Meet the 45 finalists for the 2026 LION Sustainability Awards

Forty-five member organizations are finalists for the 2026 LION Sustainability Awards, which celebrate excellence in local independent online news businesses through award categories aligned with our pillars of sustainability. 

Over the past seven years, the LION Awards have honored outstanding achievements in local independent news. This year, our expert panel of 51 volunteer judges was blown away by the quality of the submissions. (Read what Mabuhay Canada’s Yona Harvey, RJI’s Kat Duncan, The Center for Cooperative Media’s Cassandra Etienne, and Blue Engine Collaborative’s Alvin Chow said about their experience.) 

We received 232 submissions, and 58 are finalists for awards across 10 categories that not only recognize journalistic excellence but also highlight essential business operations and infrastructure improvements that make a news business sustainable.

This year, we again asked members and industry leaders to nominate publishers for our Community Member of the Year, yielding four finalists: Planeta Venus’ Claudia Yaujar-Amaro, Montana Free Press’ John Adams, Feet in 2 World’s Mia Warren, and Altavoz Lab’s Valeria Fernández. 

We’ll announce all winners live at a special celebration during the 2026 Independent News Sustainability Summit, September 9-11, in San Diego. All Summit ticket holders are welcome to attend, and guests who aren’t attending the Summit can purchase a separate $70 ticket.

Our Summit and LION Awards sponsors make all of this possible. Thank you to The Carol Oppenheim and Jerome S. Lamet Charitable Fund, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Google, The Reynolds Journalism Institute, Report for America, BlueLena, Newspack, Broadstreet, Jobcase, Meedan, The Lenfest Institute, and The Craig Newmark Graduate School at CUNY for your support.

Now, here are the finalists…

Finalists were selected by an independent panel of judges. Descriptions were self-reported and edited for length and clarity. Finalists are listed alphabetically. Use the quick links below to scroll to specific sections.

LION Business of the Year
New LION Business of the Year
Operational Resilience Award
Financial Health Award
Public Service Award
Community Engagement Award
Collaboration of the Year
Product of the Year
Transformational Impact Award
Community Member of the Year

LION Business of the Year

Recognizes a LION member that has made significant progress toward achieving sustainability through strengthening its operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact.

Micro/Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

LOOKOUT
Transitioning from a grant-dependent organization, the team at LOOKOUT built out its staffing infrastructure by standardizing employment policies, implementing comprehensive employer-paid benefits, and making its first two full-time hires in reporting and earned revenue. LOOKOUT also implemented an integrated customer relationship management system, restructured financial accounts, and expanded fundraising campaigns. These changes drove a 43.51% increase in reader revenue, bringing in over $322,000 by April 2026. These operational and financial developments supported journalistic impact, including reporting that led to the release of a transgender woman from ICE detention and held local institutions accountable. LOOKOUT is now expanding coverage to Colorado, with a launch centered on community events. 

Oxford Free Press
Since its June 2024 launch, OFP has raised over $210,000, with an additional $22,000 from INN’s NewsMatch program and new donor sign-ups. OFP also raised $164,000 from more than 600 donors and generated $23,000 in ad revenue in 2025. The organization secured more than $25,000 in grants, along with rent-free office space and scholarship-funded interns. This financial foundation allowed the newsroom to scale its staff, including adding a part-time business manager who increased ad revenue to $35,000 just nine months into the 2025–26 fiscal year. The organization also maximizes its local footprint by using a volunteer network to distribute 1,800 weekly print copies and by collaborating on content sharing with regional media partners. Guided by a recent LION Sustainability Audit and Report for America’s accelerator program, the co-founders are building a leadership succession plan and targeting the addition of a dedicated fundraiser to ensure long-term operational resilience.

The Record North Shore
This nonprofit newsroom has built a sustainable model by aligning community engagement, strong journalism, and diversified revenue. Over the past year, they increased revenue by 67% and grew their audience by 32%, driven by a mix of membership, sponsorships, events, and institutional support. The team’s approach centers on community listening and translating those insights into high-impact coverage. By linking journalistic impact directly to audience growth and financial strategy, they created a system in which trust drives sustainability, positioning The Record as both a community anchor and a viable long-term local news organization.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Florida Trib
The Florida Trib — formerly The Tributary — completed a transformative year by strengthening operational, financial, and journalistic sustainability. Operational discipline gained through LION’s Sustainability 360 cohort enabled capacity for financial growth. Revenue diversified and increased, driven by several major new donors, event sponsorships, and ticketed events. Reporting reached 10 million Floridians through 105 partner outlets, won six Florida Society of News Editors first-place awards, including a gold medal for public service, and triggered federal investigations, policy reversals, and checks on government spending. They also built partnerships that will expand impact over the long term. 

Mission Local
Mission Local grew from a $720,000 budget and six staff in 2023 to a $3 million operation with 18 employees by 2025, earning a $1.5 million investment from the American Journalism Project. The organization prioritizes individual donors, who make up 60-75% of revenue. Individual donations grew from $550,000 to $2 million over three years, with donor count more than doubling. Strategic upgrades to donor platforms, personalized outreach to major donors, and disciplined monthly budget reviews drove this growth. Today, Mission Local covers six San Francisco neighborhoods and is expanding its advertising revenue and community fundraising efforts.

