The LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program offers a comprehensive process for LION members to identify and respond constructively to roadblocks to sustainability within their organizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The program includes a thorough assessment of your news business, with recommendations and resources to help enhance organizational sustainability. The Audit process consists of:\u00a0<\/p>\n
Audit applications for 2024 are now open!<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tApply\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t Open to all U.S.-based LION members who have been in operation for at least 12 months, the program also offers up to $20,000 in funding to participants who implement at least two recommendations. You must be a LION member to be eligible; you can apply to become a LION member here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sustainability Audit applications for 2024 are open through August 30, 2024.<\/strong>\u00a0Apply by July 8 to be considered for Cycle 3 (July-September). <\/strong>If you have questions about the LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program, please email Andrew Rockway at andrewrockway@lionpublishers.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n The LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program is made possible with generous support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Google News Initiative.<\/em><\/p>\n 175 LION members participated in the Sustainability Audit program in 2022 and 2023. 93% of participating organizations said the Audit had or will have a positive impact in making their news business more sustainable.<\/p>\n Here’s what some of the participating organizations have said:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “Stepping back to look at the health of our organization is important for telling funders about our strengths and potential, building trust with our audience, and working with our team to do effective strategic planning for the future. We appreciate the thoughtful questions and thorough interview to document our pain points, successes, and opportunities now that they are spelled out. We’ll be sharing this resource with staff and stakeholders.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKatherine Ann Rowlands\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBay City News \/ Local News Matters\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “I was scared when I first signed up for the Audit, but it turned out to be a truly nurturing process. The questionnaire takes time and a lot of self-compassion, but it’s SO WORTH IT when you get the list of recommendations. I left the experience feeling grateful to have experts in the field help me on the path to sustainability with a practical guide.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCamille Padilla Dalmau\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t9 Millones\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “Some of the analysis is hard to swallow because it makes one confront shortcomings or the true cost of lack of resources, but overall, it’s like going to therapy or having an honest annual health check-up. It doesn’t mean you have to take the doctor’s advice, but in your heart, you know that if you want to live long or, in this case, grow sustainably and prosper, there are best practices. Asking for help is the hardest step, and I appreciate LION reaching out to me to make this happen.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCarol Robidoux\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tManchester Ink Link\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “This was a phenomenal process. It’s a wonderful way to gauge my progress and prepare for my future.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTravers Johnson\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tQueerency\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “This was a unique opportunity for us to get an objective look at our organizational sustainability, and benchmark us with our peers. What a gift!”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKelsey Ryan\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Beacon\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “I found it to be very helpful and gave me great ideas to strengthen our community engagement. I look forward to exploring the ideas and advice I received.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tShannon Shaw Duty\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOsage News\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t “This Audit was spot on. I feel more confident in growing my business. My toolbox is full, and I can’t wait to implement these changes. I’m also looking forward to sleeping well and not working a bazillion hours a day wondering why I thought it was a good idea to start my business.”<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDenise Lockwood\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRacine County Eye\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tprev\n\t\tnext\n All U.S.-based LION members who have been in existence for at least twelve months prior to beginning the Audit cycle are eligible for the Sustainability Audits and Funding program. However, if you received a Sustainability Audit in 2022 or 2023, you are not eligible for an Audit in 2024. LION members who previously received a Sustainability Audit are eligible to participate in the Audit Booster\/Progress Report program. If you are not currently a member, you can apply here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhat does the Audit entail?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t There are three steps to the Audit process:<\/p>\n We developed this Audit to help LION members assess where they are on their journey to sustainability and what steps to prioritize in becoming more sustainable. In our experience, news leaders benefit tremendously from taking a thorough and holistic look at their business, articulating their goals and challenges, and having an outside perspective on their progress. <\/p>\n Here’s a look<\/a> at what we’ve learned so far.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWhen will the Audits be conducted?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\tWe will conduct Audits in four cycles in 2024: Applications are now open on a rolling basis.<\/p>\n To be eligible to participate in Cycle 1, please apply by January 29.<\/p>\n To be eligible to participate in Cycle 2, please apply by April 15.<\/p>\n To be eligible to participate in Cycle 3, please apply by July 8.<\/p>\n To be eligible to participate in Cycle 4, please apply by August 30. This is the final deadline for 2024.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHow will you select participants?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t We will look for the following when selecting publishers for each cycle:\u00a0<\/p>\n The Audit process from start to finish takes about 10-12 weeks, with an overall time commitment of about six hours for your news organization. Participants will have two weeks to fill out the questionnaire, which takes about three hours to complete for most organizations. The 90-minute interview takes place shortly after the questionnaire deadline, and you’ll receive your completed Audit at the end of the audit cycle.\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHow much does the Audit cost?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t LION is pleased to be able to offer this service free<\/strong> of charge to LION members.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tIs there funding available?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t Yes. Funds up to $20,000 per organization are available to news businesses that meet the following criteria:\u00a0<\/p>\n Publications that received an Audit in 2022 or 2023 are not<\/em> eligible to receive a new Audit in 2024.<\/p>\n Publications that received an Audit in 2021 are<\/em> eligible to receive a new Audit in 2024.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWho will have access to the data collected from the Audits?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t LION staff will have access to each organization’s individual data. Audit analysts will have access only to their assigned organizations’ individual data. LION may share aggregated data publicly and with strategic partners. We will never share individual data without your permission.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\tWill you announce the news organizations participating in the Audit program?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t Yes. We’ll publicly announce the participants selected for each cycle, which we hope will be beneficial for news businesses to share with their funders, audience, board members, and other stakeholders.<\/p>\n LION Sustainability Audits and Funding The LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program offers a comprehensive process for LION members to identify and respond constructively to roadblocks to sustainability within their organizations.\u00a0 The program includes a thorough assessment of your news business, with recommendations and resources to help enhance organizational sustainability. The Audit process consists of:\u00a0…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1159,"featured_media":0,"parent":215173,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"coauthors":[875],"featured_image_urls":{"full":"","thumbnail":"","medium":"","medium_large":"","large":"","1536x1536":"","2048x2048":""},"post_excerpt_stackable":" LION Sustainability Audits and Funding The LION Sustainability Audits and Funding program offers a comprehensive process for LION members to identify and respond constructively to roadblocks to sustainability within their organizations.\u00a0 The program includes a thorough assessment of your news business, with recommendations and resources to help enhance organizational sustainability. The Audit process consists of:\u00a0 A questionnaire to define the current state of your organization in terms of operational, financial, and journalism metrics An interview with an expert analyst to dive deeper into your business An Audit report compiled by the analyst and LION staff summarizing organizational strengths and recommendations…<\/p>\n","category_list":"","author_info":{"name":"Andrew Rockway","url":"https:\/\/www.lionpublishers.com\/author\/andrewlionpublishers-com\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","yoast_head":"\n\n\t\tTestimonials\n\t<\/h3>\n\t
\n\t\tFAQs\n\t<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\tWho is eligible?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tExpand<\/i><\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\tApply\n\t<\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"