Updates & Case Studies
You’re Probably Funding More News + Information Work Than You Realize
The NC Local News Lab Fund’s new Trusted Messengers Framework helps funders and community leaders see and support the information work already happening in communities.
Funders can use it to spot trusted messengers in their portfolios. Community leaders can use it to name how they already help people find, understand, and act on information in their day-to-day work.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Renews $1.27M in Support for 36 Trusted News and Information Organizations
The grants reflect the Fund’s commitment to sustained, steady investment in the trusted messengers and infrastructure that people in North Carolina rely on for their news and information.
Before People Believe the News, They Believe Who Tells It
Trust needs to be treated like the infrastructure it is, and it belongs at the center of what we fund and how philanthropy approaches news and information.
Imagination and Effort, Not Inevitability
A parting note from Lizzy Hazeltine, Founding Director, about what it takes to build something that matters.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Invests $85,000 in Seed Funding for a New Public Media Collaboration
The new initiative, developed by local public media station leaders, will fundamentally shift how public media in North Carolina works together.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Announces Cierra Brown Hinton as New Director
Cierra Brown Hinton is a nationally recognized strategist, fundraiser, and movement infrastructure builder working at the intersection of media, philanthropy, and social change.
Mapping What’s Possible: Local News and Information in Charlotte
New research makes sense of our information ocean — and reinforces an ecosystem approach to funding news and information.
Local News and Information Saves Lives: Stories from Hurricane Helene
Local news and community organizations are vital support networks, providing consistent, reliable, and trustworthy information — before, during, and beyond the storm.
In Their Words: How Local News and Information Mattered in 2025
Reflections from our partners underscore what we’re celebrating most: a local news and information ecosystem rooted in trust, collaboration, and service of community needs.
Place, pace, and progress: An invitation to the medium term
Local news funding coalitions work when we build them around people and places in common and pace ourselves for the timelines of how change happens.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Invests $590,000 in 23 Local News and Community Organizations
In a year marked by natural disasters, federal funding cuts, and the need to navigate uncertainty, these investments reinforce a strong local news and information ecosystem that serves communities across North Carolina.
One year after Hurricane Helene: Four funding insights for response, recovery, and resilience
Local news and information plays an essential role in the hurricane response and ongoing recovery. Through proactive, ongoing, and flexible funding, funders can support communities’ ability to rebuild.
Making a new home more accessible through expanded language access
Refugee Community Partnerships builds trust with refugee and migrant communities and connects them with critical resources to help them navigate everyday life.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Invests $900,000 in 12 NC News and Information Organizations
This funding includes investments in public media organizations, field-strengthening capacity building, and multi-year support for local outlets and community organizations.
Before Any Storm: Invest in News and Information Before Disaster Strikes
Funding local news and information is essential at every stage of an emergency, but organizations are far better prepared to handle disasters when they are well-funded before crises ever happen.
Now Hiring: Associate Director of Funder Partnerships at the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund
Now Hiring: Associate Director of Funder Partnerships at the North Carolina Local News Lab Fund
Reflections on 2024 and our commitments to you in 2025
Building a stronger news and information ecosystem takes time, but it has never been more important.
North Carolina Local News Lab Fund Invests $535,000 in 31 Local News and Community Organizations During Fall 2024 Grant Cycle
The latest round of funding includes expanded support for news and community organizations in Western NC, along with a statewide network that works to ensure everyone can find, trust, and use the information they need to thrive.
Guiding North Carolina’s voters from information to action
You Can Vote ensures people have the most up-to-date voting information delivered by people they trust — making their work a key component of North Carolina’s news and information ecosystem.
Hurricane Helene News, Information, and Resources
Regularly updated trusted news and community updates about Hurricane Helene in Western NC, along with disaster relief and recovery efforts you can support today.