Advancing Democracy Innovation Fund
Program Status: Closed (2025-26)
Region: United States
Role: Journalists
Topic: Democracy solutions journalism
What happens when newsrooms cover politics through the lens of community engagement, trust building and solutions reporting? Eighteen newsrooms set out to find out with $4,000 grants, coaching and peer support through the 2025–26 Advancing Democracy Innovation Fund, a collaboration between Solutions Journalism Network, Hearken and Trusting News.
The result: The projects reached new audiences and received strong community feedback. Bay Area NPR affiliate KALW handed young people the microphone to shape its 2026 midterm coverage. Gulf States Newsroom put air and water monitors in the hands of Louisiana residents living near one of the largest AI data center construction sites in the country. Listening sessions revealed a desire for more reporting that helps residents engage with local government, leading to a solutions story on participatory budgeting by Factchequeado and six video explainers on navigating local government from the Arizona Republic. Crosswinds News engaged Native residents on city-tribal collaboration, then followed up with a solutions story.
The Democracy Peer Network, a monthly virtual gathering for journalists, gave participants a space to share ideas, troubleshoot challenges and learn from one another. One discussion inspired longtime solutions journalism practitioner Oscar Perry Abello to distill best practices for building trust through authentic community engagement and solutions journalism.
Here’s a full list of stories and resources produced through the 2025-6 Advancing Democracy Innovation Fund:
Arizona Republic
- How residents can influence city decisions before council votes
- How to report potholes/speeding and code violations in metro Phoenix
- Want to speak at a city council meeting? Here's how to do it in Arizona
- Juries possess vast power in legal system, Arizona judge, reporters say
Austin Common
Canopy Atlanta
Crosswinds News (formerly VNN Oklahoma)
- Yearlong “Listening and Learning Tour Across Northeast Oklahoma Reservations” shows communities want timely news that helps them stay involved
- Native inclusion gains ground under Tulsa’s new leadership
- Need for Native community center in Tulsa highlighted during NACC luncheon
Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism: "How Power Works" voting and civic explainers on social media
Dallas Free Press
- City approves long-awaited South Dallas Community Park construction
- How to transform public meetings into engaging social media clips
- Dallas City Council on Fair Park promises for a South Dallas community park (YouTube Short)
Factchequeado
- Qué son los programas de presupuestos participativos y cómo abren la puerta a que los residentes tengan mayor peso en la decisiones de los gobiernos locales, según estudios
- Cómo tu voto en las midterms de 2026 puede influir en las tarifas eléctricas
Gulf States Newsroom
- We’re monitoring the air and water around Meta’s data center in Louisiana. Here’s why.
- The community around Meta’s data center has questions. We’re looking for answers.
- Holly Ridge, LA residents near Meta's data center say it’s making them sick. We plan to find out why
The Haitian Times
KALW Public Media
- Power the Future: The KALW Youth Empowerment Summit
- Youth Council member on what matters to young people in Palo Alto
- AAPI youth are thinking beyond the ballot box this election year
- A new bill in the state legislature could improve suicide prevention training
- Podcast: tbh: by, about, and for teenagers
Latino News Network: "Compadrazgo" doubling-up homelessness series on LNN and The Fulcrum
- “Housing Is Healthcare” in Colorado
- The Case for Social Housing in New York
- Building Affordability and Economic Opportunity in Delaware’s Changing Communities
Louisville Public Media
- Deer cull paused at Southern Indiana’s Origin Park amid community criticism
- Indiana House supports an extension of the syringe service programs with new requirements
- Southern Indiana News from LPM (dedicated Facebook page)
Minnesota Women’s Press
- “Allison’s Bill” Would Strengthen Investigations Into Deaths Suspected as Domestic Violence
- How Policy Around Data Centers and NDAs Are Moving at the Minnesota Legislature
- Who Doesn’t Want to Ban Semi-Automatic Weapons? A Deep Dive on Legislative Efforts
- Petitions, Sit-in, and Group Advocacy at Capitol Today to Require a House Vote on Gun Violence Prevention Measures
- “250 Years”: How We Could Reduce Crime Better
- ACTION: What You Can Do About Homelessness
- ACTION: Elizabeth Glidden Talks About Housing Next Steps
- How My Sister and I Are Building Houses in Grand Marais
- YOUTH: How Do We Apply Community to Housing Solutions?
Nowruz Media
- Between Fear and Engagement: Afghan Immigrants Find a Path Into California’s Civic Life
- Afghan Immigrants Find a Path Into California’s Civic Life (In Farsi and English)
The Providence Eye
- VoterGuide tool in English, Spanish
- Will Barriers to Voting in Providence Affect This Year’s Turnout?
- A Housing Policy Divided: How One Neighborhood Election is Already Reflecting PVD’s Rent Stabilization Debate
Santa Cruz Local: Bilingual election guides distributed on social media and print
- Santa Cruz Local’s June election guide is here
- Election Guide: Santa Cruz City Council candidates to face off June 2
- Election Guide: June 2, 2026 — Santa Cruz County
- Santa Cruz Local's Elections Guide
Seattle Times
- The Enchantments predicament: Does Colorado have a solution?
- Red Barn Event - Enchantments: What Comes Next?
Texas Standard
- A Mexican government-backed program is filling in adult education gaps in the US
- 'Love your neighbor as yourself': Texas churches expand English programs for immigrant students
- Immigrants with degrees often struggle to find jobs. Adult education programs are trying to help.
- Adult education programs finally got federal funding. But for some, the damage was already done.
