The Marshall Project

What The Marshall Project does

The Marshall Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom founded in 2014 and headquartered in New York, operating as the only national news organization dedicated exclusively to the U.S. criminal justice system. It employs 75 full-time staff across a headquarters and three regional newsrooms in Cleveland, Jackson, and St. Louis (the latter established January 2025). The organization produces investigative articles, multimedia reports, podcasts (notably 'The Last 12 Weeks' co-produced with Serial Productions and The New York Times), the 'Inside Story' video series distributed to incarcerated audiences, and the 'News Inside' print publication.

Its distribution model is dual-audience: a general public reached via website, email newsletters (delivered through Mailchimp), podcasts, social media, and earned media coverage; plus an incarcerated audience of approximately 273,100 individuals reached through tablet partnerships with Edovo, APDS, PayTel, and Ameelio, closed-circuit television in Illinois and Colorado, and print distribution to 2,167 prisons and jails across 48 states, Washington D.C., Canada, Mexico, and Panama.

The business model is donation-funded philanthropy. The organization explicitly rejects corporate, private equity, and government funding, sustaining operations through individual donors and institutional foundations. Revenue mechanics include a recurring monthly membership program ($15, $25, $50 tiers) and one-time donations. Distribution is amplified through co-publication partnerships with major outlets (NYT, Washington Post, ProPublica, NPR, AP) and through the 'Investigate This!' toolkit program that supplies reporting resources to 20+ local newsrooms. Documented impact includes legislative changes in Ohio and Pennsylvania, court rulings in Iowa and Pennsylvania, and prison-policy reforms in Louisiana, Texas, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Name

The Marshall Project

Legal name

The Marshall Project

Website

https://themarshallproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit newsroom covering the U.S. criminal justice system through investigative journalism, podcasts, video series, and print publications. It serves general readers, incarcerated individuals via tablets and prison distribution, and policymakers nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Investigative Journalism

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Investigative & Journalism Documentaries (MPADADAD), Data Journalism & News Intelligence Publishers (Indexes, Election/Market Data) (MPAJADAK)

Keywords

• Criminal justice journalism
• Nonprofit newsroom
• Investigative reporting
• News publication
• Digital media

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: The Marshall Project is funded entirely by philanthropic dollars from individual donors and institutional foundations. They do not accept corporate interests, private equity, or government funding. Donations are tax-deductible as they are a 501(c)(3) organization.
2. Membership Program: Recurring monthly donations from members at various tiers ($15, $25, $50 per month). One-time donations also accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit, non-partisan newsroom that produces investigative, data-driven journalism about the U.S. criminal justice system. It distributes this journalism through a multimedia portfolio including a website, podcasts (e.g., The Last 12 Weeks), a video series for incarcerated audiences (Inside Story), a print publication (News Inside), email newsletters, and topic hubs (The Record). The organization reaches general readers, incarcerated individuals via tablet and print distribution to over 2,100 correctional facilities, and partner news outlets through co-publishing arrangements.

Product overview

The Marshall Project is a nonprofit journalism organization that operates as a multi-platform content publisher focused on criminal justice reporting. Its portfolio consists of the core website publishing investigative articles and investigations, the 'The Last 12 Weeks' podcast produced with Serial Productions and The New York Times, the 'Inside Story' video series distributed to incarcerated audiences via tablets and closed-circuit TV, 'The Record' topic aggregation pages, the 'News Inside' print publication for incarcerated readers, the 'Language Project' series on journalism terminology, a network of local newsrooms in Cleveland, Jackson, and St. Louis, an impact tracking system documenting policy changes, and an email newsletter program. The organization does not offer software products, APIs, or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Inside Story: A video series serving audiences inside prisons and their families, explaining the U.S. justice system from those who lived it.
• News Inside
• The Last 12 Weeks
• The Record
• Life Inside
• Investigate This!

