After 50 years serving its members and the newspaper industry, the Inland Press Foundation, is concluding its operations and will close later this spring.
The decision followed a year-long process in which the Inland board examined its role, as the industry faces struggles to find successful business models.
IPF President David Holgate said the board chose to find a partner that would carry on Inland’s work. He added, “That was America’s Newspapers Foundation.”
The Inland board approved the grant to ANF late last Fall. The grant represented substantially all of Inland’s endowment.
“Continuing Inland’s mission was vitally important to our board when this decision was made,” Holgate said. “We will have five members of Inland on the ANF board, to ensure that we serve the needs of our industry aligned with Inland’s beliefs.”
He added, “We’ve had a close relationship with America’s Newspapers over the last five years and we know they share our purposes and direction.”
ANF was created in 2024. It followed the 2019 merger between the Inland Press Association and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, creating America’s Newspapers.
Chris Reen, president of ANF, said: “America's Newspapers is proud to continue the important work and legacy of the Inland Press Association. Through this endowment, the Inland Press Foundation's board has entrusted us with carrying out our mutual mission of protecting and advancing local newspapers across the United States.”
Reen added, “The Inland brand and legacy will live on through America's Newspapers' work, including the Family Owners meetings, Executive Development programs and innovative training, and our extensive direct support for publishers.”
Jeremy Halbreich was elected as the first Inland foundation president following the 2019 merger. He said, “The Inland Press Foundation has had a highly impactful, role in the development and success of the newspaper publishing industry in the United States.” He added, “Inland always distinguished itself by supporting newspapers large and small, metro and local community, and from all corners of the U.S.”
About Inland Press Foundation:
The Inland Press Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit incorporated in Illinois. Over the last 50 years, the foundation has played a prominent and active role in organizing and funding programs to provide research and educational services to the American newspaper industry, with a special focus on independent and family-owned newspapers.
About America's Newspapers Foundation:
America's Newspapers Foundation is focused on real transformation, equipping local publishers with the strategies, tools and business models they need to thrive in the modern media landscape. Through cutting-edge research, innovative training and direct support for publishers, America’s Newspapers Foundation is ensuring that local newspapers remain the cornerstone of informed communities for generations to come.
