Charlottesville Tomorrow
How do you build a community-driven news organization that’s sustainable when local news models all over the country are failing?
The Challenge
When I took over Charlottesville Tomorrow in 2018, there were three employees, one full-time reporter, and 200 donors. The board wanted to take the organization to the next level after the founding executive director left, but they were not clear on what that looked like. Frankly, not even the people closest to the problems of local news had figured out the best way to generate growth in a sustainable mission-driven organization.
The Outcome
Today, Charlottesville Tomorrow has a five-person newsroom, widespread community support, and is a national leader in generating reader revenue from over 600 donors. The work to get from there to here touched all facets of the organization, from board leadership and mission clarity to hiring a diverse and talented team, to figuring out new ways to compete in digital distribution.