This page will give you information on the benefits and costs of membership and the application process.
Details on INN’s membership standards can be found here.
Before applying, please, read through the information on this page to confirm your organization is a good candidate for membership. Additional information can be found on our FAQ page.
The Institute for Nonprofit News is a highly collaborative network of 500 independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organizations.
INN member newsrooms produce quality journalism that promotes positive civic engagement, provides a forum for diverse views — including those historically underrepresented in media — and holds accountable those in positions of public trust.
When an organization becomes a member, all staff gain access to the network and its benefits. We hope you’ll learn more and consider joining us!
What are the benefits of INN membership?
Members of INN gain access to resources, training opportunities and tools that develop journalists’ business skills, help them achieve success and sustainability, expand audience reach and build new models for news.
Here are some of the ways INN membership supports your success, whether you are an established enterprise, a growing newsroom or still in the concept stage:
For all members
Editorial Collaborations– INN staff work with members to build collaborative projects, allowing them to boost the strength and reach of their reporting.
INN Events– Members enjoy access to webinars, training opportunities and events, such as the annual INN Days, the biggest conference focused on the business side of nonprofit journalism.
NewsMatch – INN helps growing newsrooms boost their donated revenue with this dollar-for-dollar match program.
News Giving Roadmap – The first-of-its-kind for nonprofit news, this comprehensive program helps members understand where they are on the fundraising journey and then master the path to major giving success.
Fundraising Shared Services – Members enjoy free and deeply discounted rates on prospect research, wealth screenings, donor profiles and grant writing.
Racial Equity and Inclusion in Nonprofit News – REINN allows leaders to join an ongoing process of building racial equity into their organizational practices. Each element is designed to be accessible, particularly to small and mid-size news operations, in any stage of their DEI work.
INN Index – The most comprehensive studies of nonprofit news media, the INN Index reports provide insights into staffing, business models, financials, and editorial focus.
Peer Communities– INN’s peer community Slack channels allow members to connect with their peers at similar organizations or in similar roles to ask questions, share knowledge, support one another and organize virtual meet-ups such as our monthly “From the Field” web discussions.
INN Listserv– Members of INN use the email listserv to communicate with colleagues across the network.
Nonprofit News Career Center – Members have free access to post open positions to the INN Jobs board to attract talent.
Legaland Media InsuranceConsultations – INN partners with experts to provide access to free or discounted legal and media liability insurance consultations.
Journalism tools – INN has secured discounted rates for access to a variety of powerful journalism tools, including those for newsletter monetization, AI-generated content assistance, and HR management.
Health insurance/payroll partnerships – INN partners with Justworks, a service provider for health insurance, payroll and other benefits. Members save at least $120 per employee per year on fees, and also receive two free months on the platform.
Network Philanthropy Center – Members that do not yet have development staff benefit from individual consultations with INN’s experts and access to shared resources.
For startups and new nonprofits
Fiscal Sponsorship – Save time and effort by having INN be your 501(c)(3) sponsor, allowing you to receive tax-deductible donations while you ramp up operations.
The INN Startup Guide – Information and tools to help you launch an independent newsroom and lead a successful enterprise.
Sessions for Startups — From idea stage through launch, INN coaches can help you think through building community support, 501(c)(3) options, building a strong board, setting up transparency and ethics for trust, financial support and other key business and news strategies.
Newspaper conversions — Check out our nonprofit conversion case studies, and if you’re a for-profit news outlet thinking of conversion to nonprofit, join our startup sessions as well. We’re happy to help you think through options, whether or not a 501(c)(3) is right for you or not.
For established members
Content Distribution– Members distribute content via third-party platforms, thanks to agreements negotiated by INN, allowing them to reach new readers and earn revenue from the additional traffic. Access to national and international news distribution platforms includes NewsBreak, SmartNews, Patch, and Nextdoor.
Internships and Fellowships – INN partners with educational institutions and nonprofits that match member newsrooms with talented interns and subsidize intern salaries.
Compensation Study – The INN survey of members, a benchmark for the nonprofit news industry, provides targeted compensation and benefits data for specific job roles at newsrooms across the INN network. Free for participating INN members and at substantially reduced costs to others.
Who can join INN?
INN is a network of independent newsrooms. Members generally have their own 501(c)(3) designation. If fiscally sponsored, they must have editorial, programmatic and operational independence from their fiscal sponsor (read more about accepted business structures here).
INN membership is open to independent, nonprofit news organizations that:
Operate as nonprofits (for more details on the organizational structures that INN accepts, please see our membership standards page.)
Maintain editorial and operational independence
Are transparent in their sources of funding
Follow INN’s membership standards for ethics and best practices in nonprofit journalism
Demonstrate the capacity to regularly publish original reporting of high quality that is investigative or public service by nature, such as expert explanatory reporting or coverage of community, civic and public affairs. INN generally does not accept publications that primarily publish opinion, analysis, arts/cultural/community events, literary writing, reviews or curated collections of third-party material unless they include substantial and regular original news reporting.
Apply high journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness, including openly correcting errors and prominently labeling opinion, commentary and sponsored content. Maintain editorial and organizational independence. INN members do not advocate or operate in a way that promotes any legislation, policies, government action or outcomes, though policy or legislative changes may be a consequence of their reporting. Members avoid conflicts of interest that could compromise the integrity of the work. They lobby only for freedom of information and freedom of press issues.
Report for the general public. Religious, campus or student publications generally do not qualify for INN membership unless they are primarily covering general news for a general audience and meet INN’s standards for editorial independence. Student publications covering general news also should have professional editorial staff or be closely partnered with a professional organization to be considered.
Please note that outlets with strong points of view will be accepted on a case-by-case basis. They must produce original reporting that does not misrepresent facts, selectively choose sources or selectively publish stories in an attempt to advance a policy or cause. In other words, they report with impartiality, attempting to achieve fairness in content of distinct points of view with objectivity and dedication to truth.
Understanding the application process
Organizations apply to join INN (link below) and then are vetted by INN staff to ensure they meet standards for ethics, transparency, independence and quality of journalism. All membership applications are reviewed by INN’s membership team and then go to INN’s Board of Directors for decisions. Applications that need further consideration are forwarded to INN’s Membership Task Force, which typically meets one time per application window.
Once accepted, members will be asked to pay dues, which currently range from $150 to $1,500 per year and are based on the organization’s annual revenue. View dues scale. Also upon acceptance, members will be asked to sign the INN Membership Agreement.
You’re also welcome to schedule a one-on-one call with INN’s membership team before submitting your application.
The Institute for Nonprofit News’ staff and board members will be considering membership applications across three cycles in 2026:
Membership applications received between Jan. 1 and June 30 will hear back from INN by Sept. 18.
Applications received between July 1 and Sept. 30 will hear back from INN by Dec. 23.
Applications received between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31 will hear back from INN by Feb. 26, 2027. Newsrooms interested in participating in NewsMatch 2027 must submit membership applications no later than this window.
Applicants pay a $250 nonrefundable application fee. If accepted into membership, $150 of this amount will be credited toward your first year’s dues.
Am I ready to apply?
Before you apply, be sure to download a reference copy of the application in English or Spanish orin order to prepare your answers in advance. (The documents are for reference only. Applications must be submitted via the online forms below.)
Please note that the application cannot be saved and come back to later, so please set aside plenty of time to complete it in one sitting.
Organizations will be asked to provide specific links and information in order to qualify for membership. Review the standards thoroughly before submitting an application.
