Reading the paper over coffee is still a vibrant part of many people's morning routines. Unfortunately, funding for print newspapers has dwindled with the advent of online journalism. Still, some benefactors see many opportunities for newspapers, from student publications to international newspapers, to better inform and engage audiences who enjoy the written word.
The Newspaper Association of America Foundation offers grants through which the recipient may publish a student newspaper. The Student/Newspaper Partnership Grant program provides funding to new or newly restarted high school newspapers. The student newspaper must identify a local newspaper with which to partner. The High Five Grant program provides funding to new or existing middle school newspapers. The student newspaper must use the Newspaper Association of America’s High Five curriculum in producing the newspaper. This curriculum uses a daily newspaper to teach about journalism and language arts.
The Knight Foundation offers grants for journalism and media developments, including newspaper publishing. Projects should be "innovative ideas that develop platforms, tools and services to inform and transform community news, conversations and information distribution and visualization." The Knight Foundation provides funding for projects nationally and internationally, but focuses efforts on 26 U.S. communities.
The Robert R. McCormick Foundation funds journalism projects that “improve content quality, build audience understanding of news and protect press freedoms.” Funded projects have included student and neighborhood newspapers.
The Ford Foundation funds newspapers under its Advancing Public Service Media program. The Foundation prioritizes projects that “create a pipeline of high-quality content, representing diverse and independent perspectives." Projects have included ethnic newspapers or newspapers that serve low-income communities.
