JFP Board Members Attend Second In-Person Board Meeting in Chicago, IL
Posting: Monday, August 21, 2023
In 2022, Journalism Funding Partners convened in Raleigh, NC for its first in-person board meeting. A year later, JFP Board members reunited, this time in Chicago. Board members traveled from around the country and met at Chicago Public Media to review JFP’s accomplishments since they last met, strides in local journalism and to plan for the organization's future.
Familiar board members caught up with each other and welcomed new members who had joined the board in 2023. Members attended a delightful dinner on Chicago’s historic Navy Pier the night before the meeting, reminiscing about their experiences throughout the year.
The meeting began with a review of the minutes from last year’s in-person meeting as well as a review of the current finances and active projects. Members were engaged as Executive Director Rusty Coats shared the milestones achieved since last year’s meeting and the current projects funded through JFP. Just before lunch began, discussions were held on growing JFP’s capacity for the next three years.
A highlight of the day was an engaging panel discussion featuring esteemed experts Jennifer Kho from the Chicago Sun-Times and Matt Moog from the Chicago Public Media. They were there to speak on unlocking local philanthropy to better serve community news needs.
As the day's meetings drew to a close, there was a sense of accomplishment and excitement for the future. The discussions had been meaningful and the brainstorming for the future had been invigorating. To celebrate the occasion and indulge in some well-deserved relaxation, Board members ended the day by attending the Chicago Cubs versus Chicago White Sox game at the sold-out Crosstown Classic.
As Coats would say, “Onward.”
About JFP: The mission of Journalism Funding Partners is to strengthen the depth, diversity and sustainability of local news by building and shepherding relationships between funders and local news organizations. JFP is a recognized nonprofit that acts as fiscal sponsor, allowing foundations and individual funders to contribute directly to local news, regardless of the news organization’s business model. JFP manages the funds feeding numerous news initiatives, including more than a dozen Climate reporters in the Southeast, an Equity Desk at The Sacramento Bee, an Education and Economic Mobility Desk in California’s Central Valley, the Investigative Fund of The Miami Herald and for Inclusivity and Investigative funds at the Associated Press.
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Media Contact: Rusty Coats, Executive Director | rusty@jfp-local.org | (813) 277-8959
