Knight Foundation

We’re excited to share the latest round of grants from the Knight Art + Tech Expansion Fund, which supports artists and arts organizations working at the intersection of creativity and technology. Since 2021, the Fund has helped more than 100 grantees strengthen digital capacity, experiment with new tools, and deepen community engagement. Congrats to all the recipients!

As the nation approaches its 250th anniversary, Knight Foundation has partnered with America250 to bring "Our American Story," a national storytelling initiative, to Knight communities nationwide. Working with local partners, the program collects and preserves community stories celebrating local history, culture and identity. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eV2pnqTX

AI is moving fast. How can local governments use it to better serve community members? Today, I’m excited to announce that Knight Foundation is investing over $3M in Harvard Kennedy School’s Data-Smart City Solutions, led by Stephen Goldsmith, to launch a three-year initiative helping 10 City Halls in Knight communities utilize generative AI. What's next: 10 Knight cities — Charlotte, Philadelphia, San José, St. Paul, Long Beach, Lexington, Columbia (SC), West Palm Beach, Boulder and Detroit — will join a cohort for technical support and peer learning to share the practical AI tools they’re using to improve city services and drive local civic engagement. Boulder, Philadelphia and San José will also host data fellows to build government capacity and assess risks of generative AI tools, sharing learnings with the broader cohort. When cities learn from each other, decisions get stronger. I’m excited to see this cohort apply promising tools to real-world challenges and better city services. Grateful to be working with Data-Smart City Solutions and the local city leaders who are driving this exciting initiative. 👉 Full details in the press release: https://lnkd.in/ezeSKV-A

Knight Foundation 2026 Summer Internship applications are LIVE! I’m excited to share that Knight Foundation is offering summer internships, including 3 positions on our DC-based Investment Team. If you’re a college undergraduate interested in institutional investment management, these roles offer a hands-on opportunity to: -Work alongside our investment professionals in Washington, DC -Contribute to manager research and investment operations -Gain exposure to endowment portfolio management and the broader asset management ecosystem -See how investment management supports Knight Foundation’s mission The investment internships are in-person in DC and run for up to 10 weeks. In addition to the investment roles, Knight Foundation is also hiring interns across journalism, arts, civic engagement, and communications - based in Miami. 👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eykYdivG Please feel free to share with students in your network who might be a great fit!

As 2025 comes to a close, I’m deeply proud of Knight Foundation's long-standing commitment to supporting artists, cultural organizations, and creative ecosystems across the communities we serve. This year, the Arts team stewarded an active portfolio of more than $225 million, spanning 163 active grants and 74 endowed funds, and awarded $8 million in new support. Together, these investments reflect our responsibility to sustain a healthy, resilient arts ecosystem and our belief that the arts are not peripheral, they are central to civic life, economic vitality, and how communities imagine and shape their futures. At Knight, we see the arts as a powerful connective tissue, creating space for expression, belonging, dialogue, and shared meaning. Supporting this work is core to our mission and to the long-term vitality of the places we care about. As we head into the close of the year, I’m deeply thankful for our arts partners and the leadership, resilience, and generosity of vision they bring to sustaining creative life in their communities. Wishing everyone a restorative holiday season and a hopeful, creative start to the year ahead.

“St. Paul’s libraries are more than places to check out books — they are engines of mobility, learning and free expression, and they remain one of our most trusted civic institutions.” — Charlene Bradley, Knight Foundation’s St. Paul Director A $2 million investment from Knight Foundation — the largest in The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library's history — will support major renovations at two St. Paul library branches, along with technology and learning space upgrades across all 13 locations. Libraries remain one of our most trusted civic institutions, providing essential services and spaces where residents can connect. Thank you to the City of Saint Paul for its partnership, and to the Saint Paul Public Library team for its leadership and commitment to ensuring libraries continue to meet the needs of the St. Paul community. Read more about the announcement in the St. Paul Pioneer Press here: https://lnkd.in/gRpcS3aF

Public Media Bridge Fund just announced its first round of grants to stations across the country, helping fill the sudden funding gaps created after federal funding rescissions. It’s a big moment that shows the momentum behind the Bridge Fund in bringing partners together, moving resources quickly and making sure public media can keep showing up for the communities that depend on it. Thank you to the Bridge Fund team and to our fellow funders for their partnership in this effort! 

Only 15% of young adults say they follow the news all or most of the time. New Pew Research Center data from the Pew-Knight Initiative offers a deeper look at how a rising generation engages with information and what it may mean for the future of the field.   🔹 Consume news more passively: 70% say they come across political news on social platforms compared with 30% who actively seek it out. 🔹 Place higher trust in social platforms: Young adults trust information they see on social media more than any other age group and at levels comparable to their trust in national news organizations. 🔹 Hold a broader view of who counts as a journalist: They are more likely than older adults to consider someone a journalist if they write their own news-focused newsletter or produce news-related videos or posts on social media.   As younger generations lean on passive algorithm-driven information consumption, how is the field preparing for a future where the line between creators, influencers and journalists begins to blur? Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g7XScbnd