Press Forward Lake County
Legacy Foundation is proud to announce the launch of Press Forward Lake County, part of Press Forward Locals – a growing national network of chapters working to revitalize local news.
This new effort will strengthen and sustain local news organizations and ensure Lake County, Indiana’s residents have access to multiple sources of reliable news and information, reflective of the community. The program’s goal is to enhance local journalism and re-center local news as a force for community cohesion.
Community Voices Grant
Press Forward Lake County recognizes that strong local information ecosystems are built not only through traditional journalism, but also through trusted community relationships, grassroots communication, storytelling, civic engagement, and neighborhood connection. The Community Voices Grant supports grassroots, community-driven efforts that help residents access, share, and engage with trusted local news and information.
These microgrants are designed to encourage creative projects that strengthen community connection, expand access to local information, and help residents stay informed about the issues, events, and opportunities shaping their communities. Awards ranging from $500–$1,000 will support the launch or expansion of community-based information projects serving Lake County, Indiana. The initiative encourages creative, collaborative, and community-rooted ideas — especially projects that reach residents through trusted local relationships and nontraditional communication methods.
Funding Amounts:
- Individual Lake County, Indiana residents: Up to $500
- Organizations: Up to $1,000
Funds may be used to support a new project or expand an existing community information effort.
Application Deadline: Sunday, June 28, 2026
Complete Your Community Voices Grant Application Form!
For questions, please contact Donna Stuckert at dstuckert@legacyfdn.org or 219-736-1880.
Community Voices Grant Details
The Community Voices Grant is intended to:
- Strengthen local information-sharing across Lake County.
- Support trusted community voices and grassroots storytellers.
- Increase access to reliable local information.
- Expand civic engagement and neighborhood connection.
- Encourage youth participation in community storytelling and local news.
- Amplify underrepresented and underreported voices.
- Build local storytelling and communication capacity.
- Support creative and accessible methods of sharing information.
Eligible applicants include:
- Lake County students and school media.
- Lake County community newsletters and grassroots projects.
- Lake County based social media creators and storytellers.
- Lake County nonprofits, small businesses, and community organizations.
- Lake County residents. Applicants under the age of 18 must have a sponsoring adult or organization.
Applicants must demonstrate a clear connection to the Lake County, Indiana communities they seek to serve.
Press Forward Lake County recognizes that trusted local information is shared through many different channels and community voices — not only through traditional media organizations.
Eligible applicants and projects may include individuals, groups, or organizations that regularly create, share, or distribute useful community information in ways that help residents stay informed and connected.
Examples include:
- Launching or expanding a neighborhood newsletter.
- Community storytelling projects.
- Hyperlocal social media information initiatives.
- Translation or bilingual information distribution.
- Printed community information distribution in areas with limited digital access.
- Community podcasts or video storytelling projects.
- Creative projects using art, audio, video, photography, or storytelling to share local information.
Priority will be given to projects that:
- Reach underserved or under-informed residents.
- Strengthen neighborhood connection.
- Increase access to trusted, local information.
- Engage residents directly.
- Reflect community voice and culture.
- Use creative or nontraditional distribution methods.
- Reduce barriers to engaging in news, information, and storytelling related to language, technology, transportation, or literacy.
- Build community storytelling and civic engagement capacity.
- Support youth participation in local information sharing.
Eligible Expenses
Grant funds may be used for reasonable expenses directly connected to launching, expanding, or strengthening a local news, information-sharing, or community engagement effort.
Eligible expenses include:
- Audio/video equipment for storytelling or community information projects.
- Smartphone journalism kits
- Photography equipment or accessories
- Translation and interpretation services
- Printing and distribution costs for newsletters, flyers, community guides, or informational materials
- Website, newsletter, or platform subscription fees
- Graphic design or branding support
- Event supplies and materials for community information-sharing events
- Podcasting or recording equipment
- Software or digital tools used to create or distribute community information
- Travel or transportation costs related to reporting or outreach
- Community engagement or showcase activities
Ineligible Expenses
Grant funds may not be used for:
- Personal expenses unrelated to the project.
- General organizational operating expenses unrelated to the project.
- Projects promoting a particular religion, political affiliation, or lobbying effort.
- Projects that discriminate based on protected characteristics.
- Expenses incurred prior to award notification.
- Debt repayment
- Reimbursement for previously completed activities.
