habits, the next-generation dairy industry, and telling the stories of the Latino community. “People have opinions,” Niday is quick to say. Before Press Onward can tell those stories, however, Niday will balance his time between the engagement circuit and the fundraising circuit. Knobel knows that balance well. Donations are going to be a big part of Press Onward’s model, the Cityside cofounder says. “It’s never easy getting money from people,” he says. But given the North Bay’s relative affluence and reputation for community engagement, “they’ve got a good shot.” And once the site builds an audience, ad revenue will follow, he adds. One note of caution, Knobel stresses, is that fundraising has its ups and downs. “There’s something exciting about launching something and that’s the easiest time to attract funding—on the ground floor,” Knobel says. “It’s tougher to say to people, ‘You love what we do, let’s sustain this.’” Adds Knobel: “But that’s the case with nonprofits in general— people like funding new things.” Toward that, Knobel and his Cityside team have come to appreciate the distinction between small donors and major donors. “Small donors are a fantastic thing,” he says. Cityside currently has about 8,500 members, who average between $120 and $130 a year in dues. Last year, for the first time, Cityside’s small-dollar donors accounted for more than $1 million in revenue for the nonprofit. “I think [ Press Onward ] will find a similar market where people love and care about where they live and will be supportive of somebody providing the news and information they rely on,” he says. “And if thousands of people support you, $30 a year can add up to a lot.” Based on his more than three years as managing editor for the Press Democrat , D’Anna says Sonoma County’s news readership is as committed as any he’s ever seen. “It’s a market that wants to engage with local news—and getting increasingly frustrated with what they’re getting from the PD ,” he says, while stressing the daily still has a highly talented newsroom. And that’s why a nonprofit digital news site will have to hit the ground at full speed, he adds. “You can’t have one story a week and let that sit stagnant on your website—you have to build volume and velocity.” Niday believes Press Onward is coming as part of a groundswell for the nonprofit digital news model. He points to the Institute for Nonprofit News as evidence—that industry trade group launched in 2017 and now boasts membership of 500 independent news organizations, employing nearly 4,100 journalists. What’s more, its 2025 INN Index reports a 14% revenue increase across its 400 digital-first nonprofit newsrooms from 2023 to 2024, alongside a 10% rise in the number of outlets included in the survey. “This has arrived, it’s catching on across the country,” says Niday about nonprofit digital news. “It’s been a 30-year road that has gotten us to the point where we’re at today “This model flips that scale back to where it’s about the community—not the profit.” g
Those interested in learning more can contact Troy Niday at tniday@press-onward.org . Donations are being accepted through the Community Foundation Sonoma County website's Donate page at sonomacf. org/donate . The Press Onward fund is at the bottom of the page.
Please email comments to rpadilla@NorthBaybiz.com
January 2026
NorthBaybiz 43
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