Civic News Company
Project Title
For core support of Chalkbeat and Votebeat
Date
Mar. 05, 2026
Duration
24 months
Description
Chalkbeat is the nation’s leading nonprofit news organization dedicated to education, with a mission to inform the public through trustworthy, fact-based reporting from its eight local bureaus and national desk. In the 2024–25 school year, supported by Carnegie, Chalkbeat produced 1,775 stories that were viewed 9.7 million times, leading to 41 documented informed actions and 415 informed debates. Through this proposed general support grant to Civic News Company (CNC), the foundation would continue to strengthen Chalkbeat’s education coverage while extending support to Votebeat, its sister newsroom focused on election administration. Trustworthy elections are the foundation of civic participation, and Votebeat’s nonpartisan reporting focused on 5 states (Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin) helps communities understand how their votes are cast and counted, building confidence in democratic systems. With Carnegie’s support, CNCaims toadvance two pillars of an informed democracy—education and elections—by ensuring citizens have access to clear, factual information on the systems that shape both their lives.
Website
Project Title
For core support of Chalkbeat
Date
Sep. 12, 2024
Duration
18 months
Description
Across the country, efforts to achieve educational equity are being undermined by a weakening civic infrastructure—the foundation that supports informed public participation. A critical but often neglected element of this infrastructure is a strong local press. This crisis has accelerated in 2024, with over 500 journalists laid off in January alone, affecting even major media outlets like The Wall Street Journal and LA Times. Market forces have eroded this essential resource, leaving communities in need of reliable, unbiased education news. As a nonprofit news organization, Chalkbeat steps in to fill this gap, by providing unbiased, quality information and engaging directly with audiences to address their needs. At a time when accurate education reporting is crucial, Chalkbeat offers a unique and indispensable service unmatched by any other news organization. With renewed support from the Corporation, Chalkbeat proposes to elevate the voices of parents, students, and educators in eight local markets and nationally. They aim to undertake reporting that drives informed civic debate about educational equity, reach a deeper and wider national audience to grow their impact, and ensure the sustainability of Chalkbeat’s work for the long term.
Website
Project Title
For core support of Chalkbeat
Date
Jun. 08, 2023
Duration
15 months
Description
Efforts to improve educational equity are threatened by a weakening civic infrastructure — the policies, laws, and organizations that enable informed participation in public policy. One element of civic infrastructure that has been overlooked in recent investments —undercut by market forces — is a strong local press. The resulting lack of information has prevented parents, students, and educators from participating meaningfully in educational change efforts which were especially apparent during the last few years through the pandemic. Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization works to address this problem by providing unbiased, quality information at a time when education news has never been more vital. With renewed support from the Corporation, Chalkbeat proposes to elevate the voices of parents, students, and educators in eight local markets and nationally; to undertake reporting that drives an informed civic debate about educational equity; to reach a deeper and wider national audience to grow their impact; and to make Chalkbeat’s work sustainable for the long term.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 02, 2021
Duration
12 months
Description
Efforts to improve educational equity are threatened by a weakening civic infrastructure — the policies, laws, and organizations that enable informed participation in public policy. One element of civic infrastructure that has been overlooked in recent investments —undercut by market forces — is a strong local press. The resulting lack of information has prevented parents, students, and educators from participating meaningfully in educational change efforts which were especially apparent during the school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization works to address this problem by providing unbiased, quality information at a time when education news has neverbeenmorevital.WithrenewedsupportfromtheCorporation,Chalkbeatproposes to elevate the voices of parents, students, and educators in eight local markets and nationally; to undertake reporting that drives an informed civic debate about educational equity; to reach a deeper and wider national audience so they can grow their impact, and to makeChalkbeat’swork sustainable for the long term. Chalkbeatwill also focus on tracking the unprecedented $122 billion that is flowing into schools this year thanks to the American Recovery Plan.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 10, 2020
Duration
15 months
Description
