Announcing the 2026 Philanthropy & Nonprofit Accountability Fellows

April 8, 2026 (Washington, D.C.) — News organizations that are working to examine how nonprofits and philanthropy are responding to major social challenges — including the needs of the elderly, lack of affordable housing, racial equity, and rapid urban growth — have been selected to participate in the 2026-27 class of the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Philanthropy & Nonprofit Accountability Fellowship program. 

The Chronicle’s competitive program was created to train journalists at local news organizations around the country to improve their coverage of the role of nonprofits, foundations, and others involved in advancing the social good, one of the most under-covered — but crucial — sectors of American life. 

The local newsrooms selected in this fifth year of the fellowship program will each receive $30,000 to help advance their coverage of nonprofits and philanthropy. Teams will develop coverage that will help local residents, policymakers, donors, and volunteers better understand how nonprofits work and what could help them do even more to solve problems. Journalists at each news organization receive training and mentoring from Chronicle editors and reporters and coaching from national nonprofit and journalism experts. Funding supports teams that include editors and reporters, with the goal that the journalists will share what they’ve learned newsroomwide. 

This year’s fellows: 

Arizona Luminaria, a news organization that covers local issues in Arizona, will report on how Tucson’s nonprofits that aid older people are struggling to meet rapidly rising needs as federal funding declines, even as many work creatively to fill growing gaps in food, housing, and other support services. Arizona Luminaria is a four-year-old nonprofit newsroom that publishes stories in English and Spanish. The publication was named Community News Outlet of the Year by the Arizona Press Club in 2025.  
 
Connecticut Public Radio, Connecticut’s only locally owned public media organization and a member station of national public media services PBS and NPR, will investigate how foundations and nonprofit organizations are responding to the state’s worsening affordable housing crisis with a focus on emerging philanthropic models that aim to advance equity, desegregation, and housing stability. Established in 1962, Connecticut Public Radio currently reaches 1.2 million people weekly on 62 platforms. It is also the lead station for the New England News Collaborative an NPR regional newsroom working with 10 public media stations in New England. It has won numerous awards, including 2026 Gracie Awards and 2025 National Edward R. Murrow Awards for excellence in investigative and documentary journalism.  

South Seattle Emerald, a local news outlet covering neighborhoods in Seattle’s South End, will write a series of stories examining whether the billions in racial equity pledges made after the 2020 protests resulted in lasting, structural investment in marginalized communities across Seattle and King County. Founded in 2014, South Seattle Emerald covers civic life and public policy, education, arts and culture, health care, and other issues affecting South End communities.  
 
The Tennessean, the largest local news organization in Tennessee, will report on how local nonprofits are working to counter some of the ill effects of Nashville’s rapid growth, including severe gentrification, the displacement of Black residents, and widening racial and economic inequities. The newspaper has won multiple awards including a 2024 Peabody Award for public service journalism.  

“At a moment when the nation’s nonprofits and philanthropies are facing tectonic shifts because of economic, policy, demographic, and environmental changes, it’s more important than ever that local communities understand what all that disruption means for residents,” said Chronicle chief executive Stacy Palmer. “We’re excited so many news organizations proposed ambitious plans for coverage and that we have the opportunity to work with journalists committed to exploring what matters most to their audiences.” 

Past participants in the training program have produced essential coverage on a wide range of topics that affect their communities. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examined the impact of government funding cuts on organizations that serve Wisconsin’s victims of domestic violence and other crimes. In Southern California’s Inland Empire, Black Voice News reported on the ways local nonprofits were responding to federal policy changes to health care, immigration, criminal justice, environmental justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Since 1988, the Chronicle has been the premier source of news, information, analysis, and opinion for nonprofit professionals, foundation executives, fundraisers, donors, and others working to advance the common good. More than 600,000 professionals at nonprofits and foundations rely on the Chronicle for actionable insights, professional development, and other information. The Chronicle became an independent nonprofit in 2023. 

Applications for the next round of fellowships will open in January 2027.  

### 

Media contact: 

Stephanie Beasley, [email protected]