Diversity Report
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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
Non Profit Media is dedicated to helping mission-driven nonprofit news organizations achieve a truly diverse, inclusive, and equitable news landscape—and to practicing these values in our own work. While serving diverse communities has always been part of our mission, in 2019 we began formally integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into our strategic goals and encouraging our members to do the same.
DEI is not treated as a standalone initiative but is woven into most of our programs, including:
- Membership & Standards
- Growth Programs
- Editorial Collaborations
- Research
- Audience Development
- Operations
- Staff & Leadership Composition
As a network of hundreds of nonprofit newsrooms, Non Profit Media plays a unique role in supporting the growth of nonprofit journalism and acting as a trusted partner for philanthropic efforts in the field.
Our ongoing research and engagement with member organizations inform practical strategies to advance DEI across the sector. We continuously develop recommendations and initiatives to ensure nonprofit news organizations are inclusive, equitable, and reflective of the communities they serve.
Membership & Standards
Recruitment
Non Profit Media welcomes any organization that aligns with our shared standards to join our network. We are intentional in connecting with newsrooms that strengthen the network by enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through landscape scans, surveys, partnerships, and networking, we identify nonprofit news organizations that actively serve underserved communities.
Membership
Membership with Non Profit Media offers valuable resources for newsrooms at any stage. Some resources are open to all, while members gain access to personalized coaching on launching inclusive news outlets and implementing equitable hiring practices. All members can participate in office hours to discuss best practices for developing ethics standards and organizational policies.
Awards
Our Nonprofit News Awards, established in 2021, recognize outstanding public service journalism that reflects DEI values. Awards include the Breaking Barriers Award, the Insight Award for Visual Journalism, and the Emerging Leader of the Year Award.
Standards
The Non Profit Media Standards Task Force, composed of diverse leaders, provides guidance and thought leadership on the network’s adopted standards. We are committed to creating inclusive leadership pathways through intentional board representation and advisory councils, ensuring diverse perspectives shape every major program within our organization.
Growth Programs
Future nonprofit newsrooms must avoid the pitfalls of traditional media—imbalanced revenue streams, lack of diversity, and weak relationships with underserved communities. Non Profit Media’s growth programs aim to build a sustainable media landscape where news organizations led by and serving communities of color can thrive.
Supporting Newsrooms Serving Communities of Color
Through designated matching funds, Non Profit Media amplifies the impact of newsrooms led by or serving BIPOC, immigrant, and multilingual communities. In 2024, participating newsrooms leveraged these funds to raise millions from donors, building trust and sustainable partnerships with the communities they serve.
Equipping Leaders of Color
Our Emerging Leaders Council identifies and supports news leaders of color, providing leadership, management, and business tools. Participants develop and launch projects with guidance from a supportive network, strengthening the next generation of nonprofit journalism leadership.
Building Talent Pathways
Non Profit Media creates pipelines for emerging talent of color through internships, recruitment, and mentorship. Member newsrooms host paid interns and fellows, giving students hands-on experience in audience, product, and management roles.
Elevating Voices of Color
We ensure conferences and member gatherings reflect the field’s diversity. In 2024, 42% of conference speakers identified as people of color. We also assist funders and organizations in connecting with diverse speakers and perspectives.
Educating Funders
Non Profit Media highlights the specific needs of BIPOC-led and -serving outlets to funders, emphasizing sustained, unrestricted support to strengthen long-term impact.
Editorial Collaborations
Non Profit Media unites expertise across nonprofit newsrooms, blending investigative depth with community-centered storytelling. By collaborating, diverse voices produce journalism that is both nuanced and impactful, reflecting the experiences of underserved communities. In our climate coverage, communities are shown not just as recipients of environmental challenges but as active problem-solvers—highlighting projects in cities like Hoboken, New Jersey, and Cicero, Illinois, where local initiatives address flooding, park revitalization, and urban heat, creating inclusive and sustainable solutions.
