The GroundTruth Project is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit news organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated to supporting the next generation of journalists and strengthening local journalism ecosystems globally. In 2025, the organization rebranded as Report Local to reflect its strategic focus on scaling its flagship programs. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity and employs approximately 48 staff members.
Key facts about The Groundtruth Project Inc
- EIN
- 46-0908502
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,296,508
- Grants made (2024)
- 151
- Average grant
- $15,209
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $12,160,461
- Primary geography
- New York (13% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated June 2026.
Who The Groundtruth Project Inc funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for The Groundtruth Project Inc's 151 itemized 2024 grants were New York (13%), California (9%) and Texas (9%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (5 grants), Chapel Hill, NC (5 grants), Chicago, IL (4 grants) and Dallas, TX (3 grants). None of its 151 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$12.2M
+103.4% YoY
Annual Giving
$2.3M
-41.7% YoY
Grant Count
151
-18.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$15K
-28.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization's mission is to serve under-covered communities by supporting emerging journalists to conduct on-the-ground reporting and advance sustainability, innovation, and equity in journalism worldwide.
The organization addresses the crisis of declining local news by operating two primary programs:
Report for America: A national service program that recruits, places, and subsidizes salaries for talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms across the United States. The program has placed more than 650 journalists in 371 newsrooms across the U.S.
Report for the World: An international expansion of the Report for America model, supporting journalists in newsrooms across multiple countries. In 2023, the program supported journalists in 21 countries, 49 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam, reaching millions of readers.
The organization also works with partner newsrooms to implement fundraising models that diversify income sources and strengthen operations. The organization has supported more than 475 emerging journalists through global reporting fellowships across more than 30 countries since its incorporation in 2012.
Grantmaking
The organization makes grants to support local journalism initiatives. Recent grantmaking activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization operates globally with significant presence in:
- United States: All 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam
- International: 21 countries including Syria (in exile), Russia (in exile), Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Myanmar
- Staff locations: 30 employees in North America (United States), 2 employees in Asia
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 151 itemized 2024 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Summary:
- Total Revenues: $7,537,345
- Total Expenses: $10,186,968
- Total Assets: $5,980,000
- Total Liabilities: $896,000
- Number of Employees: 48
Funding History: The MacArthur Foundation has awarded the organization 7 grants totaling $1,615,000 between 2015 and 2023, supporting both Report for America and Report for the World programs.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $12,160,461 | $5,980,000 | $9,332,666 |
| Revenue | $16,111,232 | $7,537,345 | $9,104,580 |
| Expenses | $9,685,824 | $10,186,968 | $12,665,341 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $5,496 | $11,329 | $4,968 |
| 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
337 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest recipients include The Associated Press ($175,078), The Texas Tribune ($42,992), Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ($35,194).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK, NY | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $175,078 |
| THE TEXAS TRIBUNE AUSTIN, TX | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $42,992 |
| MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL MILWAUKEE, WI | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $35,194 |
| CHICAGO SUN-TIMES CHICAGO, IL | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $32,530 |
| INVESTIGATE WEST SEATTLE, WA | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $31,925 |
| NJ SPOTLIGHT NEWS NEW YORK, NY | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $30,621 |
| WISCONSIN WATCH MADISON, WI | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $30,477 |
| MISSISSIPPI FREE PRESS JACKSON, MS | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $29,174 |
| KOSU RADIO OAKLAHOMA CITY, OK | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $28,058 |
| BUFFALO'S FIRE HALLIDAY, ND | TO HOST NEWSROOMS TO SUPPORT REPORT FOR AMERICA CORPS MEMBERS | $27,398 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Chief Executive Officer: Rob Zeaske
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| JOANNE HEYMAN | DIRECTOR & CHAIR | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER BAKE | DIRECTOR & CHAIR EMERITUS | 1 | — |
| DINESH BALLIAH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DEAN BAQUET | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JIM BILDNER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARK CONTRERAS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ROBIN DALESSANDRO | DIRECTOR & CHAIR EMERITUS | 1 | — |
| DAVID FEINBERG | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AMY GUGGENHEIM SHENKAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALAN KHAZEI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| JORDAN MERANUS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GARCIELA MOCHKOFSKY | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARIBEL PEREZ WADSWORTH | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANYA SCHIFFRIN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| CALVIN SIMS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| DAHNI TSUBOI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| KAREN TOULON | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ANN DAVIS VAUGHAN | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| BILL WHITAKER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN WALDMAN | EX-OFFICIO | 1 | — |
| ROBERT BENJAMIN ZEASKE | CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER | 40 | $300,552 |
| CHARLES M SENNOTT | EDITOR IN CHIEF | 40 | $266,132 |
| STEPHANIE ANN SCHMIDT | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 40 | $173,346 |
| KIMBERLY DAWN KLEMAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RFA | 40 | $155,605 |
| HOWARD EARL JOHNSON | VP OF RECRT, ADM AND ALUMNI ENG | 40 | $139,028 |
| KATHERINE EDMONDSON | CONTROLLER | 40 | $124,090 |
| MAGGIE WONG | DIRECTOR OF DEVE OPERATIONS | 40 | $117,857 |
| RACHEL NAVA ROHR | VP OF PROGRAM DEV | 40 | $113,289 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**2025 Strategic Rebrand**: The organization announced a strategic decision to step away from its longtime investment in content and editorial work to focus fully on scaling its flagship programs Report for America and Report for the World. The GroundTruth Project rebranded as Report Local to reflect this shift.
Rewriting the story of local news - Report Local**2023 Global Expansion**: The organization supported nearly 300 local journalists in 21 countries, 49 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam. The year marked continued expansion of Report for the World to include five media in exile: Syria, Russia, Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Myanmar.
Rewriting the story of local news - Report Local**Recognition**: The organization received six regional Murrow Awards, including overall excellence recognition.
**Lever for Change Recognition**: The organization was named a 2021 finalist for the 100&Change competition.
**Charity Rating**: The organization received a Four-Star rating with a 100% score, reflecting strong performance in accountability, finance, culture, community, leadership, and adaptability.
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Groundtruth Project Inc fund?
The organization's mission is to serve under-covered communities by supporting emerging journalists to conduct on-the-ground reporting and advance sustainability, innovation, and equity in journalism worldwide. The organization addresses the crisis of declining local news by operating two primary programs: • **Report for America**: A national service program that recruits, places, and subsidizes salaries for talented emerging journalists in local newsrooms across the United States. The program …
How do I apply for a grant from The Groundtruth Project Inc?
The organization makes grants to support local journalism initiatives. Recent grantmaking activity includes: • Chicago Sun-Times Media (specific amount and year not detailed in available sources) The organization operates on a matching model where for every dollar Report for America dedicates to support a reporter, the local newsroom and community must also raise a dollar, helping hundreds of local newsrooms engage small and large donors to support public service journalism.
Where does The Groundtruth Project Inc make grants?
The organization operates globally with significant presence in: • **United States**: All 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and Guam • **International**: 21 countries including Syria (in exile), Russia (in exile), Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and Myanmar • **Staff locations**: 30 employees in North America (United States), 2 employees in Asia
What size grants does The Groundtruth Project Inc award?
In 2024, The Groundtruth Project Inc awarded 151 grants totaling $2.3M — an average of about $15K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is The Groundtruth Project Inc's EIN?
The Groundtruth Project Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-0908502. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.