Public Media Bridge Fund Launches New Grant Program to Support Station Sustainability Efforts

The Pathways to Sustainability program is designed to help move local public media organizations from short-term stabilization to long-term sustainability while preserving essential local service.

October 6, 2026 — Today, the Public Media Bridge Fund launched Pathways to Sustainability, a new grant program that will help local public media organizations implement specific sustainability strategies and continue serving their communities following the rescission of federal funding last year.

“Many local public media organizations already know how their operations need to adapt — they just require the capital and capacity to get there,” said Erik Langner, executive director of the Bridge Fund. “Pathways to Sustainability will provide both, in the form of strategic grants and targeted coaching. Together, these resources will help stations across the system chart a feasible path forward, implement resilient business models and provide essential local public media service in their communities for years to come.”

Specifically, Pathways to Sustainability will pair eligible organizations with expert coaches to identify key strategies to achieve operational and financial sustainability. Together, station leadership and their assigned coach will co-develop a tailored action plan. At the end of the coaching period, organizations can apply for implementation funding to execute specific activities they have identified as core to their future sustainability. While each organization’s strategic action plan will be unique, the Bridge Fund is especially interested in supporting initiatives that explore collaborative operating models, implement shared or outsourced services, realize technology or engineering solutions, and/or fund new revenue-generating strategies.

“At the Bridge Fund, sustainability means more than closing a budget gap. It means diverse revenue streams that cover organizations’ basic operating expenses and allow them to invest in high-quality local service and deep community engagement,” said Gabrielle Jones, head of sustainability at the Bridge Fund.

The Pathways to Sustainability program is a continuation of the Bridge Fund’s strategic shift from stabilization to adaptation. Last year, the Bridge Fund launched an emergency stabilization grant program in the immediate aftermath of the rescission to help vulnerable stations weather the loss of federal funding, ultimately awarding $26 million to 74 local public media organizations. This spring, the Bridge Fund opened the rolling Collaborative Operating Models program to help public media organizations build strategic partnerships that allow them to operate more efficiently. The Pathways to Sustainability program is the latest evolution in that grantmaking strategy, focused on implementing specific operational action plans with potential for long-term sustainability.

The Pathways to Sustainability program is open to public radio and television stations that qualified for funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting as of Sept. 30, 2025, and provide a unique local service. For this and future programs, the Bridge Fund is shifting from station-based to organization-based support, recognizing that sustainability and strategic planning happen at the organizational level. Eligible organizations must have a total annual budget at or below $2 million for radio-only licensees, $5 million for TV-only licensees and $7 million for joint licensees. Full eligibility requirements are available in the program guidelines.

The initial application for Pathways to Sustainability will open Tuesday, Oct. 20, with applications due Thursday, Nov. 19. Program guidelines and initial application questions are available on the Bridge Fund website.

Organizations interested in learning more about the Pathways to Sustainability program are encouraged to join the Bridge Fund for a virtual information session Monday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. EDT / noon PDT. Learn more and register here.

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About the Public Media Bridge Fund

The Public Media Bridge Fund, an initiative of Public Media Company, is designed to guide local public media through a crisis moment to a more sustainable, vibrant and impactful future. Launched in 2025, the Bridge Fund has raised over $86 million to date with the mission of maintaining public media service across the country; protecting essential infrastructure for local, nonprofit use; and strengthening systemwide resilience and community value for the long term. The Bridge Fund’s strategy is rooted in a sequential and progressive framework, beginning with stabilization and moving through sustainability with the ultimate goal of adapting the system to solidify public media as a cornerstone of a more connected society. For more information, visit publicmediabridgefund.org.

Media Contact: Louisa Lincoln, head of impact & engagement, Public Media Bridge Fund, louisa@publicmedia.co