2025 Emerging Leaders Institute

If we want the mission of community media to grow and endure the next twenty years, we need a next generation of community media leadership.

And we can grow that generation of emerging leaders with your help.  

We know that community media will face new challenges and opportunities as technologies, legal frameworks and communities may profoundly change.  On top of this, a generation of leaders in our field will retire and pass the torch of leadership to others in coming years.

We think it's essential the we nurture and empower emerging leaders to meet the challenges we face.    We know this from our work - It's our superpower in community media - We support others. 

Over the last six years, the Community Media Emerging Leaders Institute has supported over 120 participants and emerging leaders from across the United States by exploring their leadership style and capacity and helping people chart their leadership journey.

With your help today, we will host the Institute again over four weeks in October 2025 for another class of emerging leaders.   The Institute is led by Paula Manley and Toni Tabora-Roberts, two women with a deep track record of success building organizations and leaders in local community media.   

Your tax deductible donation to the Foundation will expand our training and support of young leaders at the Institute by allowing us to reduce the cost of tuition for participants. 

What kind of impact will your gift have?    Here's some perspective from a recent student:

"Thank you to FACM for hosting such a great experience!

This was a great opportunity to work with like-minded peers in the media industry. As we all come from different walks of life, it is fundamentally important to recognize we all struggle with similar issues. The blockers and challenges we face are not unique to ourselves or the communities we reside in. As leaders, it's important we acknowledge we are not alone in our efforts and as we continue to navigate recognize where support exists. 

To all my media professionals, know you have someone in your corner should you ever need a sounding board, or just a friend to vent to." - Liz Harkin

Your donation today helps us grow the next generation of community media leaders  and build the future of community media.    

Thank you!

FACM