The Philadelphia Citizen
The Philadelphia Citizen is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit civic journalism organization delivering solutions-focused news, podcasts, civic events, and engagement programs; it acquired the 117-year-old Philadelphia Magazine in October 2025 under parent Citizen Media Group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What The Philadelphia Citizen does
The Philadelphia Citizen is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civic journalism organization founded in 2015 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It produces solutions-oriented editorial coverage across politics, business, education, environment, health, housing, arts, and civic engagement, supplemented by four podcast brands (CitizenCast, How To Really Run A City, Overheard at Fitler, Philly Under Fire), signature events (the Ideas We Should Steal Festival, Rad Awards, Integrity Icon Philadelphia), civic programs (Generation Change Philly, Do Something Guides), and content series with Philadelphia Eagles players. In October 2025, it acquired the 117-year-old Philadelphia Magazine and consolidated both properties under the nonprofit parent Citizen Media Group, creating a combined regional civic-and-lifestyle media platform.
The organization's technology footprint is modest: a digital-first publishing website (thephiladelphiacitizen.org), podcast distribution via Apple Podcasts and Spotify, membership management on Join It, donation processing through Donorbox, and social presence across Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems, mobile applications, or developer APIs disclosed. The Ideas We Should Steal Festival is held as a registered trademark.
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: (1) annual membership subscriptions across three tiers ($50 City Insider, $100 Change Ambassador, $2,500 Citizen Stakeholder with nonprofit ownership shares), (2) restricted advertising and corporate sponsorships (notably Comcast NBCUniversal as presenting sponsor of Ideas We Should Steal), and (3) donations and philanthropic support from venture capitalists and notable figures. Membership tiers bundle event access, digital and print magazine benefits, and, at the top tier, voting rights for an observer seat on the Board of Trustees. The customer base is predominantly individual Philadelphia residents and civic-minded professionals, with corporate sponsors as a secondary revenue concentration.
The Philadelphia Citizen firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Philadelphia Citizen
- Legal name
- The Philadelphia Citizen
- Website
- https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Philadelphia Citizen is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit civic journalism organization delivering solutions-focused news, podcasts, civic events, and engagement programs; it acquired the 117-year-old Philadelphia Magazine in October 2025 under parent Citizen Media Group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Philadelphia Citizen industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Civic Journalism Media
- NAICS
- Newspaper Publishers (513110), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement (BPAIACAB), Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI), Smart Cities & Urban Innovation Programs (Digital Planning, Civic Tech for Cities) (BPAIANAJ)
Keywords
Where The Philadelphia Citizen is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Philadelphia Citizen business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Membership & Subscriptions: Annual membership tiers providing event access, digital and print magazine subscriptions, member swag, and partner perks
- Donations & Philanthropy: Funding from venture capitalists and notable figures as mentioned in acquisition coverage; donor-supported nonprofit model
- Advertising & Sponsorships: Accepts advertising with restrictions (no political ads, issue advocacy, PACs). Advertisements and sponsorships have different tax-deductible eligibility
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | City Insider - $50/year basic membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Change Ambassador - $100/year premium membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Citizen Stakeholder - $2,500/year ownership tier |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Philadelphia Citizen product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Philadelphia Citizen produces solutions-focused civic journalism for the Philadelphia region across politics, business, education, environment, health, and community topics, delivered through a website, podcasts, events, and civic engagement toolkits. It also operates the Change Philly Movement membership program with tiered annual subscriptions, and following its October 2025 acquisition now publishes the 117-year-old Philadelphia Magazine under the nonprofit parent Citizen Media Group.
