This article is part of RJI Impact, a series documenting how RJI projects are making a real difference for newsrooms and audiences all over the country. It was originally published in the Winter 2026 edition of RJI Insight, RJI’s biannual print magazine. A digital version of the magazine is available here.

In spring 2025, RJI’s monthly Innovation in Focus series teamed up with the Poynter Institute to help more than 20 newsrooms test quick, low-lift revenue ideas. Each newsroom tried one of four approaches: offering perks for donating, finding creative ways to say thank you, targeting specific audience segments, or trying a registry-style donation page.

The experiments lasted just two-weeks, but the results were immediate. Some teams brought in between $1,500 and $5,000 in new revenue while others gained valuable insight into which messages don’t resonate with their supporters.

One participating newsroom, Tradeoffs, a nonprofit health care and health policy news organization, wanted to move beyond the digital channels it typically uses to communicate with supporters. They tested a print alternative by mailing thank you notes and stickers to donors.

And the donors responded. People replied with messages of appreciation and photos of the swag they had received. The experiment added a new dimension to Tradeoff’s donor relationships and left a lasting impression on the team.

“One of the big takeaways from our participation in the Mini Revenue Experiments with RJI was learning how to do more nimble experiments,” said Kathryn Dugal, Director of Marketing and Audience at Tradeoffs. “The cohort made me realize that our newsroom could, and should, be unafraid to try new things, even when things might not be perfect or exactly how we’d imagined them.”

When raising revenue seems daunting, these small, practical tests show a way forward, one experiment or engagement at a time.

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Cite this article

RJI Online (2026, March 24). Tiny revenue experiments can lead to big developments. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/tiny-revenue-experiments-can-lead-to-big-developments/