Start making sense
Independent journalists and creators are helping people make sense of the world. Is your organization doing the same?
🥁 Hi Lorie and Steve. Welcome to Future Community! I'm so glad you're here. If you have time, hit reply and let me know what brought you here. Are you working in content and newsletters, communications leadership, looking for a new role? Something else?
This role isn’t about “marketing.” It’s about helping build a global, volunteer-powered movement that can stand against corruption and authoritarianism. If you want to be part of rewriting how civil society works, this is your call to action.
People pay for news when it connects them to others. Is your content connecting people?
Growing up our family had three newspaper subscriptions: the Denver Post, the Rocky Mountain News, and the Greeley Tribune. I'm not sure why we got both Denver papers but it certainly expanded the Sunday comics options.
Both parents kept all three subscriptions after divorcing. Unfortunately, failed marriages haven't been enough to save the old news business.
There are two reasons they kept all three subscriptions for so long. The first is that local news was the social media of the time. Daily local newspapers delivered updates on local politics, business openings and closings, recipes, all kinds of sports updates, job openings, house prices and much more.
Second, this was all you had to pay for to get the info and news that seemed worth getting. Local news had it all and outlets like the New York Times weren't nationalized. Local television stations broadcast all the local news and sports you could want.
The news and information world is far more distributed than the halcyon days described above. Take a look at the brilliant Independent Journalism Holiday Gift Guide put together by Marisa Kabas of The Handbasket.
Marisa lists around 20 independent journalism projects to support with a donation or subscription. And that's just scratching the surface. There are fantastic local options in cities and states across the country and national projects deserving support (shout out to Convergence Magazine which just keeps getting better!).
These dozens (hundreds) of news and storytelling outlets are giving people tools to make sense of their world.
They're also, in some ways, competing with nonprofit organizations for attention and donations. It's not one or two newspapers asking for subscription dollars. It is dozens of news creators.
So your content, your stories, your emails and social posts need to stand out in this crowded space. And they can do that by helping answer questions, solve problems, and connecting people to others with shared geography, interests, and needs.
Bright Ideas
Another shoutout for The Handbasket sharing the love of independent reader supported journalism:
Marisa Kabas
Being shitty to your supporters is not just the cost of doing business, so to speak — it’s a choice. Make a different one.
Run for Something's Amanda Litman knows a thing or two about fundraising. Amanda's talking to political candidates and the broader democratic fundraising space here but the core principle that fundraising should connect people (not just alienate and scare them) is for all of us.
Amanda Litman
Maybe 2026 is the year to spend going deep on your nonfiction writing. If so, Andy's small group workshop is a place for support.
Events and Trainings!
- Creators and Climate Campaigns: How to Partner with Trusted Messengers to Build Effective Climate Communication Strategies [December 10 / online]
- Strategy Design Festival [January 20 / in person all day in London]
Future Community Jobs
These are the latest links. Check out the full job list here.
Hiring? Consider shipping a featured job out into this amazing community. Learn more here or just reach out on email.
🗞️ Audience, content, journalism and news roles
- Tech Reporting Fellowship : Open Democracy + Tech Policy Press [London / UK]
- Editorial Fellow (multiple) : The Atlantic [Washington, DC]
- Director of Membership and Director of Digital and Audience Engagement AND Director of News and Storytelling : Ocean State Media [Providence, RI]
- Platforms Editor, The Cut : Vox Media [New York City]
🗣️ Communications
- Communications Associate : Collaborative [Remote in the US]
- Associate Director of External Affairs : Health Care Without Harm [Remote]
- Vice President, Communications : Campaign Legal Center [Washington, DC]
- Communications Manager : Philanthropy Together [Remote in the US]
- Communications Director : HEAL Food Alliance [Remote in the US]
⚡ Nonprofit organizations
- Executive Director : Abortion Liberation Fund of Pennsylvania [Philadelphia / Remote]
- Operations and Events Coordinator : Philanthropy Together [Remote in the US]
- Social Impact Director, Community Mobilization & Strategic Outreach : Beyond Type 1 [Remote in the US]
💰 Fundraising and Development
- Development Director, Lift Fund : Neighborhood Funders Group [Remote in the US]
- Chief Philanthropy Officer : Heal the Bay [Los Angeles]
- Development Director : Head Count [Remote in the US]
- Head of Revenue and Philanthropy : AI4All [Remote in the US / Eastern Time Zone preferred]
💸 Foundations and Philanthropy
- Director of Impact and Learning, Lift Fund : Neighborhood Funders Group [Remote in the US]
- Vice President of Programs : Philanthropy Together [Remote in the US]
- Senior Director, Philanthropic Partnerships : Consumer Reports [Multiple US Locations]
💻 Agencies, politics, products, projects & more
- Campaign Director : Logos [Remote / Global]
- Mozilla Fellowship 2026 : Mozilla Foundation [Various global locations]
- Community Operations and Project Manager (Temporary) : Bellingcat [Remote]
- Project Management and Operations Manager : Sage Communications Group [Washington, DC]
Future Community is a product of Ted Fickes and Bright+3. Reply or visit Bright+3 to get in touch and learn more about our work.