New York Focus
In the past year, New York Focus transformed its development and business operations to match the ambition of its journalism. They hired their first director of development, built a comprehensive fundraising strategy, and executed a five-year anniversary campaign that drove major increases in donor revenue and contributed to a $600,000+ surplus. They grew and diversified their revenue base, increased reserves, and secured donated office space, giving their newsroom a permanent home. They also completed a collective bargaining agreement with their staff union, establishing fair and sustainable working conditions. The result: a financially healthier, operationally stronger organization, built on intentional infrastructure that’s ready to grow.

Santa Cruz Local
Santa Cruz Local’s strategic plan is helping the newsroom meet the community’s civic information needs. They achieved 52% revenue growth and built a $1 million budget. They hired five full-time, new positions and redesigned workflows and roles to prioritize collaboration and work-life balance. They also raised salaries. They launched News for Gen Z on Instagram and at community college events. Their investigation into license plate readers revealed law violations by local police, prompting thousands of residents to engage and leading the city council to cancel its monitoring contract.

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New LION Business of the Year

Recognizes a LION member — founded after January 1, 2024 — that exhibits, even in its very early stages, a clearly defined commitment to working toward achieving sustainability through operational resilience, financial health, and journalistic impact.

COYOTE Media Collective
COYOTE Media Collective is a Bay Area, worker-owned publication founded by a talented team of local journalists. They launched in September 2025 after a successful $150,000 fundraising campaign, and employ a membership-driven model with the goal of reader-supported sustainability. In the alt-weekly tradition, COYOTE publishes narrative features, sharp-tongued opinions, and local arts and culture coverage that goes beyond the mainstream. They serve curious, discerning readers who want to feel more connected to their communities, and who crave a fresh approach to the news. 

Informup
Informup addresses the growing disconnect between communities and the local elected officials shaping their futures. Their core program, Informup: PGH, is a replicable model for civic journalism that not only informs readers, but activates them to participate directly in the legislative process. Each week, they provide action-oriented coverage of the Pittsburgh City Council, pairing every news item with a survey on the biggest pending issues. In year one, they reached every council district, gathered thousands of survey responses, and saw council members change positions to align with their data and proactively request polling. 

La Conner Community News
La Conner Community News launched in early 2025, following the closure of the town’s last newspaper, ending a 145-year tradition of continuous local journalism. Within weeks, LCCN restored coverage, and in their first year, they developed a hybrid nonprofit/for-profit model. The team also established diversified revenue streams and built audience engagement, reaching 6,000 monthly users and achieving consistent newsletter open rates of 68–70%. LCCN has implemented core operational systems, including governance, financial tracking, and a multi-year strategic plan. LCCN has also paired community-centered reporting with a clear roadmap for sustainability, including membership, tourism products, and a fiscal sponsorship model to support additional publications.

The Overlook News
The Overlook is a nonprofit newsroom serving Catskills communities that had gone too long without consistent, independent local coverage. Since launching, they’ve produced public-service reporting that helps residents understand and respond to urgent issues, from interviews for local elections to coverage of a prolonged water outage that helped prompt county and state action. Their accountability reporting has examined housing conditions, public safety, local government decisions, and cultural issues with broader civic significance. The newsroom has also earned deep reader trust, statewide journalism recognition, and enough community support to hire its first full-time reporter and continue growing.

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Operational Resilience Award

Recognizes a LION member that has made significant progress toward strengthening its operational resilience by establishing processes, policies, and a people-centered company culture designed to support staff, manage growth, and promote sustainability.

Micro/Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

9 Millones
9 Millones prioritized operational resilience by dividing responsibilities among four key leadership roles. This new structure reduced burnout and redirected efforts toward revenue generation and audience growth. They optimized workflows by overhauling meeting structures, creating editorial templates, and migrating to a more efficient communication tool. To further support their team, they instituted quarterly, facilitated nature retreats. They also became a worker-owned LLC, embodying their vision of community-owned media.

Crosswinds News
In 2025, Crosswinds News rebranded from Verified News Network (VNN) Oklahoma as part of a multi-year effort to strengthen its organizational structure, sustainability, and alignment with the Native communities it serves. This transition included separating editorial and revenue functions, launching a new web platform, and establishing Talking Circle Solutions to support long-term financial sustainability. At the same time, Crosswinds implemented internal practices to support staff well-being and build a people-centered culture. These include weekly team check-ins, an “okay to not be okay” approach to mental health, and access to wellness resources and an employee assistance program.

