The 2026 Media Impact Forum is sold out! Join the waitlist today—email Shannon Thomas at shannon@mediafunders.org.   The 2026 Media Impact Forum, happening May 28-29 at KQED Headquarters in San Francisco, brings together philanthropic funders who use media as a strategy to advance public interest goals. Participants step out of day-to-day grantmaking to engage peers across issue areas, examine the pressures reshaping the field, and consider where greater alignment can unlock meaningful impact across the media landscape. Through four focused programmatic pillars—The Future of Public Media, Effective Media Funding Practice, Platform Futures and Audience Reach, and Safeguarding Journalism and Media—the Forum creates a structured environment for cross-field connection across journalism, documentary, and public media. These pillars provide both depth and coherence, surfacing sector-specific challenges while illuminating shared questions that cut across issue areas and funding strategies. By convening funders broadly, the Forum reflects the growing role of media as a cross-cutting strategy within philanthropy. It is designed not simply as a moment of reflection, but as a space where funders can deepen relationships and sharpen priorities. This is a rare opportunity to connect with leaders shaping the future of media philanthropy and work collectively on challenges no single… Read More

Grants are often essential to revitalizing local news but on their own, they may not be enough to help newsrooms weather change, invest in capacity or navigate major transitions. Catalytic capital can offer another way to support strong, independent local news organizations. In June, Press Forward is releasing a new white paper on catalytic capital for news. Come meet the study author, Caroline Ross, and learn about how risk-tolerant, flexible, low-interest investments — often utilized in other public interest sectors — are currently helping newsrooms in communities from Colorado to Appalachia. Presented in partnership with Press Forward.