Local Media Foundation
Local Media Foundation (LMF) is a public charity based in Lake City, Michigan. Formed in 2001, it supports programs intended to promote the sustainability of local journalism and news media by helping reinvent business models for news.
Key facts about Local Media Foundation
In short: Local Media Foundation gave $2.9M across 44 grants in 2024 (avg $66K), top state New York. 36% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 36-4427750
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,921,535
- Grants made (2024)
- 44
- Average grant
- $66,399
- Median grant
- $38,363
- New grantees (estimate)
- 36% first-time grantees (16 of 44, 2024)
- Total assets
- $6,345,849
- Primary geography
- New York (26% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- Organizations interested in the Local News Fund can submit the fiscal sponsorship inquiry form. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$6.3M
+46.2% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.9M
+21.3% YoY
Grant Count
44
+15.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$66K
+4.7% YoY
Is Local Media Foundation open to new grantees?
36%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 16 of 44 grantees (36%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $87K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $78K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2021–2024). 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
LMF’s stated mission is to ensure a healthy future for local journalism, which it describes as essential to a strong democracy, by reinventing business models for news. Its four strategic pillars are business transformation, journalism funded by philanthropy, industry collaboration, and sustainability for publishers of color.
The foundation’s programs include the Local News Fund, which supports journalism projects on issues such as education, poverty, and health. LMF says participating projects should demonstrate charitable or educational intent, committed leadership, and potential for significant community impact. It describes Word In Black as a collaboration among 10 leading Black publishers focused on content sharing, research, and publisher sustainability. Other named initiatives include News Is Out, the Knight x LMA BloomLab, the Oklahoma Media Center, and the NY/MI Solutions Journalism Collaborative.
Grantmaking
In 2024, LMF reported 44 grants totaling **$2,921,535**. Grants ranged from **$5,824 to $394,720**, with a median of **$38,363**. The filing describes stipends supporting local journalism projects serving the public good; listed grant purposes commonly include journalism-project stipends and technology upgrades for digital journalism.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Local Media Foundation
Ready to take the next step with Local Media Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Local News Fund supports projects in communities across the country. In 2024, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in New York (26%), Texas (11%), Washington, D.C. (9%), California (9%), and Michigan (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $641K (2021) to $2.9M (2024). In 2024 it made 44 grants totaling $2.9M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Columbian Publishing Company ($395K). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Grant Size Distribution
138 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 138 (64%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Columbian Publishing Company Rochester, NY | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $394,720 |
| Amnews Corpdba New York Amsterdam News New York, NY | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $155,631 |
| New York News Publishers Association Albany, NY | Program Stipends for Journalism Projects | $150,480 |
| Ad-Mast Publishing Cothe Dallas Weekly Dallas, TX | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $143,774 |
| The Washington Informer Washington, DC | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $133,305 |
| Lee Publishing Company Inc Sacramento, CA | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $129,839 |
| The Atlanta Voice - Voice News Network Atlanta, GA | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $125,683 |
| Afro American Co Baltimore City Baltimore, MD | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $122,544 |
| Seattle Medium - Tiloben Publishing CO Inc Seattle, WA | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $120,669 |
| American Publishing Company DBA St Louis American Newspaper Saint Louis, MO | Stipends for journalism projects and technology upgrades for digital journalism | $119,145 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,345,849 | $9,394,019 | $6,606,965 | $2,921,535 |
| 2023 | $4,341,510 | $6,588,923 | $5,991,755 | $2,408,892 |
| 2022 | $4,498,915 | $5,768,285 | $4,554,696 | $1,445,489 |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $6,345,849 | $4,341,510 | $4,498,915 |
| Revenue | $9,394,019 | $6,588,923 | $5,768,285 |
| Expenses | $6,606,965 | $5,991,755 | $4,554,696 |
| Net Investment Income | $165,923 | $67,553 | $17,799 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 10, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 14, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Officers and directors listed on the 2024 filing were Larry Lee, chair; Tanisha Leonard, first vice chair; J. Tom Shaw, treasurer; Erica Smith, immediate past chair; and directors Tom Sly, Tim Franklin, Shana Black, Leo Cusimano, Jane Wooldridge, and Daniel Williams.