Product overview
The Philadelphia Citizen operates as a nonprofit civic journalism organization offering a unified platform of content, events, and community programs. The core product is its civic-focused publication covering Philadelphia news across politics, business, education, environment, health, and community topics. The portfolio includes acquired brand Philadelphia Magazine (a 117-year-old lifestyle publication), multiple podcast brands (CitizenCast, How To *Really* Run A City, Overheard at Fitler, Philly Under Fire), signature events (Ideas We Should Steal Festival, Rad Awards), civic programs (Integrity Icon awards, Generation Change Philly), and membership offerings (Change Philly Movement with tiered membership including stakeholder ownership). The organization serves as parent of Citizen Media Group, combining journalism with community engagement to foster civic participation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- CitizenCast: Original podcast covering political, social, and cultural workings of Philadelphia with explainers and interviews on civic issues.
- Ideas We Should Steal Festival
- Rad Awards
- Integrity Icon Philadelphia
- How To Really Run A City
- Philadelphia Magazine
Products and services
- The Philadelphia Citizen (digital publication) A nonprofit digital publication delivering solutions-focused civic journalism covering Philadelphia politics, business, education, environment, health, housing, and community engagement, designed to inform residents and drive civic action.
- Philadelphia Magazine A 117-year-old regional lifestyle and civic magazine acquired in October 2025 and now operated under nonprofit parent Citizen Media Group, combining lifestyle coverage with solutions journalism for Philadelphia readers.
- CitizenCast The original podcast from The Philadelphia Citizen, featuring explainers, interviews, and solutions-focused content on the political, social, and cultural workings of Philadelphia, distributed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- How To Really Run A City A podcast featuring conversations with mayors about urban governance, hosted by former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter along with Kasim Reed and Larry Platt.
- Overheard at Fitler A podcast series featuring candid conversations recorded at the Fitler Club venue in Philadelphia.
- Philly Under Fire A podcast series covering Philadelphia topics and issues.
- Ideas We Should Steal Festival An annual festival (8th edition in 2025) presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, featuring changemakers and innovators with ideas that could fuel progress in Philadelphia, with speakers and panels on civic innovation.
- Change Philly Movement Membership A tiered annual membership program with City Insider at $50/year, Change Ambassador at $100/year, and Citizen Stakeholder at $2,500/year, offering event access, digital and print Philadelphia magazine benefits, member swag, and stakeholder ownership shares in Citizen Media Group inspired by the Green Bay Packers model.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 60 Philadelphians recognized through Rad Awards since 2015
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Philadelphia Citizen
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Philadelphia Citizen technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature1 record
The Philadelphia Citizen partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Comcast NBCUniversalflagshipComcast NBCUniversal is the presenting sponsor of the 8th Annual Ideas We Should Steal Festival. This flagship partnership demonstrates corporate support for civic journalism and community engagement initiatives in Philadelphia.
- Accountability LabcorePartnership with Accountability Lab to run the Integrity Icon Philadelphia program since 2020, naming and faming high-integrity city workers. This ongoing collaboration has recognized dozens of public servants through a rigorous nomination and vetting process.
- Keepers of the CommonscoreJoint initiative 'Generation Change Philly' in partnership with Keepers of the Commons, a nonprofit that identifies and connects often overlooked community leaders to policy and ideas events, cultivating local talent and growing their impact.
- Fitler ClubminorThe Philadelphia Citizen maintains its headquarters offsite at Fitler Club and hosts events at this Philadelphia venue, which serves as a partner location for member events and gatherings.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Philadelphia Citizen competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Resolve Philadelphia: Resolve Philadelphia is a nonprofit solutions-journalism newsroom founded explicitly around the same solutions-reporting methodology that defines The Philadelphia Citizen. It is an emerging peer with overlapping editorial philosophy and Philadelphia focus, though operating at a smaller scale and without the Citizen's broader media portfolio.
- City Bureau: City Bureau is a nonprofit civic journalism organization based in Chicago covering local government and community issues. It shares the nonprofit newsroom model, civic-engagement mission, and documenters/public-meeting reporting approach that parallels The Philadelphia Citizen's community-driven model.