- Capital campaigns
Legacy Foundation News Internship Program
As part of Press Forward Lake County, we are launching the Legacy Foundation News Internship Program to support local journalism in Lake County, Indiana, by funding paid college internships at community-focused news organizations.
Participating newsrooms commit to delivering accurate, transparent, and locally relevant reporting while offering interns meaningful, hands-on experience in the field. This program strengthens local news coverage, builds journalistic skills, and deepens engagement between newsrooms and the communities they serve.
How It Works
Legacy Foundation has selected three newsrooms to host part-time college interns through this program:
Each newsroom will host one paid intern (approximately 18 hours per week) for up to 16 weeks, with the option to extend for an additional 16 weeks with the same student. Interns will be paid $15 per hour directly by Legacy Foundation.
What Legacy Foundation Provides
- One paid intern per selected newsroom
- Assistance with recruitment and coordination
- HR administration (payroll, onboarding, taxes, etc.)
- Basic orientation and wrap-around support for interns
What Participating Newsrooms Provide
- Day-to-day supervision and mentorship
- A structured plan for intern tasks and professional growth
- Workspace and necessary equipment or access
- A meaningful and educational experience
- Ongoing communication with Legacy Foundation
- A final report summarizing the intern’s work
Newsroom applications for the internship program are currently closed. Check back soon for future opportunities!
Newsroom Eligibility and Internship Process
1. The majority of your publication’s content must be focused on providing original, local news and information to an audience in Lake County, Indiana.
This means that your publication aims to fulfill at least one of the following missions:
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- Providing a geographically constrained audience (neighborhood, city, county, etc.) with relevant news and information.
- Providing an identity-based audience with news, information and/or resources through a lens that is specifically relevant to that audience (ex: an immigrant community or people who identify as LGBTQIA).
- Providing topic specific news for a local audience.
2. Your publication is committed to producing work that is accurate, fair, and reflective of the communities served.
Accuracy and Combating Bias
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- Your reporting is fact-based and accurate.
- You have a publicly posted corrections policy and/or easily accessible contact information for reporters and editors.
- You have a process for identifying, addressing, and mitigating bias in reporting.
Transparency about funding
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- You are clear with your audience about your funding and revenue sources.
- Nonprofits: You post your 990 IRS form
- For-profits: You clearly label advertising and sponsored content
- You are clear with your audience about your funding and revenue sources.
Transparency about people
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- Your readers/viewers/listeners can easily find out who you are, the mission and values of your publication or news product, and why they should trust you.
- All content should be bylined. Even if you are the only person who writes for your site, individual stories should have bylines with full names.
- Any aggregated or curated content must credit and/or link to the original source (ex: an announcement from a local college, stories from other publications, etc.).
- You clearly label opinion pieces and byline opinion pieces.
3. Community Engagement: Your publication demonstrates an effort to promote engagement with your audience.
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- Your publication offers your audience a chance to engage with you and your team to ensure your stories are reflective of your community.
4. Your publication is not owned by a political or religious institution.
Legacy Foundation and the selected newsrooms will work together to promote internship opportunities to local colleges and universities. Undergraduate and graduate students studying journalism or a program related to a direct newsroom operational support role are eligible to apply. To ensure the proper fit, the newsroom will lead the internship interview and selection process, and Legacy Foundation staff will verify student eligibility prior to the interview.
After the interview process is complete and the newsroom has selected an intern, Legacy Foundation will begin the onboarding process, which includes a background check and traditional HR compliance paperwork. While the newsroom will be managing the intern on a day-to-day basis, the intern will be an employee of Legacy Foundation.
In addition to providing payment to the intern, once the intern begins employment, the intern will set regular check in meetings with a Legacy Foundation staff member to maintain communication regarding progress and skills gained throughout the internship.
Legacy Foundation staff will also maintain regular communication with the newsroom team to confirm hours worked by the intern, discuss internship successes, challenges, and future newsroom needs.
The internship is eligible to last up to 16 weeks. If the student has not graduated, and the newsroom would like to continue the internship with the same student, the newsroom is eligible to request a renewal of its internship partnership with Legacy Foundation for an additional 16 weeks. If the newsroom would like to bring on a new student, or its current student has graduated, the newsroom will need to reapply.
At the conclusion of the 16-week period, a short final report must be completed by both the student and newsroom.