Rural communities are also a central focus. Through initiatives like “Bridging Access” and “Speaking Out,” Non Profit Media highlights healthcare disparities, educational barriers, and cultural heritage in rural areas, engaging local residents as partners to ensure authentic storytelling. Combining data with personal narratives, these collaborations reveal systemic inequities while showcasing grassroots solutions, empowering communities to see their stories as meaningful and influential. Feedback from audiences demonstrates the value of this work, as residents gain recognition and connection to national conversations through coverage that reflects their lived realities.
Research
Since 2018, Non Profit Media has conducted an annual Index survey of its member newsrooms to assess the state of nonprofit journalism, with a particular focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The 2023 survey provides a comprehensive look at how DEI is reflected in staffing, leadership, operations, community engagement, and revenue practices across the sector.
Key findings from the 2023 DEI Index include:
- The racial and ethnic composition of nonprofit news personnel closely mirrors the U.S. population and is more diverse than other parts of the news industry.
- Between 2020 and 2022, overall staff diversity increased, though progress was uneven across outlets and leadership levels. About half of newsrooms reported gains in BIPOC staff representation, while only 28% reported increases among executives and managers.
- Women make up roughly half of nonprofit news staff and an even higher proportion of executives and managers, surpassing many other news organizations.
- While over half of newsrooms have set diversity goals, fewer have established plans for equity and inclusion or allocated resources to track progress.
- Engagement in DEI practices varies widely depending on outlet size, leadership composition, and mission focus.
This study is part of Non Profit Media’s ongoing commitment to tracking DEI trends, measuring progress, and helping news organizations build more inclusive and equitable practices across the sector.
Audience Development
Non Profit Media’s audience work reflects its commitment to helping newsrooms serve and engage diverse communities, ensuring coverage is accessible, relevant, and trusted by all the audiences they report for.
Expanding Research Tools
Building on our 2023 tools, Non Profit Media provides new resources to help newsrooms understand how communities access information and what other news they engage with. These tools help organizations answer audience questions, provide authoritative reporting, and more effectively counter misinformation.
Valuing Audience Relationships
Rethinking audience engagement goes beyond donations or subscriptions. We offer trainings and workshops tailored to nonprofit news organizations, guiding members in building meaningful connections with diverse audiences. Nearly half of our members have participated, including immersive sessions on designing inclusive audience development strategies.
Reaching New Audiences
In 2023, Non Profit Media expanded distribution opportunities, helping newsrooms reach communities often overlooked by mainstream coverage. We advocate for member access on major platforms, enabling featured stories to reach wider audiences and connect with those invested in these communities.
Operations
Non Profit Media integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion into all its operations and capacity-building programs. We ensure diverse representation in applicant pools, program participants, and leadership roles, and all panels and industry events we participate in reflect inclusivity across gender and race.
We track diversity internally across staff, board members, and contractors, using these insights to guide equitable practices and provide tools for member newsrooms. Salary analyses ensure fairness in roles, titles, and compensation.
To support staff well-being and accessibility, Non Profit Media offers comprehensive benefits, including expanded paid parental leave, employer-sponsored short-term disability, flexible medical, dental, and vision plans, telehealth, mental health resources, and partial coverage for family medical plans. These initiatives ensure an equitable, inclusive, and supportive work environment.
Staff & Board Composition
As the field grows, Non Profit Media continues to prioritize diversity within its staff and board to reflect the communities served by its member news organizations. Since 2015, our team has expanded from six staff members to 23, with 32% identifying as people of color, including Black, Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern/North African individuals. Senior management is 60% people of color, and over 70% of staff, including managers, identify as female, while 25% identify as LGBTQIA+.
Our Board of Directors represents both member organizations and external experts in investigative journalism. As of 2023, 30% of board members are BIPOC, 40% are female, and 20% identify as LGBTQIA+. Board members are selected to reflect diverse experience, geographic representation, and the variety of news outlets within our network, including local and single-subject publications.