The Gates Family Foundation Informed Communities program is dedicated to strengthening Colorado’s civic infrastructure by supporting local journalism, public media, and community-centered storytelling. The program aims to ensure that all Coloradans—especially those in underserved and rural areas—have access to trustworthy, relevant, and inclusive news and information. In 2024, the program focused on three strategic priorities:
- Sustaining Local News Ecosystems: Supporting nonprofit and public media organizations with innovative business models.
- Building Inclusive Leadership and Voices: Investing in diverse media outlets and collaborative reporting.
- Strengthening Field Infrastructure: Supporting convening, capacity-building, and shared services through intermediaries like Colorado Media Project (CMP).
In 2024, the Informed Communities program awarded nine grants totaling $1.3 million.
The local news landscape in Colorado—like much of the nation—continues to face existential challenges: declining advertising revenue, journalist burnout, and the collapse of legacy media institutions. Local journalism, public media, and community-centered storytelling are essential pillars of a healthy society. These essential civic resources provide trusted information in an age of misinformation, ensure democratic accountability by covering local issues, and amplify diverse voices often overlooked by national outlets.
These forms of media foster community connection, resilience, and cultural identity, while also supporting local economies. As innovative models and digital tools expand access and inclusivity, their role in strengthening informed, engaged, and empathetic communities has never been more critical.
Navigating a Shifting Media Landscape
In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, adaptability, inclusion, and sustainability are essential for strengthening local journalism. The ability to respond quickly to financial instability underscores the importance of flexible, responsive grantmaking.
Investments in ethnic media, rural newsrooms, and collaborative models have shown that diversity not only promotes equity but also enhances resilience. To address burnout and financial precarity, continued support for revenue-generating roles, shared services, and business-side coaching is critical. Looking ahead, community-centered innovation will guide future investments, with a focus on meeting the needs of underserved and rural communities.
Our Work in Action
Rocky Mountain Public Media
In 2024, the Foundation awarded a two-year, $100,000 grant to Rocky Mountain Public Media (RMPM) to support its leadership in a statewide initiative aimed at strengthening civic engagement and rebuilding trust in local journalism. This commitment was the first multi-year grant awarded under the Foundation’s Informed Communities grantmaking area, reflecting a deeper commitment to long-term, systemic impact in Colorado’s local news ecosystem.
As the lead implementation partner, RMPM coordinates a coalition of newsrooms, community organizations, and academic institutions to create a more inclusive and responsive “public square” across the state. The initiative focuses on community-centered engagement—particularly in underserved and rural areas—and addresses critical gaps in newsroom capacity, trust, and representation. It emphasizes recruiting and training community ambassadors, supporting newsroom-led engagement efforts, and building a statewide feedback loop between residents and media outlets.
RMPM’s strong track record in inclusive storytelling, collaborative leadership, and ability to scale impact made it a compelling grantee. The Foundation’s support helped RMPM build infrastructure, expand its reach, and ensure that diverse voices were heard and reflected in civic discourse across all 64 Colorado counties.
Colorado Media Project
In 2024, the Foundation committed $1 million over three years to support Colorado Media Project (CMP), a cross-sector catalyst and advocate for local news in Colorado since 2018. CMP now serves as the local home of Press Forward Colorado, one of 17 regional chapters of Press Forward—a national initiative launched to revitalize local news and strengthen democracy. Through CMP, pooled funds are directed toward advancing equity, innovation, and accountability journalism across the state. CMP also received a $250,000 Press Forward Catalyst Grant.
Pooled funding offers a powerful and sustainable approach to supporting local journalism, public media, and community-centered storytelling. By combining resources from multiple funders, it provides greater financial stability, enabling long-term planning and investment in high-quality reporting. This collaborative model encourages innovation, promotes equity by directing funds to underrepresented communities and smaller outlets, and fosters efficiency and shared learning among funders and media organizations. Multi-year support for intermediaries like CMP has proven essential for field-wide coordination, pooled funding, and shared learning.
Looking Ahead
As 2024 concluded, the Informed Communities program stood at a pivotal moment—marked by both the transition of longtime staff member Melissa Milios Davis and the emergence of new opportunities such as a new leadership hire for the CMP. The year underscored the critical role of local journalism in sustaining civic life, while also revealing the fragility of the systems that support it. Through strategic investments, collaborative partnerships, and responsive grantmaking, the initiative has helped stabilize key institutions, elevate diverse voices, and strengthen the connective tissue of Colorado’s media ecosystem.
In 2025, the program will continue to evolve in response to the rapidly changing media landscape. Key areas of focus will include:
- Deepening support for rural and ethnic media to ensure that all Coloradans—regardless of geography or background—have access to trusted, relevant information.
- Investing in leadership and talent development to build a more inclusive, sustainable pipeline of journalists, editors, and media entrepreneurs.
- Strengthening collaborative infrastructure through pooled funding, shared services, and field-wide coordination that promotes innovation and resilience.
- Exploring new models of community engagement and storytelling that center residents’ voices and foster civic trust.
As national attention and philanthropic momentum with respect to local news continue to grow, the Gates Family Foundation is committed to ensuring that Colorado remains a leader in building a more equitable, informed, and connected civic infrastructure.
Latia Henderson, Director of Strategic Communications and Informed Communities
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