Montana Free Press

What Montana Free Press does

Montana Free Press (MTFP) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom founded in 2015 and headquartered in Helena, Montana, with a small staff of 1–10 employees. It delivers independent, nonpartisan journalism covering Montana state government, politics, environment, Indigenous affairs, education, health, and energy to a Montana-resident readership. The organization distributes content through its main website, a portfolio of specialized newsletters (MT Lowdown daily, Capitolized weekly political, and four regional editions — Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, and Billings This Week), The Session podcast covering the Montana Legislature, and active social channels on X, Facebook, and Bluesky.

The technology foundation is a Newspack-powered publishing platform (open-source WordPress-based) with Google reCAPTCHA for authentication. MTFP has built proprietary tools on top of this base, most notably the 2025 Capitol Tracker (an interactive legislative monitoring product tracking lawmaker profiles and bill progress) and Montana Insights (data-driven polling and policy analysis). Investigative series such as 'The Arrest That Shook Froid' and the coverage of the Daniels County Leader closure exemplify the organization's accountability-reporting work, which has earned national recognition through USC Annenberg (2023) and McGraw Center (2024) fellowships awarded to staff journalists.

MTFP's business model is donation- and membership-driven, supported by episodic sponsored content. Membership is structured in three annual tiers — Supporter ($1–$119), Benefactor ($120–$499), and Major Supporter ($500+) — with benefits escalating from newsletters and event access to VIP meet-and-greets. A Director of Development oversees tax-smart giving including donor-advised funds, IRA contributions, appreciated stock, and planned gifts. The only disclosed institutional capital event is an $875,000 American Journalism Project round in December 2020. Beyond Montana operations, founder John S. Adams launched Local News Day in January 2026, a national day of action that grew to 1,000+ participating newsrooms with Google and The New York Times as supporting organizations.

Name

Montana Free Press

Legal name

Montana Free Press

Website

https://montanafreepress.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Montana Free Press is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom based in Helena, Montana, providing independent, nonpartisan journalism on state government, politics, environment, and Indigenous affairs. It serves Montana residents through its website, regional newsletters, a legislative tracker, podcasts, and investigative reporting.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Digital News and Journalism

NAICS

Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)

Keywords

• Nonprofit newsroom
• Independent journalism
• State politics coverage
• Investigative reporting
• Digital news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: 501(c)(3) nonprofit newsroom supported by tax-deductible contributions. Offers Supporter ($1-119/year), Benefactor ($120-499/year), and Major Supporter ($500+/year) membership tiers with benefits including members-only newsletters, event access, and recognition.
2. Sponsored Content: Publishes sponsored content from partners like JPMorganChase on topics such as business capital for entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Montana Free Press is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit digital newsroom that publishes independent, nonpartisan journalism on Montana state and local issues including politics, government, environment, Indigenous affairs, education, health, and energy. Its offering includes a free main news website, a suite of email newsletters, an interactive legislative tracking tool, a podcast, and limited-run investigative series, supported by donations, tiered memberships, and sponsored content.

Product overview

Montana Free Press operates as a single, unified nonprofit news platform offering free, independent journalism on local and statewide issues. The organization provides its core news reporting through its main website, supplemented by multiple specialized newsletters including the MT Lowdown (daily), Capitolized (weekly politics), and regional newsletters (Helena, Great Falls, Missoula, Billings). Additional products include the 2025 Capitol Tracker legislative monitoring tool, Montana Insights research series, The Session podcast, and limited-run investigative series like 'The Arrest That Shook Froid.' The platform is built on Newspack infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MT Lowdown: Daily newsletter providing Montana news coverage
• Capitolized
• The Session Podcast
• Montana Insights
• MTFP Local

