Journalism Funding Partners
Journalism Funding Partners is a Sacramento, California-based public charity that connects funders with local news organizations and supports journalism through major gifts, fundraising guidance and training, and community giving. The organization says it works with local newsrooms across the United States and does not sponsor newsrooms outside the country.
Journalism Funding Partners at a glance
In short: Journalism Funding Partners gave $4.0M across 17 grants in 2024 (avg $233K), mostly in New York. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $3,955,289
- +37.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 17
- +6.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $232,664
- +29.4% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $47,500
- Total assets
- $1,861,865
- +16.1% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- New York (54% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Journalism Funding Partners
- How to Apply
-
The filing says applications should be submitted in writing and specify the purpose of the request, provide evidence of qualifications, and describe how the funds would be used. JFP says it conducts pre-grant inquiries, requires grantees to sign an agreement to comply with its requirements and guidance, communicates in writing about use of funds, and requires grantees to confirm that funds were spent for the stated purposes. Its filing says it provides case-by-case guidance to journalism organizations as part of its major-gift and fiscal-sponsorship work.
- Review Cycle
- The filing says submissions are accepted year-round.
- Deadline
- The filing says submissions are accepted year-round.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1713 Howe Avenue 242, Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone: (813) 277-8959
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Journalism Funding Partners
Who Journalism Funding Partners funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Associated Press ($1.9M). Together the top 10 received $3.8M.
Grant Size Distribution
52 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 18 grants of 52 (35%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
JFP says it can provide fiscal sponsorship to newsrooms in all 50 states, while excluding newsrooms outside the United States. In 2024, the largest shares of its grant dollars went to recipients in New York (54%), California (16%), Virginia (12%), Florida (5%), and North Carolina (5%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Journalism Funding Partners gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $191K (2020) to $4.0M (2024). In 2024 it made 17 grants totaling $4.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Associated Press New York, NY | Targeted community journalism | $1,918,484 |
| SIJ Holdings Sacramento, CA | Targeted community journalism | $596,782 |
| Gannett Co McLean, VA | Targeted community journalism | $479,990 |
| URL Media New York, NY | Targeted community journalism | $209,000 |
| Trusting News Sarasota, FL | Targeted community journalism | $192,649 |
| Capital BroadcastingWRAL Com Raleigh, NC | Targeted community journalism | $180,460 |
| DeCapo Publishing Inc Burlington, VT | Targeted community journalism | $101,835 |
| NJ Urban News Newark, NJ | Targeted community journalism | $55,800 |
| Atlanta Journal Constitution Atlanta, GA | Targeted community journalism | $47,500 |
| Seven Days Vermont Burlington, VT | Targeted community journalism | $39,618 |
Ready to take the next step with Journalism Funding Partners?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The 2024 filing reports 17 grants; the 2023 filing reports 16, and the 2022 filing reports 12.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,861,865 | $5,652,063 | $4,729,935 | $3,955,289 | 17 | — |
| 2023 | $1,603,847 | $3,240,808 | $3,318,441 | $2,876,476 | 16 | — |
| 2022 | $1,216,328 | $2,799,980 | $2,248,977 | $2,010,780 | 12 | — |
| 2021 | $640,025 | $1,450,620 | $1,001,550 | $828,523 | 4 | $567 |
| 2020 | $145,955 | $352,503 | $211,323 | $191,236 | 3 | $39 |
| 2019 | $4,775 | $5,000 | $225 | — | — | — |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
JFP’s stated mission is to increase the depth and diversity of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations. It says it emphasizes efforts to bring the diversity of local journalists closer to the demographics of the communities they serve, and prioritizes coverage of equity, economic mobility, education, health, housing, gun violence, and the environment.
JFP says it works with local, unbiased newsrooms in print, digital, broadcast, audio, and other formats. Its supported organizations also include groups with related journalism work: for example, Trusting News says its mission is to improve news reporting by studying trust and training and coaching journalists; Grist describes itself as a nonprofit media organization dedicated to reporting on climate change.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, JFP reported 17 grants totaling $3,955,289. Grant amounts ranged from $7,956 to $1,918,484, with a median of $47,500. The largest grants included Associated Press ($1,918,484), SIJ Holdings ($596,782), Gannett Co ($479,990), URL Media ($209,000), and Trusting News ($192,649). The listed purposes were targeted community journalism.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Rusty Coats as executive director; Orage Quarles as board chair; Sheila Solomon as vice chair; James Boren as secretary; and George McCanless as treasurer. It also lists Ashley Kissinger, James Goodmon, Teri Arvesu, Sharif Durhams, and Anders Gyllenhaal as directors.
Journalism Funding Partners is led by Rusty Coats, Executive Director on every filing since 2022; 1 of 16 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Rusty Coats
Executive Director
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$100K (2022) → $152K (2024)
Orage Quarles
Board Chair
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Anders Gyllenhaal
Director
President → Director, 2022
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Ashley Kissinger
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Christopher Turpin
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
James Goodmon
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Jennifer Conklin
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Misty Avila
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Mizell Stewart
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Sharif Durhams
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Teri Arvesu
Director
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Andy Pergam
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Dalton Walker
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
James Boren
Secretary
Board Secretary → Board Member, 2020
Board Member → Secretary, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sheila Solomon
Vice Chair
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2021
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George McCanless
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (4)
- Former: Gary Strong (2019–2022) — Past Treasurer
- Former: Juan Cornejo (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Priscilla Enriquez (2019–2021) — Board Member
- Former: Larry R Coats (2021) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $152K, to Rusty Coats (Executive Dir.).
Frequently asked questions about Journalism Funding Partners
How much does Journalism Funding Partners give each year?
Journalism Funding Partners gave $4.0M across 17 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.9M across 16 grants.
What is Journalism Funding Partners's typical grant size?
Journalism Funding Partners's median grant in 2024 was $47,500, and its average grant was $232,664, across 17 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Journalism Funding Partners give grants?
Journalism Funding Partners gives mostly in New York: 54% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest states were California (16%) and Virginia (12%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (3 grants), Sacramento, CA (3 grants) and Burlington, VT (2 grants).
Does Journalism Funding Partners give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 17 grants with a stated purpose on Journalism Funding Partners's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Targeted community journalism" (17 grants).
Who are Journalism Funding Partners's largest grantees?
Journalism Funding Partners's largest 2024 grantees include Associated Press ($1,918,484), SIJ Holdings ($596,782) and Gannett Co ($479,990), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 76% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Journalism Funding Partners?
Journalism Funding Partners reported $1.9M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.7M.
What does Journalism Funding Partners fund?
JFP’s stated mission is to increase the depth and diversity of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Journalism Funding Partners?
The filing says applications should be submitted in writing and specify the purpose of the request, provide evidence of qualifications, and describe how the funds would be used. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Journalism Funding Partners's EIN?
Journalism Funding Partners's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 84-2968843. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990-EZ for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 6, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 1, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS October 24, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Journalism Funding Partners funds
Employment Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Journalism Funding Partners's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Journalism Funding Partners funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/journalism-funding-partners-morg_916439e4883d4040a9ec514842a6a259
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_842968843_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Journalism Funding Partners funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/journalism-funding-partners-morg_916439e4883d4040a9ec514842a6a259},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-17. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Journalism Funding Partners's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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