RANGE Media
Facing a severe cash flow crisis and team burnout, RANGE Media — a worker-owned cooperative and democratically run newsroom — took unconventional steps to protect staff mental health and jobs. To avoid laying off their most vulnerable team members, leadership took voluntary furloughs to buy time to fundraise. Concurrently, RANGE overhauled operations to reduce administrative friction and foster sustainable workloads. They implemented a project management system, transitioned a podcast assistant to an editorial assistant, and distributed editorial operations across the team. The impact was transformative: RANGE didn’t just survive; they dramatically improved operational efficiency and employee well-being, expanded their team to launch a Spanish-language desk, and fostered a highly engaged culture.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

La Converse
La Converse strengthened its operational resilience by transforming its internal culture through structured HR systems, clearer roles, and improved workflows. Following a period of rapid growth and strain, they implemented an employee handbook, performance evaluation tools, onboarding processes, and more structured editorial planning to support staff well-being and sustainable workloads. These changes improved coordination, reduced overload, and clarified expectations across the team. Grounded in a strong commitment to equity and inclusion, La Converse also advanced fairer compensation practices and a more supportive work environment. This intentional shift from informal operations to structured systems increased team engagement, stability, and long-term sustainability.

MLK50
In its eighth year, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism was starting anew. They had a new leadership model and a larger staff. Then their beloved home city, Memphis, faced a surprise toxin-spewing data center and an invasion of federal forces. In a complex, taxing year of transition and disruption, physical and emotional safety for the MLK50 staff became paramount. Staff had to be well to have the capacity to bear witness to what was happening to their neighbors, report it, and provide the resources they needed. The changes they made, from increased digital security, to safety trainings, to enhanced healthcare benefits and restructured staff meetings, helped prevent burnout and led to deeper engagement with their residents.

New York Focus
In the past year, New York Focus made deliberate investments in the people and culture that make an organization truly resilient. They completed a collective bargaining agreement with the New York Focus Union, codifying pay structures, health benefits, severance, AI policies, intellectual property protocols, and diversity hiring practices. Taking these steps allowed the organization to build a stronger relationship between staff and leadership. They invested in culture through staff surveys, team outings, and listening. They secured a permanent office space, giving their team a physical home for the first time. And they built financial reserves so staff can genuinely count on New York Focus, not just as a good place to work today, but as a sustainable institution they can build their lives around.

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Financial Health Award

Recognizes a LION member that has made significant progress toward strengthening its financial health by developing a plan for earning money, managing a budget, and/or monitoring revenue and expenses to extend its financial runway. This can also include the development of a successful and creative strategy to grow or diversify revenue while positively impacting their financial health.

Micro/Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Fredericksburg Free Press
By introducing a number of creative revenue streams, the Fredericksburg Free Press has grown its revenue by 15% in the past year, putting the money to use by hiring an award-winning visual journalist. The news business pairs a BlueLena-powered membership program, which secured $40,000 from 810 recurring donors, with ticketed community fundraising events. The organization also developed a new revenue stream as the official publication of record for five local jurisdictions, which is projected to bring in up to $65,000 from paid public notices. Budget management is a unifying piece of the organization’s work. Each month, the all-volunteer board’s executive committee conducts a financial analysis, comparing actual expenditures against projections. This framework has optimized cash flow and safely funded staff growth.

LOOKOUT
A year ago, LOOKOUT couldn’t accurately track its own non-grant revenue. Today, they have six distinct income streams, a unified financial management system, and a revenue trajectory that’s outpacing the organization’s own projections. The transformation started with infrastructure: a CRM integrated with a unified donation and membership platform, a reorganized chart of accounts, and a monthly closing process that keeps the books honest. On top of that foundation, they expanded their fundraising campaigns, grew reader revenue by 43.51% in a single year, and engaged a fractional development team that generated $220,200 in under six months. Underpinning it all is a five-year financial model, stress-tested across three scenarios, designed for the organization’s first expansion beyond Arizona.

Mat-Su Sentinel
Since launching in June 2024, the Mat-Su Sentinel has built a financially sustainable local newsroom through a deliberate focus on revenue diversification, disciplined budgeting, and sustainable growth. In less than two years, they’ve grown from about a few thousand in seed funding to seven active, scalable revenue streams. The Sentinel’s strategy centers on avoiding reliance on any single funding source while building predictable income. At the same time, they maintain weekly financial tracking, multi-scenario budgeting tied to staffing, and cost-saving measures enabled by their nonprofit status. The result is a resilient newsroom with a strong financial foundation.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Block Club Chicago
After seven years of unchanged pricing, Block Club Chicago conducted a comprehensive analysis of its subscription offerings. From a reader research project, to switching tech stacks, to devising a new tiered subscription model, their efforts led to a 37% increase in subscription revenue, an average monthly retention rate of 99%, and a 96% increase in new subscription acquisition. As the organization has matured, they’ve been proactive in refining their reader revenue approach: By refining their tech, pricing, and data infrastructure, and by responding to the moments of crisis facing their city that demanded authentic, reliable journalism, they’ve proven that a mission-driven approach to editorial and revenue strategies can be a formula for long-term sustainability. 

