RFP: Press Forward Chicago – Collaborations & Infrastructure 2026

RFP Release: June 15, 2026 
Information Sessions: June 17, 2026 @ 4:00 p.m. and July 15, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.
Full Application Deadline: July 31, 2026
Funding Decisions: October 23, 2026
Announcement: October 29, 2026
General Inquiries: Taylor Moore, [email protected]
To learn how to apply using the Trust’s GrantCentral system, click here.

Background

Press Forward Chicago, a pooled fund for journalism based at The Chicago Community Trust, seeks to create healthier communities through the support of strong and sustainable news and information ecosystems. Press Forward Chicago advances the public interest by strengthening access to trustworthy local information, supporting an informed community, and enhancing residents’ ability to participate meaningfully in civic and community decisions.

Press Forward also supports public benefit reporting that enhances government transparency and accountability, helping to lessen the burdens of government by facilitating public understanding of local governmental processes and decisions. We do this work through supporting nonprofit educational activities that inform the public, increase access to reliable information, and promote civic understanding through the production and dissemination of fact-based, non-partisan local news.

Need/Opportunity Statement 

Every community deserves access to high-quality news and information. For that to happen, news organizations must innovate and identify homegrown solutions to make this industry more sustainable in the long run, for both organizations and individual journalists.

That is why this round of Press Foward Chicago grants is focused on collaborations, shared resources, or infrastructure benefitting local media.

This opportunity is open to Chicago-area media entities and organizations who can bring viable solutions to increasing sustainability of this vital landscape.

We want catalytic proposals — ones that can help multiple media entities either grow revenue, increase audience, save on expenses, or support the professional development and well-being of journalists. We will support a diverse range of grant recipients, with the goal of building a stronger, more sustainable media ecosystem.

Goals & Outcomes 

This opportunity must benefit more than one media organization (beyond the applicant) and must meet at least one of the following requirements:

• Increase revenue
• Increase audience size
• Save on expenses
• Support professional development of journalists or newsrooms
• Support health and well-being of journalists or newsrooms

We will ask the applicants to submit measures of progress on the areas they are focused on. We will ask the applicants to submit measures of progress on the areas they are focused on. Here are some examples of indicators you could include:

1. Outcome: Increase financial sustainability of local news 
   • Measure of Progress: Changes in revenue for local media organizations 
     • Indicator: Total dollars in revenue generated across local media organizations 
   • Measure of Progress: Changes in expenditures for local media organizations 
     • Indicator: Total dollars saved through shared services or collaborations 
2. Outcome: Increase media engagement 
   • Measure of Progress: Changes in audience engagement with local news media 
     • Indicator: Total number of audience members engaged/reached 
     • Indicator: New audience members engaged/reached 
3. Outcome: Increase organizational capacity 
   • Measure of Progress: Changes in resources to support journalists with professional development and wellbeing 
     • Indicator: Number of journalists participating in training, coaching or professional development opportunities 
     • Indicator: Number of journalists accessing mental health, legal or safety support services 

We will require at least one indicator in the application, but you may include up to five. Please remember that you will report back on these indicators in the interim report (if the grant is for two years) and the final report at the end of grant period.

If you would like to report on an indicator that isn’t listed above, please contact Taylor Moore at [email protected] to discuss how to be represent your desired indicator in the application.

Priority Strategies & Activities

Examples of Potential Projects (not an exhaustive list – we are open to new ideas):

• Collaborative revenue projects
• Collaborative cost-saving projects
• Audience growth/engagement projects
• Creator/influencer partnerships
• Print distribution collaboration
• Subsidized professional services and trainings for individual journalists and newsrooms in the Chicago region
• Mental health, legal, or safety support for journalists and newsrooms

Examples of Allowable Expenses:

• Salaries/contracts for relevant staff
• Program/project expenses
• Overhead/indirect costs*

*Please Note: The Chicago Community Trust limits overhead/indirect costs to 15 percent of the total budget.

What This Funding Program is NOT Intended for:

• Editorial partnerships/reporting grants (specific stories and reporting positions)
• General operating grants
• Conference sponsorships
• Academic research
• Electioneering or political activities 
• Contributions to any candidate for public office or political committee 
• Campaigning on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office 
• Grants to individuals 
• Programs or activities that violate any applicable federal, state, or local laws, including, but not limited to any programs or activities that violate antidiscrimination laws
• Promoting or supporting terrorist activities or to promote terrorism  
• Activities not aligned with the stated goals or objectives of the grant program 
• Personal expenses or benefits to individuals unrelated to the project or organization’s mission 
• Payment of outstanding debt 

Eligibility Criteria

• This funding opportunity is open to local, independently owned or nonprofit news organizations in the city of Chicago and nearby suburbs.
• We are also open to working with journalism support organizations and academic institutions that are equipped to support Chicago-based news organizations.
• For-profit organizations must apply with a nonprofit fiscal sponsor to receive grant funding. Your fiscal sponsor must submit the required financial and tax compliance documents in GrantCentral, or we will be unable to process the grant.

This project is part of The Chicago Community Trust’s goal of ensuring diverse communities have the news and information they need to be part of the Chicago region’s civic life.

Since 2023, Press Forward Chicago has supported more than 50 news organizations in the Chicago area with $4+ million in grant funding and shared services benefitting the media ecosystem. Please find more information on our website: www.cct.org/pressforward

Grant Amounts Available & Grant Term

• Maximum Request Amount: $200,000* over two years ($100,000 per year)
• Minimum Request Amount: $10,000 for one year
• Grants Available: We will aim to award up to $1,800,000 in total during this grant cycle for one- and two-year projects.

*While there is a two-year cap of $200,000, we are open to being flexible for the right project, so please discuss this with us during the open application period. Please contact Taylor Moore at [email protected] with any questions.

Grant Type

Project-Specific