The Pivot Fund

What happens when you invest in community publishers?Stronger newsrooms. Greater reach. More sustainable organizations.

Since receiving Pivot support, publishers across our portfolio have collectively grown their audiences by 253%, increased revenue by 63%, secured $4.8 million in additional funding and created 18 full-time jobs.

These numbers reflect what’s possible when philanthropy invests in the organizations communities already trust.

Stay tuned over the next two months as we share the stories, data and impact behind our work — and why investing in trusted local publishers is an investment in stronger communities and a more inclusive democracy.

After unknowingly publishing an AI-generated column under a fake author, Mississippi Free Press responded with transparency—removing the piece, acknowledging the mistake, and strengthening internal safeguards.

For community publishers, the lesson is in how the newsroom responded, but it also highlights a growing issue with how AI is reshaping trust, verification, and accountability under limited capacity.

👉🏾Resources for publishers include Poynter’s AI policy starter kit. Plus, Indiegraf is hosting a May 28 webinar on building newsroom AI policies that strengthen audience trust.

For funders, the lesson is clear: supporting local news now also means investing in trust infrastructure, training, and operational capacity.