Mission Local
Mission Local extended its operational runway by scaling its budget from $720,000 in 2023 to over $3 million in 2025. The organization’s multi-faceted revenue plan leaned into individual giving with upgraded fundraising platforms, resulting in a 139% increase in recurring revenue and an increase from $550,000 to $2 million in individual donations over two years. A 2025 fundraiser to hire a full-time immigration reporter raised $300K from 600+ donors in just two months. Mission Local manages this growth and monitors financial health by working with a dedicated finance chair to conduct granular monthly reviews of budgets versus actuals. This process ensures they consistently stay under budget on expenses while driving annual revenue growth.

New York Focus
In 2025, New York Focus built the financial infrastructure to match the scale of its journalism. They hired their first director of development, created a comprehensive fundraising strategy, and executed a five-year anniversary campaign that drove meaningful increases in major donor and reader revenue. Disciplined budget management throughout the year contributed to a surplus exceeding $600,000, and they again increased their organizational reserves. They also secured donated in-kind office space through their major gifts work — a significant financial and organizational win.

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Public Service Award

Recognizes a LION member that has consistently produced journalism with meaningful and demonstrable impact in its communities.

Micro/Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Conecta Arizona
Conecta Arizona treats immigration as a daily public‑service beat, not a one‑off project. Through their WhatsApp newsroom, La Hora del Cafecito, they respond to hundreds of questions a day about raids, checkpoints, asylum, court dates, and deportations. They then turn repeated questions into clear guides and investigations in Spanish that expose patterns of abuse and misinformation. Their recurring segment “Que te lo explique el abogado” brings trusted, Spanish‑speaking immigration attorneys to WhatsApp, their website, social platforms, and YouTube to break down rights and legal processes in practical terms families can act on. They’ve also extended this mission by organizing a HEFAT safety training for Latino and border reporters. 

Se Habla Media
Se Habla Media (SHM) reported on a series of civil immigration arrests in Washington State that served as key evidence of unlawful data sharing between state agencies and federal immigration enforcement, in violation of the sanctuary law, the Keep Washington Working Act. Their community‑sourced reporting informed families in real time, provided key evidence to the University of Washington Center for Human Rights, and helped expose the violations: seven of the nine arrest cases in which information was unlawfully shared were reported by SHM. This joint work prompted statewide awareness and actions to strengthen data‑privacy protections. 

Te Lo Cuento News
Te Lo Cuento News is led by migrant journalists serving migrant communities in the Midwest, delivering daily Spanish-language journalism to areas with limited or no access to local news. Through consistent coverage of immigration enforcement and emergencies, including exclusive coverage of ICE raids and real-time severe weather alerts, they provide critical information that helps communities make informed decisions and take immediate action. Their work has expanded access to information, strengthened community awareness, and improved preparedness.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Block Club Chicago
During the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz, Block Club Chicago produced investigative reporting and pursued legal action to hold the federal government accountable for its treatment of community members and journalists. When federal agents attacked four Block Club reporters with pepper spray bullets as they covered protests, Block Club sued the federal government. This led a federal judge to grant a temporary order barring federal agents from using chemical weapons and other force against journalists, protecting reporters across northern Illinois. Block Club also exposed systemic illegalities that aided defense attorneys, with lawyers using Block Club stories to build cases for releasing detained people. The organization also empowered local communities with life-saving information and mutual aid networks. 

Enlace Latino NC
Enlace Latino NC’s public service journalism demonstrated sustained, measurable impact during one of the most destabilizing immigration enforcement actions in North Carolina. When U.S. Border Patrol carried out raids across the state, the newsroom provided real-time, verified information. By publishing over 40 stories and related content, they reached 64,000+ readers and generated over 4.6 million social media views. They fielded hundreds of community messages, delivered on-the-ground coverage, and kept thousands of community members informed through their WhatsApp service, which has over 5,000 subscribers. Their reporting documented where raids occurred, tracked detentions and disruptions, and contributed to a public record otherwise unavailable to Spanish-speaking residents. This work led to informed communities taking action, broader public awareness, and rapid support from institutional partners.

Mission Local
Mission Local has published more than 160 daily updates on San Francisco’s troubled 16th and Mission BART plaza since March 2025, when Mayor Daniel Lurie made cleaning up the transit hub a signature initiative. Reporters visited the site daily, documenting drug activity, cleanliness, police operations, and the lives of people in and around the plaza. The coverage sparked community engagement, with residents submitting photos, attending city meetings, and shaping the reporting with their own tips. It also drove tangible policy change: more trash cans were installed, street cleaning was redirected, and Lurie committed to expanded police foot patrols and community ambassador teams. A dedicated landing page and live crime data dashboard make this project an ongoing public resource and a model for hyperlocal accountability journalism.

Planet Detroit
Planet Detroit, an independent climate and health newsroom in Detroit, produced accountability journalism on critical developments for its readers, including a Michigan city updating its website after a decade of undisclosed changes to its drinking water, the state attorney general intervening in a major utility data center case, and a $100-million court penalty against a Detroit air polluter. The organization also produced investigations into heat deaths and cumulative pollution affecting Latino communities, using a bilingual distribution approach. Reporting from the organization on the environment, utilities, and heat also moved on the Associated Press wire to reach national audiences.

