Part of our mission at Newspack is to help our publishers achieve financial stability and build a community of publishers who support and learn from one another. That’s why we’re excited to announce the official launch of the Revenue Development Program (RDP) — a program dedicated to helping publishers optimize the use of Newspack tools to drive audience and revenue growth through hands-on training, one-on-one coaching, and peer support. 

The RDP is funded by the Lenfest Institute’s Local News Infrastructure Fund, which was established with support from the Knight Foundation to help local news organizations engage their audiences and strengthen their digital revenue streams. Newspack will receive up to $5 million over three years from the fund. Two million of that goes toward enrolling up to 200 organizations in the Revenue Development Program at no charge. It’s currently restricted to U.S.-based publishers (a condition of the grant).

Cohort tracks customized to business needs and goals 

After an initial assessment, we place participants in the program track that will have the most immediate impact on revenue growth potential. Each cohort is composed of publishers who will benefit from working with one another.  

Those three tracks are: 

• Newsletters: Boost subscriber growth and monetization.
• Reader revenue: Generate direct revenue using reader revenue models such as memberships, subscriptions, and paywalls. 
• Advertising and sponsorships: Optimize advertising and sponsorship opportunities. 

Each cohort track kicks off with an intensive six-week sprint that teaches participants how to maximize Newspack for audience and revenue growth. Participants are placed in cohorts with other publishers that have similar business needs and goals. Cohort participants can share ideas, questions, and wins along the way. They can continue supporting each other even after the sprint concludes. Finally, we ensure participants stay on track for a year after their start date with quarterly check-ins. 

“The Newspack RDP has been an insightful experience that has helped me clearly understand how our newsletter strategy compares to peers in other markets. By speaking with similar-sized, non-competitive publishers, I have been able to sharpen my priorities and build a roadmap to growing audience and revenue. The hands-on coaching gave me actionable ways to immediately improve our acquisition strategy.”

– Keith Pepper, publisher of Rough Draft Atlanta

Expert coaching, support, and actionable takeaways

We work with each program participant to identify growth opportunities and develop a customized plan with actionable steps they can implement immediately.

Throughout the six-week sprint, each cohort works with a team of coaches and Newspack product experts. The coaches are experts from Blue Engine Collaborative and other seasoned professionals, along with the Newspack team. These specialists have collectively helped hundreds of publications enhance their revenue strategies. 

Participants receive actionable insights and ongoing support to ensure they achieve measurable results. Our collaborative approach provides sustained guidance and practical takeaways for long-term success.

Participation timeline and expectations

We’ve just wrapped up a pilot phase with two cohorts in the Newsletters track. Following its success, our next cohort will also focus on newsletters and it begins July 23. If you’re a Newspack publisher and want to participate, please apply by July 8. 

The Reader Revenue and Ads/Sponsorships tracks will begin later. We will share application forms when those dates are confirmed. 

Due to the hands-on nature of this program, the time commitment is about five hours per week during the six-week sprint. Participants will engage in learning and implementation, a two-hour weekly group workshop, and individual sessions tailored to their organization’s needs. Time spent in this program pays off with immediate results and long-term growth strategies. 

“With Newspack’s guidance, we were able to optimize the copy on our in-line and overlay newsletter signup boxes, which doubled our signups for the Denver Urban Spectrum in less than one week. Their expertise in crafting compelling CTAs was invaluable in driving audience engagement.”

Brittany Winkfield, associate publisher of Denver Urban Spectrum 

If you’re not a Newspack publisher and are interested in the RDP, please contact our sales team for a demo and more information about the program.