The mission of the Iowa Newspaper Foundation is to champion and improve the quality and future of Iowa’s newspaper enterprises and the communities they serve and to raise funds to fulfill this mission.
As an organization, the INF is focused on fostering excellence in journalism, engaging tomorrow’s leaders, developing future talent and championing the first amendment.
In recent years, investments of time and resources have established the INF as one of the most successful press association foundations in the nation.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE INF’S CORE INITIATIVES
Dozens of expert-led, affordable programs covering topics from ad sales to digital options to photography
INF offers in-person training programs and annually facilitates dozens of webinars serving thousands of newspaper personnel from all across the country
Online Media Campus, our premier newspaper training brand, reaches out to newspapers in more than 40 states
INF underwrites the cost of the INA Convention and Trade Show, which boasts attendance among the highest in the country, with registration fees among the lowest
The Leo Mores Newspaper Leadership Institute is a five-month program created to enhance the leadership, organizational and performance skills of mid-to-upper level newspaper professionals. The program establishes a network of current and future newspaper leaders who understand and can respond to local, regional and national issues impacting the newspaper industry.
Since 2009, 36 newspaper professionals have graduated from the leadership institute.
Paid internships for students looking for real-world media experience
ABI Business Horizons Media Track – weeklong journalism camp offering an intense learning experience to ten high school students every year
Eleven scholarships awarded in 2014 providing funding to college students preparing for newspaper careers
Iowa College Media Association
Iowa High School Press Association
Newspapers In Education
INF Better Newspaper Contests recognize superior work in all areas of the newspaper industry
INF received 3,654 entries for the 2019 contests
The INF strongly supports Freedom of Information (FOI) initiatives. The INF partners with the Iowa Freedom of Information Council to provide training to Iowa reporters and government employees and officials, as well as interested Iowa citizens.
MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE IOWA NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION TODAY!
Iowa newspapers are a quality of life resource for communities!
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation, a partnership of the nearly 300 Iowa daily and weekly newspapers, has been working and making a difference for the future of Iowa’s newspapers since its founding in 1984.
Excellent newspapers create better, more vibrant communities. Thus, newspapers are a quality of life resource for Iowa. This is the very heart of our mission statement: The Iowa Newspaper Foundation’s mission is to champion and improve the quality and future of Iowa’s newspaper enterprises and the communities they serve and to raise funds to fulfill this mission.
The Pages for the 21st Century program asks newspapers to contribute the net proceeds of one page of national advertising annually to the Foundation. Since its inception, the Pages for the 21st Century program has raised more than $2 million to ensure the healthy future of the Iowa newspaper industry!
PAGES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
In 2015 the Iowa Newspaper Foundation unveiled a new individual giving program structure that better reflects our members’ expectations and needs, and places more emphasis on recognition and results.
INDIVIDUAL GIVING
Located outside the front door of the INA office building in Des Moines’ historic East Village, the Iowa Newspaper Foundation’s Legacy Walk features various sizes of engraved brick and granite pavers as a permanent testament to the newspapers of Iowa.
LEGACY WALK
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation would be honored to be a part of your planned giving portfolio. For newspaper professionals who have enjoyed the benefits of a newspaper career, this is a great way to give back to the industry. The term “planned giving” refers to charitable gifts that require some planning before they are made.
PLANNED GIVING
A memorial to the Iowa Newspaper Foundation is an investment in the future of Iowa’s newspapers and to the future of strong Iowa communities. Making a donation to the INF on behalf of a friend or loved one is a sure way to ensure that individual’s memory has a lasting impact on the future of Iowa’s newspapers and communities.
MEMORIALS
The Iowa Newspaper Foundation partners with various organizations to provide Iowa newspapers with meaningful, interesting content to share with their readers, while also offering newspapers an opportunity to earn additional revenue.