Products and services

• Montana Free Press news platform Free, independent nonprofit news website providing in-depth reporting on Montana statewide and local issues including politics, government, environment, Indigenous affairs, education, health, and energy, serving Montana residents and civic-minded readers.
• MT Lowdown Newsletter Daily email newsletter delivering Montana news directly to subscribers' inboxes, for readers seeking a daily roundup of statewide coverage.
• Capitolized Newsletter Weekly political newsletter providing expert reporting, analysis, and insight on Montana state politics and the state legislature.
• Helena This Week Weekly local newsletter covering news and events in Helena, Montana, the state capital.
• Great Falls This Week Weekly local newsletter covering news and events in Great Falls, Montana.
• Missoula This Week Weekly local newsletter covering news and events in Missoula, Montana.
• Billings This Week Weekly local newsletter covering news and events in Billings, Montana, part of the MTFP Local expansion of regional coverage.
• The Arrest That Shook Froid Limited-run investigative newsletter series covering a significant immigration enforcement story in Froid, Montana.
• 2025 Capitol Tracker Interactive tracking tool monitoring Montana legislative activity, lawmaker profiles, and bill progress during the 2025 legislative session.
• Montana Insights Analytical reporting series providing deeper insights into Montana issues, including poll data and policy analysis.
• The Session Podcast Podcast providing insider coverage and analysis of Montana legislative proceedings for politically engaged Montana listeners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Led initiative engaging 700+ newsrooms for Local News Day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Supporting organization for Local News Day initiative to promote support for local journalism.
• The New York TimesminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Supporting organization for Local News Day initiative.
• Press ForwardcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 January 2026Coalition partner in Local News Day initiative to strengthen connections between communities and local journalism. Part of nationwide effort to help Americans reconnect with trusted local news sources.
• AutomatticcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 January 2026Technology partner for Local News Day initiative, providing platform support for newsroom recruitment and LocalNewsDay.org website.
• NewspackcoreTechnology or Integration · 29 January 2026Open-source publishing platform used by Montana Free Press and recruited as partner for Local News Day initiative to support newsrooms.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VTDigger: Vermont-based nonprofit digital newsroom covering state government, politics, and policy. Closely comparable to MTFP as a state-focused, donation-supported investigative outlet built on Newspack-like infrastructure.
• CalMatters: California-focused nonprofit news outlet covering state government and policy. Comparable as a state-level, donor-funded investigative newsroom, though larger in scale than MTFP; useful reference for the scaled end of the same model.
• The Connecticut Mirror: Nonpartisan, nonprofit statehouse and policy news outlet covering Connecticut. Comparable as a state-focused, member/donor-supported investigative newsroom with a small team and legislative-coverage orientation.
• The Maine Monitor: Nonprofit statewide news organization covering Maine government and accountability issues. Directly comparable in mission, donor-funded model, and small newsroom serving a single rural state.
• Honolulu Civil Beat: Hawaii-focused nonprofit investigative news outlet. Comparable as a donor/membership-supported state newsroom with a strong legislative and accountability journalism focus, operating in a geographically isolated state.
• The Nevada Current: Nonprofit digital news outlet covering Nevada politics and policy. Comparable as a small, donor-supported state-level newsroom operating in a sparsely populated western state similar to Montana.
• The Colorado Sun: Reader-supported, nonprofit statewide news outlet covering Colorado. Comparable as a digitally native, member/donor-funded state-level newsroom with multiple newsletters and beat-driven reporting.

Broad incumbents

• The Texas Tribune: Large-scale nonprofit statewide news outlet covering Texas. Comparable in mission (nonpartisan statehouse and accountability reporting) and donor/membership model, but materially larger and more established than MTFP.
• ProPublica: National, Pulitzer-winning nonprofit investigative news organization. Comparable as a 501(c)(3) investigative newsroom model and American Journalism Project-style funder ecosystem, though operating nationally rather than at state level.

Others

• American Journalism Project: Venture-style funder that invests in and incubates nonprofit local newsrooms. MTFP is an AJP portfolio company, making AJP both a strategic backer and the closest comparable to MTFP's 'nonprofit news as a buildable model' positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtfreepress
• Facebookfacebook.com/mtfreepress
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-free-press

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Montana Free Press