Nonprofit Leadership Podcast · Dr. Rob Harter

Is Becoming a Nonprofit the Solution to the Struggles Facing Major News Organizations Today?

·36 min·3 clips

Monica Bauerlein explains how Mother Jones faced an IRS threat to its nonprofit status during the Reagan administration.

Dr. Rob Harder hosts this episode of the Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, focusing on the sustainability of media organizations and nonprofit mergers. His guest is Monica Bauerlein, CEO of the Center for Investigative Reporting, who recently oversaw the merger of Mother Jones and the Center for Investigative Reporting. The conversation begins with a historical case where Mother Jones nearly lost its nonprofit tax status in the 1980s under IRS scrutiny. Bauerlein explains the nonprofit model confronts the reality that quality journalism is a public good, not a profit-making enterprise. She cites the Chicago Sun-Times and Salt Lake Tribune as examples of newspapers adopting this model after traditional advertising revenue collapsed to platforms like Google and Facebook. The merger she led combined Mother Jones's strengths in print and digital with Reveal's audio and documentary capabilities. Bauerlein advocates for more nonprofit mergers to reduce duplicated infrastructure and dedicate more resources to mission work. She notes a common merger obstacle is board and leadership anxiety over who will end up in charge. A surprising insight is that studies suggest many donors would continue supporting a mission even if a nonprofit lost its tax-deductible status. Bauerlein reveals that in her merger, both original boards were invited to join the new combined board, resulting in 26 non-staff members. She emphasizes that successful mergers require confronting leadership questions and building trust head-on to overcome organizational ego. For nonprofits seeking media coverage, her advice is to pitch journalists on concrete events or life changes, not just announcements, and to offer themselves as expert sources. Bauerlein shares that she overcame her own fear of fundraising by reframing it as offering donors an opportunity to support work they value. The tone is conversational and educational, blending interview-style questioning with practical advice from an experienced leader. Nonprofit executives, especially those in media or considering organizational mergers, will find concrete strategies and reassurance here. Listeners solely interested in daily nonprofit operations like volunteer management or event planning might find the media-industry focus less directly applicable.

As heard by us

A practical case for nonprofit media mergers and shared infrastructure.

Rob Harder makes a clean case for nonprofit mergers and shared infrastructure in media, and the argument lands best because it stays practical.

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Why you'd press play

If you want a practical case for mission-driven media mergers, this one stays focused.

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