Kewanee, Ill.–The Kewanee Voice , a nonprofit news organization, is one of 205 small, local news outlets, including one in every U.S. state- to receive a share of $20 million thanks to the funding from Press Forward, the nationwide movement to strengthen communities by reinvigorating local news.

The Kewanee Voice will receive $100,000 over two years from Press Forward via The Miami Foundation as part of the Closing Local Coverage Gaps open call. It is one of just six publications in Illinois to receive the grant with five of those publications in and around Chicago.

Motivated by the extraordinary quality and number of proposals, Press Forward is funding twice as many news organizations as it originally anticipated through its first open call. More than 900 proposals were received.

The Kewanee Voice is proud to be part of a bright mosaic of independent, non-partisan sources that are reimagining what local news looks like across America. Among our fellow grantees include newer nonprofits – some launched as information needs became evident during the pandemic – and enduring for-profits continuing to adapt and innovate after a century in business.

Some newsrooms are reporting on the vast American countryside – where they are often the only news source for hundreds of miles – while other outlets are covering people of color and linguistically diverse communities that traditional news sources have overlooked. Each produces the everyday stories people need to make decisions about their daily lives.

The Kewanee Voice board of directors along with the Voice’s publisher and editor. Back row, from left, Jean Berlinski, TD Welch, Paula Kapacinskas, Nichelle Morey, Van DeVilder and Publisher Mike Berry. Front row, from left, Marianne Culver, Managing Editor Susan DeVilder and Jesse Humphrey. [Photo by Linnea Gustafson]

The Kewanee Voice began out of necessity in response to a news desert created by the loss of local news reporting in Henry County. Publisher Mike Berry and Managing Editor Susan DeVilder launched the non-profit news site on May 2, 2023 with a mission to provide news and information to enrich the lives of the people in the Kewanee area. Committed to the community, the news organization offers a voice for the people, promotes events, recognizes achievements and presents information in a fair and accurate manner.

“In the year and a half that The Kewanee Voice has been in existence, we’ve discovered that providing local news is an expensive undertaking. We are confident this grant will ensure our sustainability into the future,” said Publisher Mike Berry.

Linnea Gustafson and Board Chair TD Welch spent weeks preparing and writing the Press Forward grant application. The Kewanee Voice will receive $100,000 over the course of two years. [Photo by Susan DeVilder]

Board Chair TD Welch, who along with Linnea Gustafson prepared and wrote the grant, said that the grant will go a long way to ensuring that the Voice can continue its mission, but it’s going to take continuing vital support from our community.

“This grant will allow the Voice to hire much-needed additional staff in order to expand local news coverage. The grant serves as a ‘call to action’ to our community, businesses and organizations to join in with their financial support to increase the future sustainability of the Voice for years to come.”

Managing Editor Susan DeVilder is honored that The Kewanee Voice was chosen out of so many deserving applicants.

“This grant means so much to The Kewanee Voice. Our goal is to continue to serve the community by providing quality journalism, news and information that our community not only needs but deserves,” she said.

For more, visit pressforward.news.