Local Media Foundation is led by John Small, Co-Ceo since 2024 (on filings since 2020); none of the 21 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
John Small
Co-Ceo
Chief Operating Officer → Co-Ceo, 2024
On filings since 2020
9 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Cawley Lane
Co-Ceo
CEO → Co-Ceo, 2024
On filings since 2020
12 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Larry Lee
Chair
Secretary → First Vice Chair, 2023
First Vice Chair → Chair, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Brock Berry
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shana Black
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Sly
Director
Treasurer → Director, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Apryl Pilolli
Technology Director of Knight Lma Bloom Lab
Employee → Technology Director of Knight Lma Bloom Lab, 2024
On filings since 2022
23 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Janice Norman
Director of Accounting
Director of Accounting & Finance → Director of Accounting, 2023
On filings since 2022
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Penny Riordan
Director of Business Strategy & Partnership
Employee → Director of Business Strategy & Partnership, 2024
On filings since 2022
7 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel Williams
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jane Wooldridge
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Celestand
Program Director of Knight Lma Bloom Lab
Employee → Program Director of Knight Lma Bloom Lab, 2024
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Leo Cusimano
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tim Franklin
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Erica Smith
Immediate Past Chair
First Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frank Mungeam
Chief Innovation Officer
On filings since 2021
33 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tanisha Leonard
First Vice Chair
Director → Secretary, 2023
Secretary → First Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Catherine Badalamente
Secretary
Treasurer → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
J. Tom Shaw
Treasurer
Chair → Immediate Past Chair, 2023
Immediate Past Chair → Treasurer, 2024
On filings since 2022
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julia Campbell
Chief Business Transformations Officer
Employee → Chief Business Transformations Officer, 2024
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Lindsey Leisher Estes
Employee
New on the 2024 filing
15 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (15)
- Former: Samantha Johnston (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Stephanie Slagle (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Andrew Ramsammy (2022–2023) — Employee
- Former: Gordon Borrell (2020–2022) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Lisa Bishop (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Elizabeth Dwyer (2022) — Employee
- Former: Maple Lloyd Walker (2022) — Director
- Former: Chris Weatherly (2020–2021) — First Vice Chair
- Former: Guy Tasaka (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Liz White (2020–2021) — Immediate Past Chair
- Former: Jay Small (2021) — Chief Operating Officer
- Former: Bob Brown (2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Chris Hendricks (2020) — Immediate Pastchairman
- Former: Jason Murray (2020) — Director
- Former: Mariah Craddick (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 450, Lake City, MI 49651
Phone: (231) 839-8651
Website: https://localmedia.org
Frequently asked questions about Local Media Foundation
How much does Local Media Foundation give each year?
Local Media Foundation gave $2.9M across 44 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $2.4M across 38 grants.
What is Local Media Foundation's typical grant size?
Local Media Foundation's median grant in 2024 was $38,363, and its average grant was $66,399, across 44 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Local Media Foundation that year got $30K on average.
Where does Local Media Foundation give grants?
Local Media Foundation's top state is New York, with 26% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Texas (11%) and District of Columbia (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Washington, DC (3 grants), Dallas, TX (3 grants) and Charlotte, NC (3 grants).
Does Local Media Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 44 grants with a stated purpose on Local Media Foundation's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Stipends for Journalism Projects" (17 grants) and "Program Stipends for Journalism Projects" (8 grants).
Who are Local Media Foundation's largest grantees?
Local Media Foundation's largest 2024 grantees include The Columbian Publishing Company ($394,720), Amnews Corpdba New York Amsterdam News ($155,631) and New York News Publishers Association ($150,480), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 24% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Local Media Foundation?
Local Media Foundation reported $6.3M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.4M.
What does Local Media Foundation fund?
LMF’s stated mission is to ensure a healthy future for local journalism, which it describes as essential to a strong democracy, by reinventing business models for news. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Local Media Foundation?
Organizations interested in the Local News Fund can submit the fiscal sponsorship inquiry form. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Local Media Foundation's EIN?
Local Media Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 36-4427750. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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Local Media Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?