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Community Engagement Award

Recognizes a LION member that has achieved general excellence in journalistic impact by demonstrating an intentional and systematized approach to community engagement that consistently tells stories for, with, and by the people they are working to serve. 

Micro/Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

AfroLA
AfroLA is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit newsroom and impact ecosystem that embeds community engagement into every stage of its journalism. The work submitted centers on AfroLA Listens, their system for sourcing stories directly from the community, and their sustained coverage of the Eaton Fire in Altadena. Through ongoing engagement with residents and trusted local institutions, they identified critical gaps in recovery efforts impacting historically Black communities and ensured those voices shaped their reporting. This approach led to both visibility and action. AfroLA mobilized its audience to collect and distribute more than 1,100 books to students at under-resourced schools. 

Caribbean Television Network
Caribbean Television Network (CTN) produced original service journalism for the Haitian diaspora during a period of acute immigration uncertainty: an explainer on Massachusetts Real ID and Standard Driver’s License eligibility; a Know Your Rights guide for ICE encounters; and a series on what to know before crossing into Canada. Each piece was produced in English, French, and Haitian Creole and distributed across video, web, newsletter, and social platforms. With stories stemming from conversations with community members, the goal of this coverage was to replace abstract policy coverage with practical, decision-ready guidance. CTN built its journalism around the questions its audience asked, in the languages they speak, with the solutions they actually need. 

Conecta Arizona
In 2025, Conecta Arizona transformed community engagement into resistance through joy. Despite being tear-gassed, threatened, and harassed, they kept their daily WhatsApp “Cafecito” growing with thousands of community members participating. They launched Proyecto Mosaicos, co-creating photo essays with community members that became traveling exhibitions celebrating migrant beauty, lowrider culture, and border resilience. Their Plumas Invitadas program trained dozens of community writers, who now own their narratives. And “Cafecito en el Jardín” brought hundreds together face-to-face at the Desert Botanical Garden, turning virtual relationships into real, in-person community. 

Crosswinds News
Crosswinds News led a community-centered engagement initiative through its Listening and Learning Tour Across Northeast Oklahoma Reservations, hosting in-person events with more than 100 Native community members in both rural and urban areas. Through structured conversations and a Native-focused Information Ecosystem Assessment, Crosswinds identified key gaps in access to timely, relevant news and information, including limited awareness of community events and a lack of coverage reflecting Native experiences. In response, they implemented solutions shaped directly by community input, including a community calendar, new podcast, and convenings that connect community members with local, tribal, and state leaders. 

Impact.Edition
Impact.Edition’s “Hope Is an Action” is a community-driven storytelling initiative that transforms journalism into a participatory process. Through open calls, interviews, and partnerships, they co-create solution-focused stories with local changemakers. The team then distributes this content digitally, in print, and via public campaigns, like “Who Is Miami,” reaching millions through citywide installations. They extend engagement through photoshoots and in-person gatherings, including their “Walk the Talk” series and Live Reading Picnics. This hybrid model, blending digital journalism with place-based, physical storytelling, expands access, increases visibility for underrepresented voices, and fosters sustained community participation. This process demonstrates a systematic, impactful approach to community engagement.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Block Club Chicago
During the federal government’s Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago, Block Club Chicago published over 230 stories focusing on the community members most affected. They combatted rampant misinformation, fear, and confusion through on-the-ground reporting, vital “know-your-rights” guides, a dedicated WhatsApp channel with over 3,000 subscribers, and TikTok videos that generated over 80 million views. Their investigative efforts revealed that agents overwhelmingly targeted individuals without criminal histories. Block Club culminated their coverage by hosting an event for over 200 community members in a neighborhood severely impacted by the operation. This community gathering provided a space for mutual aid, discussions on immigration enforcement, and emotional support.

Enlace Latino NC
Enlace Latino NC’s WhatsApp forums are a core part of its community engagement strategy, transforming a widely used messaging platform into a participatory, community-centered newsroom for Latino communities across North Carolina. Over the past year, they’ve hosted nine expert-led forums, engaging more than 500 WhatsApp community members. Each forum averaged 20–30 active participants at any given time and generated about 100 interactions. This initiative demonstrates sustained engagement, trust, and a systematic approach to co-creating accessible, relevant, and actionable journalism with communities. Focus topics for this work include immigration and mental health, as well as legal processes and civic participation.

Kansas City Defender
When Kansas City’s last full-service grocery in a Black neighborhood closed in August 2025, the Kansas City Defender did more than cover it. After months of reporting on federal agricultural cuts and co-hosting an emergency town hall with Kansas City’s oldest Black newspaper, they launched the Hamer Free Food Program, the city’s first Black-led Community Supported Agriculture initiative. Every major Black farmer came together for the first time, delivering 100 free boxes in the food desert. This offering was paired with the Defender’s first-ever print editions, embedded with civic education. Sixty Community Food Leaders, mostly Black residents under 30, led the effort. The program circulated $7,000 to Black farms, built lasting community partnerships, and has generated a new contracted revenue stream as it scales to a community-owned cooperative.

