Lessons Learned: 2009 Knight Community Information Challenge

1. Lessons Learned:2009 Knight Community Information Challenge Prepared for: KCIC Boot Camp March 21, 2010

2. Introduction In 2009, FSG Learned a Lot about Cohort 1 Grantees and Their Implementation Partners through Our Interviews and Survey Key Topics • Project Objectives • Partnership Structures • Foundation’s Role and Activities • Outside Resources • Community Networks and the Information Ecosystem • Sustainability • Challenges These “lessons learned” helped to shape this year’s agenda for Boot Camp and other evaluation and learning activities

3. 1. Project Objectives KCIC Projects Are Addressing a Variety of Community Information Needs • Focus • Creating a credible news/info source • Giving voice to under-represented communities • Creating an education or awareness campaign • Building community’s info capacity • Technology • Websites, social media, mobile, “low-tech,” “off-line” • New and existing • Desired Outcomes • Building awareness • Increasing engagement • Changing behaviors • Replicating models Many grantees are trying to engage citizens both online and offline; a few are re-granting to multiple organizations that may be trying to do any of these things

4. 2. Partnership Structures Grantees Find that Partnerships Are Critical to Project Success • “Foundation-led” (13) • “Partner-led” (9) • University and library partners (5) • Funder collaborations (4) Grantees most often are working with more than one partner; a few are working with several in complex collaborations Source: FSG interview with Cohort 1 grantees

5. 3. Foundation Role Foundations Are Doing More than Just Making Grants Community & Place-based Foundation Resources Discretionary Funding (17) Neutral Convening (15) Leveraging Outside Money (5) PR/Outreach (7) Capacity Building Donor Advised Funds (3) Research/ Knowledge (5) Advocacy (4) Foundations see their KCIC projects as an opportunity to play a community leadership role Source: FSG interview with Cohort 1 grantees

6. 4. Other Resources Grantees Are Hiring Technical, Administrative and Journalism Expertise, as Well as Interns and Volunteers to Support Their KCIC Projects • Technical Skills (7) • Administrative Support (6) • Content Expertise (5) • Volunteers/interns (5)

7. 4. Other Resources # of Outside Resources Named # of Grantees Reporting Many Grantees Have Successfully Harnessed a Variety of Outside Resources to Support Their Projects

8. Mark Cannan Aquia Drupal Rackspace Kyte TV San Antonio Peace Center Esperanza Peace and Justice Catholic Relief Services Social Media Club of San Antonio U.S. Mayors’ Conference Guadalupe Coffee/Baptist Child and Family Services Unnamed (multiple) Advocate San Antonio Community Radio Our Lady of the Lake University St. Mary’s University Trinity University Legend NOWCastSA San Antonio Area Foundation Project partner In-kind donor Community Information NOW (CINOW) Conversation Presentation Other projects, entities that are “very aware” of KCIC project Texas State University Clean Technology Forum Council on Foundations Conference University of the Incarnate Word Colleges and universities (6) City of San Antonio Community information projects (3) Alamo City Times IgoSA.com San Antonio Public Library Conferences, events (3) Corporations and local businesses (5) University of Texas School of Public Health, San Antonio Funders (1) Nonprofits and advocates (9) Municipal government and libraries (2) 5. Networks and Ecosystem Grantees Are Engaging Other Local Anchor Institutions in Their Projects Community Information Systems Map

9. 6. Sustainability Grantees Are Taking a Range of Approaches to Address Long-Term Sustainability • Building an earned revenuecomponent into their project (15) • Promoting replication of model (10) • Negotiating long-term transferof project to new host (5) • Seeking institutional funding and sponsorships (4) • Seeking individual donors (3) • Seeking government funding (1)

10. 7. Key Challenges Grantees Share Many Similar Design and Implementation Challenges • Identifying the right business model to ensure sustainability (9) • Reaching/engaging target audiences (9) • Getting the technology to work well (6) • Accessing the right technology expertise (6) • Hiring new staff (5) • Assessing the needs of the target audience (3) • Finding effective partners (3) • Getting board buy-in (2)

11. Discussion What Advice Can Your Cohort 1 Colleagues Give to You? • Do your homework • Don’t reinvent the wheel • It takes more time than you think • Things will change • This is more than just a website Let’s ask our panel!

12. Grantee Panel Today’s Panel Roberta King Vice President for PR and Marketing Grand Rapids Community Foundation The Rapidian Slade Sundar Director of Digital Communications Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties YourPBC.org Vivian Vahlberg Project Director for Community News Chicago Community Trust Community News 2.0

13. Discussion Questions for the Grantee Panel • What’s one thing you didn’t know when you started your project that you wish someone had told you? • What has been critical to maintaining a productive partnership during your first year? • What does “life after launch” look like?