The Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)

Join C-SPAN to learn about Road to the Capitol: Candidate Coverage from the Trail, a new national initiative that will provide local, nonprofit, and independent news organizations with free access to on-the-ground video coverage of competitive U.S. House, Senate, and gubernatorial races during the 2026 midterms elections.

Honors an INN member organization that made a significant contribution to the well-being of its community through a journalism-centered project or service.

The 2026 INN Index 2025 was an especially volatile year for journalism, and nonprofit news in particular. From threats to 501(c)(3) status, increased safety risks for reporters on the ground, funding rescissions, and more demand on philanthropy to cover federal funding gaps across various nonprofit sectors, the latest INN Index gives us a glimpse into how INN members fared in a trying year.

Assembling a newsletter, especially a daily, can be tedious and time-consuming — pulling links, writing summaries, formatting, scheduling, and proofreading can eat up hours. But it doesn’t have to. Learn from INN members who have streamlined the process using a mix of automation, AI assistance, templates, and smart editorial workflows — some getting their daily build down to mere minutes.

In recent weeks, two major reports about the state of independent journalism in America highlighted the needs of the field and roadblocks to long-term viability, especially for local and regional news. The headline is that national philanthropy is not equipped to support all independent journalism organizations in perpetuity. For these newsrooms to endure, philanthropy must invest in field-wide infrastructure that supports newsrooms’ long-term stability.

« All Events An opportunity to refresh you on Text RURAL, the news roundup texting service made available to members of the Rural News Network. We’ll hear from newsrooms that have built sizeable audiences on the service, and share tips and best practices for making the most of Text RURAL. Details Time: 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm Website:

Some of the strongest reporting produced by nonprofit news outlets in 2025 exposed unseen dangers. Water flowing from lead-laden pipes in Chicago-area neighborhoods. Content about sexual and reproductive health removed from social media platforms. Families ripped apart by immigration raids. Finalists for the sixth annual Nonprofit News Awards, or INNYs, focused on those issues through compelling newswriting, poignant photos, thoughtful community engagement and other efforts.

INN newsrooms covering rural communities during the 2026 midterms will now have access to investigative research support that has long been out of reach for many small or local outlets. MuckRock and the Institute for Nonprofit News’ Rural News Network are partnering to provide RNN member newsrooms access to a support program designed to strengthen 2026 midterm election coverage at small and rural news organizations across the country.

An INN Days 2026 pre-conference workshop on turning election research and data into local reporting for Rural News Network (RNN) newsrooms With the midterms just months away, many rural newsrooms are being asked to cover increasingly complex elections without the time, tools or staff to fully track the money, networks and influence shaping local races.

An INN Days 2026 pre-conference field safety workshop for newsroom leaders As protests, upcoming elections, and a rapidly evolving political climate drive an increase in high-stakes newsworthy events, news leaders face growing pressure to safely manage and deploy staff and freelancers in the field. The frontlines for journalists are expanding, reaching beyond traditional danger zones into everyday beats and topics where journalists are increasingly finding themselves vulnerable.