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Collaboration of the Year

Recognizes a LION member that has successfully formed a short-term or long-term collaboration with at least one other organization to positively affect their journalistic impact, financial health, and/or operational resilience. Entries can include both business-focused and/or editorial-focused collaborations; however, the most successful entries will be able to demonstrate a positive impact on more than one of LION’s pillars of sustainability (journalistic impact, financial health, and operational resilience).

Micro / Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Dallas Free Press
Rather than a single, encapsulated collaboration, Dallas Free Press developed ongoing partnerships with several civic and community partners to equip voters with tools and resources so they can show up at the polls in every election and vote confidently. This partnership work has made the newsroom a trusted source and local leader in voting and election spaces, with a web page, newsletters, and social media accounts that residents know they can turn to when they have questions. Residents who benefit from these resources have also become advocates, sharing them on social media and within their communication circles. These partnerships are now opening doors for additional financial support, which will allow Dallas Free Press to build on what they’ve learned.

Oviedo Community News
The News Collaborative of Central Florida, which includes Oviedo Community News as a member, published and shared more than 100 articles on the critical topic of homelessness in 2025, enabling its 12 member organizations to tell stories that went deeper than any single news organization could on its own. The Collaborative secured the funding it needed to hire a project manager to sustain future projects, including creating a regional voter guide and in-depth election coverage for the midterm election, and launching a podcast aimed at improving access to local news and increasing trust among audiences.

Tucson Spotlight
Tucson Spotlight has built a collaborative model that extends its reach and serves communities that no other local outlet is reaching. Through a formal partnership with the City of South Tucson, they deliver print journalism to a predominantly Hispanic community of 5,600 residents with limited digital access. By hosting O’odham Media and producing a physical newsletter for Tohono O’odham Nation residents, they provide Indigenous journalism a home within one of Southern Arizona’s most profound news deserts. Through collaborations with Arizona Luminaria, the Local News Initiative of Southern Arizona, and the University of Arizona, they produce journalism and civic events that no single organization could generate alone. Each partnership demonstrates that sustainable community journalism is built on relationships, not resources.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Arizona Luminaria
Arizona Luminaria’s investigative series on mobile home parks shows how strategic collaboration can multiply a small newsroom’s journalistic and financial impact. The Tucson-based nonprofit partnered with Arizona Public Media to co-produce a documentary that has reached more than 145,000 viewers; worked alongside community organizing group Poder Casas Móviles to access stories that would otherwise have gone untold; and secured fellowship funding to sustain a complex, multi-year investigation. The reporting prompted the Arizona Attorney General to file consumer fraud lawsuits, issue statewide consumer alerts, and secure refunds for residents who had been systematically overbilled for utilities. A public documentary screening generated a donation that Arizona Luminaria leveraged as a membership match campaign, turning editorial impact into community support.

Bay City News Foundation
BCNF led the development of a collaborative that serves the local news ecosystem across Marin County, a region where deep pockets of poverty and racial inequity have gone chronically underreported despite the county’s overall wealth. BCNF established content-sharing partnerships with 11 local outlets, producing more than 130 stories across nine coverage gaps. These partnerships led to 181 media republications, with content reaching 13% of Marin’s 250,000 residents. The collaboration produced measurable civic outcomes, such as a county policy change following collaborative coverage of ICE policy opposition. A photojournalism story led to a family reuniting with their unhoused daughter. Building shared infrastructure, including a central editorial hub, content access, radio distribution, a Nextdoor pilot, and a community source network of 456, demonstrates how a thoughtful partnership can take a single philanthropic investment and strengthen an entire regional news ecosystem.

Mission Local and El Tecolote
Mission Local and El Tecolote rapidly put together a joint reporting plan in response to President Donald Trump’s pledge in late October 2025 to deploy federal immigration agents to the San Francisco Bay Area. The two newsrooms co-published a live blog of events on the day of the promised “surge” of federal agents, with contributions from both newsrooms on the protests and news that defined the Bay Area for the day; El Tecolote translated and republished the content for its hundreds of Spanish-speaking WhatsApp members. The live blog got more than 30,000 views, and tens of thousands more people saw updates on social media published jointly by both organizations. The two newsrooms are planning future collaborations, and Mission Local fundraised $300,000 for immigration reporting as a result of this coverage and other immigration reporting.

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Product of the Year

Recognizes a LION member that developed a successful and creative short-term or long-term product to strengthen their journalistic impact, financial health, and/or operational resilience. We use News Product Alliance’s definition of a news product: “A defined article, series, program, or other content created by a news organization to meet the needs of news consumers, membership and subscription programs, and streaming services.”

Micro / Small Revenue Tier

Less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Conecta Arizona
In January 2026, Conecta Arizona launched Negocios de Nuestra Gente, a storytelling product celebrating immigrant-owned and Latino-serving small businesses across Arizona. Born from WhatsApp conversations where business owners shared economic fears amid a hostile political climate, they created free narrative features that profiled migrant journeys and community impact. Partnering with Local First Arizona, Fuerza Local, and the Mexican Consulate, they are building an interactive, pay-what-you-can sponsorship program. After just a few months, they already have waitlists, businesses reporting increased foot traffic, and a new sustainable revenue stream. 

