MacArthur Foundation

Local news is being rebuilt, with new models, collaborations, and revenue strategies taking root. Yet many outlets still struggle to access the capital they need to grow because they don't fit traditional investment models.

Catalytic capital offers another path, according to a new white paper authored by Caroline Ross for Press Forward.

Catalytic capital is flexible, risk-tolerant financing designed to help mission-driven organizations grow, strengthen their operations, and attract additional investment. It's already being used in fields like affordable housing, community development, and climate. Now, it's showing promise as a new tool for local news.

Read the white paper: https://www.macfound.org/press/grantee-publications/catalytic-capital-can-help-strengthen-local-news?utm_campaign=gp-ln-impact-catalytic-capital-and-local-news-6-26&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

ICYMI: The Literary Arts Fund recently announced $7.7 million in inaugural unrestricted general operating grants to 40 literary arts organizations and publishers spanning 19 states!

We are thrilled to be one of the seven founding funders of this historic project, and a member of the Literary Arts Funders Collaborative.

Read more at AP ⬇️

The Literary Arts Fund to distribute $7.7 million in grants to 40 organizations The Literary Arts Fund has announced $7.7 million in grants across 40 organizations in 19 states. The recipients include the National Book Foundation and the North Carolina Writers' Network.

"There was no way for me to convince others that I was not a threat or that I was worthy of their trust. The only trust I was likely to earn back was my own."

Writing for The New York Times, Reginald Dwayne Betts shares how getting a license to carry and learning how to shoot at a gun range restored the sense of dignity a prior felony conviction took from him.

Read the full story ⬇️

A Gun Derailed My Childhood. As an Adult, I Found Relief at the Range. (Gift Article) The guilt of my teenage conviction haunted me for decades. Learning to shoot helped me forgive myself as an adult.

“AI is a product that is inherently intertwined with critical societal infrastructures.”

In our latest Grantee Story, we share how Trinity College Dublin's AI Accountability Lab centers public interest and societal good in evaluating artificial intelligence technology.

Read more:
https://www.macfound.org/press/grantee-stories/assessing-ais-service-to-humanity?utm_campaign=p-chicago-supporting-creative-workers-5-26&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

According to City of Chicago – Government, shootings in the city decreased by over 57% between 2021 and 2025.

The Chicago Reporter explores how Chicago organizations are investing in community violence intervention, including recruiting Peacekeepers, community members who are tasked with monitoring their neighborhoods and mediating conflict.

Read the full story ⬇️

Inside Chicago’s growing investment in violence intervention - The Chicago Reporter Community Peacekeepers say reducing shootings means confronting poverty, trauma and instability in the neighborhoods most impacted by violence. Fifteen miles south of the Magnificent Mile, Roseland’s stretch of Michigan Avenue resembles a ghost town. Shuttered businesses line the sidewalks, their ...

A recent Gallup poll found that 70% of Americans are opposed to constructing data centers for AI in their local areas.

Inside Philanthropy shares how philanthropy is responding to the public's concerns through initiatives like Humanity AI.

Full story for Inside Philanthropy subscribers ⬇️

Philanthropy Needs to Pay More Attention to AI Data Centers The AI boom has led to a surge in data center construction. Community pushback offers a good way in for concerned funders.

"Flexible funding is key to stability, sustainability, and innovation."

In a new Perspective, Sandra Aponte and Jonathan VanderBrug of our Chicago Commitment team write about challenges for creative workers and how MacArthur is investing in arts and culture careers.

Read more ⬇️
https://www.macfound.org/press/perspectives/how-supporting-chicago-creative-workers-builds-a-more-vibrant-community?utm_campaign=p-chicago-supporting-creative-workers-5-26&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

🎉 The Literary Arts Fund recently announced $7.7 million in inaugural unrestricted general operating grants to 40 literary arts organizations and publishers spanning 19 states!

We are thrilled to be one of the seven founding funders of this historic project, and a member of the Literary Arts Funders Collaborative.

Meet the grantees and learn about the Fund's next grant opportunity ⬇️

Literary Arts Fund Awards $7.7 Million to 40 Organizations and Publishers Nationwide | Literary Arts Fund New York, NY (June 4, 2026)—The Literary Arts Fund announced today $7.7 million in inaugural unrestricted general operating grants to 40 literary arts organizations and publishers spanning 19 states, from Alaska to Florida, that help champion writers and reading, and the essential contributions bo...

Attending Tribeca? On June 5 at 12pm, we're hosting a conversation with Caring Across Generations on caregiving, disability, and the power of authentic storytelling in celebration of the feature film, "Take Me Home."

The film, which made its debut in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, follows a pair of Korean-American sisters navigating a complex web of caregiving needs after a Florida heat wave disrupts the delicate balance of their family.

Learn more about "Take Me Home"
🔗 https://bit.ly/4o7Mvht

Take Me Home | 2026 Tribeca Festival | Tribeca Anna, a 38-year-old Korean adoptee with a cognitive disability, cares for her aging parents in a fragile balance of meeting one another’s needs. When a Florida heat wave shatters their family and Anna’s routine, her future is uncertain until she creates a world where she can thrive.

and mixed media artist Mark Bradford's 38-foot painting, “City of the Big Shoulders,” is one of several site-specific works featured at the Obama Presidential Center.

“Maps. Land. Power. It’s all there," he says of the piece.

Learn about the inspiration behind the work at The New York Times ⬇️
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/20/arts/design/obama-presidential-center-mark-bradford-chicago-art.html?unlocked_article_code=1.nFA.4HnU.tsvaBxnj75lU&smid=url-share

For the Obama Center, Mark Bradford Paints a Fierce and Luminous Chicago “City of the Big Shoulders” reflects the city’s strength and complexity. It took the artist five years to complete, mapping migration patterns and structural racism.