Press Forward Minnesota

Image

About Press Forward Minnesota

Press Forward Minnesota  is a statewide movement to re-center local journalism as a force for community cohesion, civic participation, and government accountability, with a focus on racial equity. Press Forward Minnesota is a five-year initiative with the goal of raising $10 million dollars to reinvest in Minnesota’s local news ecosystem.

Press Forward Minnesota is a local chapter of the national Press Forward movement to strengthen democracy by revitalizing local news and information.

Press Forward Minnesota Goals

1. Activate Minnesota’s philanthropic community to support and invest in local news
2. Strengthen public trust in and support for local journalism in Minnesota 
3. Provide financial support and strengthen the operational capacity of local news outlets in Minnesota
4. Foster innovation and experimentation in local news.

Committees
There are two committees which guide and support the work of Press Forward Minnesota.

• Host Committee: inclusive of practitioners and funders that will provide directional guidance and help set priorities and strategies for Press Forward Minnesota. The host committee will not be doing grant review or making grant decisions, nor will the host committee or any of its members have any advisory privileges with respect to the distribution or investment of amounts held in the Press Forward Minnesota Pooled Fund.
• Grantmaking Committee: composed of people with relevant experience, including but not limited to: local journalism knowledge, grantmaking experience. MCF will engage the grantmaking committee to review proposals and recommend grant decisions. The grantmaking committee will not include any donor to the Press Forward Minnesota Pooled Fund or any person appointed or designated by such a donor.

Learn more about the host and grantmaking committees.

Pooled Fund 
The Press Forward Minnesota pooled fund will support programs and organizations that will strengthen democracy at the local level, support diversity, lean into digital technology, long term sustainable models, drive demand for high quality local news and information for every member of every community to thrive.

To learn more or contribute to the fund, contact May Yang at [email protected]

Press Forward Minnesota Leadership 

• May Yang, Director of Democracy Programs, Minnesota Council on Foundations 
• Mukhtar Ibrahim, Press Forward Minnesota Strategy Consultant
• Tim Murphy, Program Officer—Alignment & Vibrant and Equitable Communities, McKnight Foundation

Engagement Opportunities

To learn more about Press Forward Minnesota, visit our website for the latest updates and news. To be added to our contact list please email [email protected] 

Funding Opportunities 

Information about Press Forward Minnesota funding opportunities can be found on our Grant Opportunities page. We are currently accepting applications for our Civic Health and Community Collaborations grant through October 9, 2025.