Ethiopique LLC
Ethiopique LLC developed an event-based community engagement product that transformed informal gatherings into a repeatable journalism and revenue model. Through ‘Fishing with Ethiopique’ and its ‘Adopt a Road’ community cleanup initiative, they created relaxed community spaces where Amharic-speaking immigrants could openly share concerns, build trust, and shape newsroom coverage. These interactions led to new service products, including a citizenship quiz now available on Ethiopique’s website, developed in direct response to community needs. Between June and November 2025, the model also generated more than $5,000 in sponsorship revenue from local businesses and local government partners, creating a new source of sustainability. 

Sioux Falls Simplified
Sioux Falls 101 is a guide to civic health, created by Sioux Falls Simplified. Recognizing that not everyone in the community knows who’s in charge in local government and how decisions get made, this guide breaks it all down. It answers questions like “Who’s in charge?”, “How do decisions get made?” and, most importantly, “What can I do about any of this?” The goal of the guide is to spur action and civic engagement.

Medium/Large Revenue Tier

More than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Dallas Voice
Dallas Voice created The Gayborhood, a six-episode video mini-series designed to meet a growing audience need for connection, representation, and community storytelling. Distributed on YouTube and social platforms, the series highlights LGBTQ neighborhoods, businesses, and voices across North Texas. Guided by audience behavior and refined through real-time feedback, the product evolved with each episode to better engage viewers. The Gayborhood expanded Dallas Voice’s digital reach, with the first episode generating more than 14,000 views. This initiative has also generated new revenue for the organization through sponsorships and a live premiere event. 

NC Local
The Alamance Fabric is a community-driven newsletter built to help Alamance County residents understand and navigate the issues shaping their daily lives. Before launching, NC Local spent months listening to the community. With early support from Impact Alamance, they launched a simple, useful newsletter and refined it based on feedback. Growth has been powered by trusted local networks and community events, not traditional marketing. Since launch, the newsletter has grown 60% month over month, with readers already making recurring donations and local organizations requesting sponsorships. 

Pittsburgh’s Public Source
What happens when journalism shows up on your block, not just in your inbox? That’s one of the questions Pittsburgh’s Public Source explored in 2025 through its neighborhood zines, which are short, tangible collections of stories, reflections, and resources created with and for a specific community. The neighborhood zines helped Public Source build new audiences, attract donors and sponsors, and help more Pittsburghers see themselves and their communities in its journalism.

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Transformational Impact Award

Recognizes a LION member that has achieved a transformational impact for its organization through dedication to improving operational resilience, financial health, and/or journalistic impact. This member organization is not only making an impact internally, but their growth has also had a positive effect on the communities they serve and the independent news ecosystem. LION members and industry experts nominated LION organizations for this award, with winners selected by a panel of LION board members.

Montclair Local
Since 2023, Montclair Local has evolved to become a financially stronger organization, adopting a diversified business model built on reader revenue, institutional funding, and continually strengthening audience relationships. The organization exceeded its end-of-year fundraising goal in 2025, with a 90% year-over-year increase, focused on an audience-centered strategy. The team also secured several multi-year grants, which allowed for internal investments in technology and the expansion of the editorial team to six journalists. These gains have, in turn, enabled the team to produce award-winning accountability reporting. The Montclair Local team also continues to develop external trust through accessible community pop-up events and direct reader engagement.

RANGE Media
In 2025, RANGE Media, a worker-owned newsroom in Spokane, WA, faced a severe cash-flow crisis that forced immediate, difficult operational decisions. To survive, the organization made a series of transformational internal changes. Leadership took voluntary layoffs and furloughs, explicitly protecting the livelihoods of their most vulnerable staff and buying the organization time to fundraise without cutting reporting capacity. Simultaneously, they overhauled their operational workflows to ensure they were truly sustainable. By redesigning their operations to center the well-being of their workers, RANGE not only survived an existential threat, but emerged as a stronger, more efficient organization capable of delivering even greater journalistic impact to the communities that rely on them.

Te Lo Cuento News
Te Lo Cuento News underwent a fundamental transformation, from a media outlet lacking structure and focus while covering general international news, into a mission-driven organization with a clear operational, editorial, and financial strategy centered on serving migrant communities in the Midwest. The team also transformed how they produce and distribute their journalism, shifting from traditional formats to a model designed around audience behavior. TLCN’s reporting is delivered through platforms where their audience members are, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Comprehensive internal changes, including revenue diversification, ultimately enabled Te Lo Cuento News to scale its geographic reach across multiple states, increasing annual viewership to over 55 million.