Across the country, efforts to improve educational equity are threatened by a weakening civic infrastructure — the policies, laws, and organizations that enable informed participation in public policy. One element of civic infrastructure that has been overlooked in recent investments — and undercut by market forces — is a strong local press. The resulting lack of information has prevented parents, students, and educators from participating meaningfully in educational change efforts. Chalkbeat, a nonprofit media organization works to address this problem by providing unbiased, quality information. At a time when education news has never been more vital, Chalkbeat is filling a crucial gap. By embedding teams in the communities they cover, they elevate local stories, amplify lessons, and build conversations. With renewed support from the Corporation, Chalkbeat will continue to elevate the voices of parents, students, and educators in eight local markets and nationally; to undertake reporting that drives an informed civic debate about educational equity to reach a deeper and wider audience; and to make Chalkbeat’s work sustainable for the long term.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 05, 2019
Duration
12 months
Description
Across the country, efforts to improve educational equity are threatened by a weakening civic infrastructure — the policies, laws, and organizations that enable informed participation in public policy. One element of civic infrastructure that has been overlooked in recent investments — and undercut by market forces — is a strong local press. The resulting lack of information has prevented parents, students, and educators from participating meaningfully in educational change efforts. Chalkbeat, a non-profit news organization works to address this problem by providing unbiased, quality information. Their reporters listen to parents, students, and educators, and communicate their needs and concerns to policy- and lawmakers, who can in turn design their efforts to be more responsive to their communities. With continued support from the Corporation, Chalkbeat will elevate the voices of parents, students, and educators in seven local markets and nationally; to undertake reporting that drives an informed civic debate about educational equity; to reach a deeper and wider national audience so they can grow their impact; and to make Chalkbeat’s work sustainable for the long term.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 06, 2018
Duration
12 months
Description
We believe that an informed public together with independent news organizations are vital to a healthy democracy and to ensuring educational equity. From teachers’ strikes advocating for larger school budgets and higher wages to the March for Our Lives student-led demonstrations, this past year has signaled a surge of public demand for equity and access to high-quality education. In order to enable demand-driven improvements in our education system, we need in-depth coverage of the system at the local, state, and national levels. Founded in 2013, Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization producing in-depth local and national reporting that enables the public, particularly low-income communities, to engage in the democratic process around public education. With continued support from the Corporation, Chalkbeat will create and disseminate news that supports families in navigating the education system, as well as policymakers in making decisions that improve outcomes in the communities they are elected to serve.
Website
Project Title
For building public understanding around educational equity while giving a voice to families and educators
Date
Dec. 07, 2017
Duration
12 months
Description
An informed public is vital to ensuring educational equity. In the contemporary landscape of school reform however, parents, students, and educators often lack access to quality information and explanations that enable participation in public debate and policy change. Chalkbeat, a nonprofit news organization established in 2013, serves both local and national audiences with education journalism that informs and shapes the decisions of parents, educators and policymakers. With bureaus in five major regions—Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, New York, and Tennessee—as well as a national office, Chalkbeat’s real-time stories reach 282,000 monthly readers, including teachers and school leaders and its stories have been cited on Capitol Hill and republished in national publications including The Atlantic. With the Corporation’s support, Chalkbeat will continue covering stories that elevate local voices and experiences, inform decision making on school improvement efforts, expand news offerings nationally and geographically, and lay the groundwork for a sustainable revenue stream.
Website
Project Title
For building public understanding around educational equity while giving a voice to families and educators
Date
Dec. 08, 2016
Duration
12 months
Description
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization established in 2013 covering educational change efforts and changing the education landscape in the communities where they work. Their mission is to provide deep, local coverage of education policy and practice to inform the decisions and actions that lead to better outcomes for all children, especially those in the low-income communities where improvement can have the largest impact. Unique among news sources, some of Chalkbeat’s most engaged readers are classroom teachers and school leaders who describe Chalkbeat as an essential resource to help them navigate the education system, identify promising practices, and make sense of challenges. They also reach the low-income parents who are the ultimate constituents of school improvement efforts by partnering with community, church, and school groups as well as through Facebook. With Corporation support, Chalkbeat proposes to give a voice to families and educators in the formation of education policy and practice with a focus on new school design models and innovations in teaching and leadership.