS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HILLARY SCHNEIDER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JELANI COBB | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SARABETH BERMAN | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $336,383 |
| AMAR RAJWANI | CHIEF FINANCIAL & ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER | 40 | $211,854 |
| PATTY SLUTSKY | CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER | 40 | $223,802 |
| MICHAEL OUIMETTE | CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER | 40 | $247,725 |
| LORETTA CHAO | HEAD OF STARTUP STUDIO & LOCAL PHILANTHROPY PARTNE | 40 | $231,620 |
| FREDERICK KRIFT | CEO, FREE PRESS INDIANA | 40 | $210,252 |
| DARRIN KERR | HEAD OF GROWTH INVESTMENTS | 40 | $209,147 |
| MICHELLE SRBINOVICH | VICE PRESIDENT, GROWTH INVESTMENTS | 40 | $200,510 |
| RENE GORNALL | CHIEF OF STAFF | 40 | $198,197 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2025**: Knight Foundation announced a $25 million investment in AJP to expand and strengthen local news, with plans to grow AJP's supported newsroom portfolio from 50 to 60 organizations over three years and launch the Knight Resiliency Lab
Knight Foundation invests $25 million in American Journalism Project to expand**2024-2025**: Continued MacArthur Foundation support through multiple grants totaling $1.861 million for general operations and specific newsroom support
Knight Foundation invests $25 million in American Journalism Project to expand**Ongoing**: AJP serves as fiscal sponsor for the Tulsa Local News Initiative, which obtained the assets of The Oklahoma Eagle, one of the nation's oldest legacy Black newspapers
Contact Information
Address: 6218 Georgia Avenue NW, Suite 1-#599, Washington, DC 20011-5125
Phone: 301-615-2145
Email: hello@theajp.org
Website: theajp.org
Tax ID: 83-1772542
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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