The New Pine Plains Herald 
Over the past year, The New Pine Plains Herald transformed from a one-person newsroom into a more sustainable nonprofit news organization, serving five rural towns in northern Dutchess and southern Columbia counties in New York. Through participation in LION’s Sustainability 360 program, the Herald developed a three-year strategic plan, clarified staff and board responsibilities, and shifted from a start-up model to a more professional nonprofit operation. They also strengthened their financial systems, leading to significant fundraising growth: revenue increased from $132,309 in 2024 to $242,880 in 2025, including the organization’s first multiyear $100,000 annual gift and its first major charitable bequest. The stronger financial foundation allowed the Herald to hire a second full-time employee, expanding coverage of local government, schools, housing, agriculture, and civic life.

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Community Member of the Year (selected by members)

This award recognizes an individual affiliated with a LION member organization who exemplifies LION’s core values. This person routinely goes above and beyond to support, acknowledge, and celebrate their fellow news entrepreneurs.

Claudia Yaujar-Amaro
Founder, Planeta Venus (Wichita, KS)
From the nomination: Claudia Amaro is a superstar, and she doesn’t use her superpowers only to support her community in Wichita, Kansas. She is an inspiration to others. As an RJI fellow, she developed tools to help journalists better cover the immigration beat. As an Altavoz Lab fellow, she created a guide to connect bilingual communities to vital health resources. Claudia has been a cheerleader and listener to other solopreneurs in the Spanish-language ecosystem; she has raised her voice in spaces where this group is not often heard. She shows up with warmth, care, and strength. Two years ago, she was an effective Spanish-language ambassador for LION.

John Adams
Founder & Executive Director, Montana Free Press (Helena, MT)
From the nomination: Last year, I got a call from my friend John Adams, the founder and executive director of Montana Free Press. He wanted to enlist my involvement on the steering committee for an idea to raise awareness about the importance of local journalism. The result? This year’s inaugural Local News Day, which galvanized more than 1,200 newsrooms, nearly 200 partners, and 14 sponsors in a collective call to action. It’s hard to get people to collaborate in one newsroom. But John managed to achieve this task with thousands of newsrooms. This is just one (albeit huge) example of John’s entrepreneurial drive and communal spirit that also underpins LION’s core values. Over the last ten years, John has openly shared his experiences and insights in the nonprofit news space, fostering a sense of community and shared mission around solving the challenges that come with creating and maintaining a sustainable news organization.

Mia Warren
Managing Director, Feet in 2 Worlds (New York, NY)
From the nomination: Mia Warren of Feet in 2 Worlds has been not only a friend, but also a mentor and a steadfast ally to immigrant‑focused newsrooms and journalists within the LION community. Mia has used her role at Feet in 2 Worlds and her experience as a LION Publishers Community Ambassador to create space, support, and practical guidance for immigrant news leaders. She has facilitated peer‑learning groups and mentorship opportunities that help smaller outlets navigate fundraising, storytelling, and sustainability, directly strengthening the ecosystem LION seeks to build. What makes Mia stand out is that she shows up as a real collaborator — someone who listens, shares resources, and lifts up others’ work without ego. She has been a consistent ally to leaders like me, offering honest feedback, strategic advice, and emotional support, all while modeling how to center immigrant voices in our journalism.  Because of that, she doesn’t just help one newsroom; she strengthens the whole LION community by nurturing relationships that last beyond grants or programs.

Valeria Fernández
Executive Director (CEO), Altavoz Lab, Inc. (Phoenix, AZ)
From the nomination: Valeria Fernández embodies LION’s values in every way that she approaches her work — both at Altavoz Lab and in the larger LION community. In Valeria’s dealings with others, she is warm, effusive, and helpful. I think of Valeria as a connector — she is always building relationships and partnerships that are strategic and beneficial for all stakeholders. As the leader of Altavoz Lab, she is investing in community-powered journalism through a unique fellowship model that strengthens individual journalists’ skills and builds a pipeline of talent that serves us all. Valeria is also open-minded and iterative; she’s constantly testing out new ways to reach her audience and produce excellent journalism.

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Special thanks to this year’s volunteer judges, without whom the 2026 LION Sustainability Awards would not be possible: Aldana Vales, Alisa Barba, Alvin Chow, Andrew Losowsky, AX Mina, Bene Cipolla, Beth Potter, Cassandra Etienne, Celia Wu, Christian Monterrosa, Clara Soteras, David Grant, Dennis Robaugh, Elaine Ramirez, Eli Flournoy, Erika L. Hobbs, Fran Reilly, Gunita Singh, Hanaa’ Tameez, James Breiner, Jennifer Hack, Jennifer Mizgata, Jessica Morrison, Joel Abrams, John Davidow, Jonathan Kealing, Kat Duncan, Kate Myers, Laura Amico, Luanne Rife, Mark Potts, Matthew Green, Marita Pérez Díaz, Max Resnik, Mercy Orengo, Neil Chase, Rebekah Monson, Richard Eugene Brown, Samuel Gross, Shane Pekny, Shannan Bowen, Shira Center, Stacey Peters, Stephen Jefferson, Susanne B. Beck, Todd Stauffer, Steve Katz, Tom Davidson, Wendy Rosenfield, Yan Wu, and Yona Harvey.