Local newsrooms are raising more through local matches than national programs provide. CT Mirror shares its approach to building sustainable community funding. Learn how planning and targeted outreach drive results.
For nonprofit newsrooms seeking to boost fundraising, securing local matches has become a key strategy for driving both revenue and community engagement. As more organizations participating in INN’s NewsMatch program raise greater sums through local matches than the national match pool itself, the focus is shifting to building sustainable local support.
CT Mirror, a nonprofit newsroom covering Connecticut public policy and politics, has consistently secured local matches for its annual NewsMatch campaign since 2021. Clare Dignan, Chief Growth Officer at CT Mirror, explained that the newsroom’s approach relies on a two-pronged strategy: maintaining a reliable major donor who provides a significant portion of the match funds, and expanding outreach to new, lapsed, or existing donors for additional support.
Dignan said that as CT Mirror’s revenue has grown, the organization has outpaced the main NewsMatch funding and now leverages local matches to motivate donors. The newsroom’s core tactic is to use the promise of matched gifts as a compelling incentive for members and supporters.
To build its matching pool, CT Mirror starts with a long-term major funder, providing a strong foundation for the campaign. This allows the newsroom to confidently tell new donors that their contributions will be matched. Dignan noted that this approach reduces risk to general revenue and increases donor engagement.
In recent years, CT Mirror has broadened its outreach to include local businesses and lower-level major donors-individuals contributing $1,000, $2,500, or $5,000. These donors are often regular supporters who are invited to become “champions” by using their gifts as matches. Dignan reported that this stewardship approach has been well received, with donors expressing enthusiasm for playing a more active role.
Local businesses, especially those with existing advertising relationships, have also been targeted for match funding. Dignan said that Connecticut’s insurance companies, already familiar with CT Mirror, were natural candidates for local matches. Additionally, the newsroom reaches out to lapsed donors as a way to re-engage them with a tangible reason to return.
During the campaign, CT Mirror communicates a clear goal-such as raising $20,000 in local matches-and gives individual match donors special recognition through “lightning matches.” On designated days, the newsroom highlights a specific donor’s match, creating urgency and renewed energy, especially during campaign lulls or on key dates like Election Day or Giving Tuesday.
When setting campaign goals, Dignan said the team considers overall annual revenue targets and what would be both meaningful and achievable for local matches. For 2024, the goal was an additional $20,000, which was met through a combination of individual and business contributions.
Dignan advised newsrooms pursuing local matches for the first time to plan ahead, identify likely champions early, and design messaging that explains not just the matching goal but how matches help grow the donor base. She emphasized that donors want to see their contributions generate new support and bring more people into the community.
CT Mirror’s experience reflects a broader trend among local publishers seeking to deepen community ties and diversify revenue streams. For example, Swedish newsrooms have also experimented with new engagement metrics to drive growth, as seen in this report on Bonnier News Local and Gota Media’s subscriber strategies.
