Tegna Foundation Awards Local Community Grants

Tegna
(Image credit: Tegna)

 

The Tegna Foundation, the charitable organization sponsored by broadcaster Tegna Inc. in partnership with its local TV stations, said Tuesday that it has awarded 234 Community Grants to help support several critical community programs and needs.

The Foundation’s Community Grant amounts average between $1,000 and $5,000 each and this year supported community initiatives like providing shelter and support for those experiencing homelessness and food insecurity, education programs for at-risk youth, and programs supporting and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

According to Tegna, the majority of 2021’s Community Grants support the following UN Sustainable Development Goal (UN SDG) goals: Good Health and Well-Being (42%); Quality Education (22%); and Zero Hunger (20%).

“Our stations’ continued commitment to empowering their local communities through fundraising and grantmaking is invaluable and inspiring,” Tegna CEO Dave Lougee said in a press release. “We are honored to support all of our local partners who share our values and commitment to serving those in need.”

Among the grants awarded were:

The Foundation also approved four special grants to support diversity, equity, and inclusion and local journalism, including:

· George Floyd Memorial Foundation Scholarship Fund: In partnership with KARE, Tegna’s NBC affiliate in Minneapolis, a grant was made to provide scholarships to deserving high school students accepted to 2- or 4-year colleges and/or universities.

· Hispanic Heritage Foundation: Supporting programs to identify, inspire, prepare, and connect Latino leaders in the community, classroom, and workforce.

· NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund (LDF): Providing general support for LDF, which seeks structural changes to expand democracy, eliminate disparities, and achieve equality.

· Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press: Supporting the Local Legal Initiative, specifically supporting local journalists in defending their rights to gather and report the news.

Tegna Foundation Community Grants are vetted by a committee of employees at each station, including the station general manager, and approved by the Tegna Foundation Board of Directors. To learn more, click here. ■

Mike Farrell

Mike Farrell is senior content producer, finance for Multichannel News/B+C, covering finance, operations and M&A at cable operators and networks across the industry. He joined Multichannel News in September 1998 and has written about major deals and top players in the business ever since. He also writes the On The Money blog, offering deeper dives into a wide variety of topics including, retransmission consent, regional sports networks,and streaming video. In 2015 he won the Jesse H. Neal Award for Best Profile, an in-depth look at the Syfy Network’s Sharknado franchise and its impact on the industry.