Products and services

• The Last 12 Weeks Podcast A podcast series following defense lawyers as they attempt to stop an execution weeks away. Produced in partnership with Serial Productions and The New York Times, covering the David Wood death penalty case. Targeted at general audiences interested in criminal justice storytelling.
• Inside Story Video Series A video series explaining the U.S. justice system from the perspectives of those who have experienced it. Distributed to approximately 273,100 incarcerated individuals via tablet companies (Edovo, APDS, PayTel, Ameelio) and closed-circuit television in Illinois and Colorado state prisons, reaching roughly 750 facilities.
• News Inside Print Publication A print publication distributed to incarcerated audiences, covering criminal justice topics through news stories, essays, and educational materials. Distributed to 2,167 prisons and jails across 48 states, Washington D.C., Canada, Mexico, and Panama.
• Newsletter Program Email newsletter delivery via Mailchimp providing daily and weekly curated criminal justice news updates to subscribers, including the 'Opening Statement' daily news roundup linking to criminal justice stories from multiple sources.
• Investigate This! Toolkit A toolkit and program helping local newsrooms report on criminal justice topics. Distributes reporting tools and data across 20+ partner outlets including Houston Chronicle, Oklahoman, WBEZ Chicago, and St. Louis Public Radio. Enables distribution of content across multiple regional outlets.
• The Marshall Project Website The organization's primary digital news platform publishing investigative journalism about the U.S. criminal justice system, featuring articles, multimedia content, podcast episodes, and topical navigation across criminal justice subject areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ohio passed legislation to end debt-based license suspensions
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• MS NOWflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026Partnership with MS NOW for immigration detention coverage within the new 'Connect' weekend show hosted by Jacob Soboroff. The Marshall Project provides editorial expertise and content on immigration detention issues for the three-hour California-originated program.
• Ohio NewspaperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ohio newspapers to investigate the smuggling of synthetic cannabinoids (K2) in Ohio prisons. The investigation found nearly half of all drugs found in Ohio prisons are suspected synthetic drugs smuggled through mail in legal documents, children's artwork, and clothing.
• Serial ProductionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partnership with Serial Productions and The New York Times for the podcast series 'The Last 12 Weeks,' documenting defense lawyers' efforts to stop an execution. Serial Productions provides production expertise, The Marshall Project provides editorial oversight and reporting.
• The New York TimesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-production partner for 'The Last 12 Weeks' podcast and ongoing investigative collaborations. The Marshall Project provides specialized criminal justice journalism expertise while NYT provides platform reach and production support.
• Edovo (Tablet Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTablet distribution partnership to provide Inside Story video series and News Inside publication to incarcerated people through Edovo's tablet system in prisons.
• APDS (Tablet Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTablet distribution partnership for delivering Inside Story video content to incarcerated audiences through APDS tablet systems.
• PayTel (Tablet Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTablet distribution partnership for reaching incarcerated populations with Inside Story and News Inside content through PayTel's prison tablet system.
• Ameelio (Tablet Company)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTablet distribution partnership for providing Marshall Project content to incarcerated people through Ameelio's tablet platform.
• National NewspaperscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCo-publishing partnerships with major outlets including Washington Post, ProPublica, NPR, Associated Press, and local newsrooms for investigative content distribution.
• Local Newsrooms (Investigate This!)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership program helping local newsrooms publish criminal justice stories. Toolkits provided to 20+ outlets including Houston Chronicle, Oklahoman, WBEZ Chicago, St. Louis Public Radio.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Appeal: Nonprofit news outlet covering criminal justice, policing, and incarceration policy; near-direct competitor in the same beat with overlapping donor audience and policy-impact framing.
• Reveal (Center for Investigative Reporting): Nonprofit investigative newsroom producing accountability journalism including criminal justice investigations through podcast and long-form formats; comparable foundation-funded model and impact-reporting apparatus.
• ProPublica: Independent, nonprofit investigative newsroom producing high-impact accountability journalism on U.S. institutions including criminal justice; the closest structural analog with comparable foundation-funding model, Pulitzer-credentialed reporting, and large partner-media co-publication footprint.
• Type Investigations / Type Media Center: Nonprofit investigative newsroom producing long-form accountability reporting on criminal justice, immigration, and civil liberties; same funding model, donor base, and editorial mission.
• Mother Jones: Reader-funded nonprofit investigative magazine covering justice, civil liberties, and government accountability; comparable donor-driven revenue model and investigative depth, with overlapping coverage of criminal justice and immigration.
• The Intercept: Nonprofit investigative outlet funded by donations and foundation support, publishing adversarial accountability reporting on U.S. government agencies; comparable in nonprofit economics, donor dependence, and emphasis on systemic-justice beats that overlap with criminal justice.
• Injustice Watch: Chicago-based nonprofit investigative newsroom focused on the criminal justice system; comparable mission, funding model, and impact-tracking approach, though geographically concentrated where Marshall Project is national.

Broad incumbents

• The New York Times: Large mainstream newspaper and co-production partner on The Last 12 Weeks and ongoing criminal justice investigations; not a pure competitor but an adjacent incumbent whose platform extends Marshall Project reach while competing for the same donor/reader attention.
• NPR: Public-funded nonprofit news organization covering criminal justice through investigative and feature reporting; partner outlet that co-publishes investigations and serves as a comparable reference point for nonprofit newsroom scale and audience.

Others

• The Marshall Project / Type Media Center organizational overlap: Type Media Center operates as an umbrella nonprofit that has housed The Marshall Project and other journalism ventures; relevant because it represents the parent governance structure that supports the newsroom's funding pipeline.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.themarshallproject.org
• Xx.com/MarshallProj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-marshall-project

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Marshall Project