This informal fireside chat builds on the Supporting Local Journalism session at Illuminate 2025 and brings together community foundation leaders and partners from the philanthropic sector to share recent developments and opportunities. Community foundations are finding creative ways to engage and support local news and journalism initiatives, with growing interest across the network. 

Together, we’ll explore what’s at stake for communities when local news disappears, what foundations are learning from early projects, and how local news connects to Vital Signs and other community data and knowledge efforts. We’ll look at local news as essential community infrastructure — helping build trust, provide timely and credible information, and support informed community participation — and consider how the network might build on this momentum through funding, convening, partnerships, or shared advocacy.

Audience:  Community foundation staff and volunteers in the CFC network.