Direct peers
- The 19th News: The 19th News is a nonprofit news organization covering gender, politics, and policy. It shares the nonprofit newsroom structure, membership/donor-supported funding model, and a solutions-and-equity-oriented editorial mission that mirrors The Philadelphia Citizen's community-driven approach.
- Philadelphia Daily News: The Philadelphia Daily News is Philadelphia's second major daily newspaper, historically operated alongside The Inquirer. It competes for the same local news, civic, and advertising markets as The Philadelphia Citizen, and is now operated by Philadelphia Inquirer staff under a combined newsroom structure.
- WHYY: WHYY is Philadelphia's primary NPR/PBS affiliate, producing local civic journalism, podcasts, and public affairs programming. It is a direct competitor for Philadelphia civic-news audience attention, member donations, and underwriting sponsorships, with a similarly nonprofit, mission-driven structure.
- Billy Penn: Billy Penn was a digital-first local news outlet covering Philadelphia with a similar daily-newsletter, events, and civic-engagement playbook. It is a directly comparable peer in product format and target audience, and its transition/wholly-owned-by-Another-Bird-Operator history offers a relevant operating-model case study.
- Spotlight PA: Spotlight PA is a nonprofit, collaborative newsroom covering state government and civic accountability across Pennsylvania. It shares the nonprofit journalism model, civic-engagement orientation, and donor-supported funding structure, serving an overlapping audience interested in Pennsylvania civic and policy issues.
- The Philadelphia Inquirer: The Philadelphia Inquirer is Philadelphia's dominant daily newspaper covering local politics, civic affairs, and community news. It competes directly with The Philadelphia Citizen for the same Philadelphia civic-minded readership, advertising dollars, and event sponsorship, though it operates a for-profit legacy newspaper model rather than nonprofit.
Broad incumbents
- The Atlantic: The Atlantic is a large national magazine that has expanded aggressively into civic/political journalism, podcasts (including a 'How To' series), and live events. It is a broader-scale incumbent with overlapping product mix (longform journalism, podcasts, festivals) and a comparable Philadelphia Magazine lifestyle-coverage heritage through its own magazine history.
- ProPublica: ProPublica is the leading U.S. nonprofit investigative journalism organization. It is a broader-scale incumbent in the nonprofit civic journalism space, offering a comparable donor-funded model, mission-driven editorial approach, and partnerships with local outlets — including occasional collaboration with regional civic newsrooms.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Philadelphia Citizen social profiles
Digital presenceThe Philadelphia Citizen financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Philadelphia Citizen leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Philadelphia Citizen subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
The Philadelphia Citizen funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Philadelphia Citizen M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Philadelphia Citizen
What does The Philadelphia Citizen do?
The Philadelphia Citizen produces solutions-focused civic journalism for the Philadelphia region across politics, business, education, environment, health, and community topics, delivered through a website, podcasts, events, and civic engagement toolkits. It also operates the Change Philly Movement membership program with tiered annual subscriptions, and following its October 2025 acquisition now publishes the 117-year-old Philadelphia Magazine under the nonprofit parent Citizen Media Group.
Is The Philadelphia Citizen a public or private company?
The Philadelphia Citizen is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Philadelphia Citizen founded?
The Philadelphia Citizen was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Philadelphia Citizen based?
The Philadelphia Citizen is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Philadelphia Citizen make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership & Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are donations & Philanthropy and advertising & Sponsorships.
Who are The Philadelphia Citizen's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Resolve Philadelphia and City Bureau. Direct peers are The 19th News, Philadelphia Daily News, WHYY, Billy Penn, Spotlight PA and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Broad incumbents are The Atlantic and ProPublica.
Does The Philadelphia Citizen have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Philadelphia Citizen.
What industry is The Philadelphia Citizen in?
The Philadelphia Citizen's product category is Digital Civic Journalism Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAB, Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital), with a secondary code of BPAIACAB, City Clerk/Records, Elections & Civic Engagement. Its NAICS code is 513110.