Services Guide

The Tiny News Collective provides many resources and services to members of the collective. This documentation details those services and the processes for making use of them.

The Tiny News Collective offers services that help our members efficiently launch their organizations, develop and implement their editorial and revenue strategies and navigate through the common challenges of launching a new local news organization.

As a founder, you will interact with or manage people who interact with every aspect of the organization you are building. The following service breakdown is high-level view of different aspects of operating your organization and what role TNC can play in helping you with planning, decision-making and effort.

Ownership

Incorporated Entity (LLC/Nonprofit)

You own this and have complete control over your organization.

How we can help

• We can advise on getting incorporated.
• We can assist in pursuing nonprofit status.

Intellectual Property

You keep full ownership of all intellectual property

Our role

• Our membership agreement declares your full and complete ownership of your business and intellectual property.

Leadership

Mission, Vision

• We have resources on crafting and refining your mission, vision and value proposition.

Branding

• We have guides and resources on establishing your brand.

Communications and Marketing

• We have guides and resources on developing your communications and marketing strategy.

Advisory Board(s)

You build and manage your advisory boards. Depending on your organization type, you might have a formal nonprofit board, informal advisory boards as well as community boards and focus groups.

• We can connect you with guides and resources on building and managing your boards

Organizational Policies

You decide your organization's policies. TNC members are required to have a published editorial policy.

• We have sample policies you can build from.
• We can connect you with support on developing your organization's policies.

Financial Management

Budgeting & Financial Decisions

• We offer training on this.

Banking Decisions

• We can recommend platforms and services that can help with this.

Bookkeeping & Accounting

• We provide templates and checklists for this.
• We can recommend platforms and services that can help with this.

Paying Bills & Expenses

• We can recommend platforms and services that can help with this.

Payroll Management

• We can recommend platforms and services that can help with this.

Contributed Revenues

(tax-exempt for the donor)

Examples: membership/donations, grants/philanthropy, sponsorship/underwriting

• We receive and track these on your behalf if we are your fiscal sponsor.
• We provide skills training on managing contributed revenue.

Earned Revenues

(not tax-exempt earnings)

Example: advertising, merchandise, event tickets

You receive and track all earned revenue for your organization.

• We provide budget templates for this.

Federal Tax Reporting and Compliance for Fiscally Sponsored Funds

• We do this on your behalf if we are your fiscal sponsor.

Local and State Tax Reporting and Compliance

This is your responsibility.

Personal Tax Reporting and Compliance

This is your responsibility.

Fundraising & Revenue

Donor & Funder Relationship Management

• We provide a platform to receive fiscally sponsored donations.
• We connect you with training on using the platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Fundraising

• We provide access to elective training.
• We connect you with resources.

Grant Application & Reporting

• We collaborate on this process with you.
• We can advise on this process.

IRS Required Donation Receipt

• We do this on your behalf if we are your fiscal sponsor.

Fundraising Compliance for Fiscally Sponsored Funds

• We do this on your behalf if we are your fiscal sponsor.

Insurance & Risk Management

General Liability Insurance

You decide on this, obtain it and manage your policy.

• We provide access to discounted options through your LION membership.

Health Insurance

You decide on this, obtain it and manage your policy.

• We can recommend options for doing this.

Workers' Comp Insurance

You decide on this, obtain it and manage your policy.

• We can recommend options for doing this.

Employment

Selection of Personnel

• We can advise on this process.

Human Resources Management

• We can advise on this process.
• We can recommend platforms and services that can help with this.

Contract Management

• We can provide sample contracts and templates for freelancers, contractors and interns.

Publishing

All Publishing & Editorial Decisions

• We can connect you with training opportunities.
• We provide policies regarding ethics and journalistic standards that you can build from.

Reuters Images

• We provide access to Reuters image service for full-site publishers.

Source Tracking

• We provide access to tools on our platform that help you do this.

1st Amendment Issues

• We offer skills training.
• We provide access to lawyers.

Pre-Publication Review

• We offer skills training.
• We provide access to lawyers.

Technology

Publishing

• We provide access to this platform.
• We provide training on using this platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Newsletters

• We provide access to this platform.
• We provide training on using this platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Advertising

• We provide access to this platform.
• We provide training on using this platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Donations

• We provide access to this platform.
• We provide training on using this platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Analytics

• We provide access to this platform.
• We provide training on using this platform.
• We provide documentation for the platform.

Affiliations

LION Publishers

• We cover your first year of Aspiring Entrepreneur LION membership upon acceptance into the collective.