Why is it interesting?
Giving is experiencing unprecedented momentum today: it is growing rapidly from a financial perspective while attracting younger, new audiences. This is a significant shift considering that in France, the median age of donors is 62 years old. This dual evolution – growth and rejuvenation – makes giving a key lever for media independence, in France as in Europe.
The good idea
The most effective fundraising campaigns rest on three pillars. They embody faces and stories — like StreetPress, which now draws 36% of its revenue from donations (+77% in 2024). They demonstrate the concrete impact of each contribution — as with Disclose where donations represent nearly 60% of revenue (+11.3% in 2024). Finally, they activate the community, like Vert, which gathered 11,000 supporters in 2024 and draws 90% of its budget from their contributions.
Our recommendation
Don't view giving as merely a financial transaction—make it an editorial and community-driven act. Offer clear, personal, and engaging pathways. Turn your campaigns into highlights that showcase your causes and build lasting connections with your audiences.
To go further, find our experience report from The Audiencers festival, based on the work carried out by the Médianes studio with StreetPress and Vert.
To go further
- Funding the public interest: how donations take root among media outlets and readers? For Audiencers, Marine Doux also shared (and debunked) 8 misconceptions about donations.
- Médianes, the studio, supports numerous media outlets in developing new monetization sources. Discover Médianes' expertise in fundraising campaigns.
Written by Marine Doux
Marine is the president, co-founder, and editorial director of Médianes. She supports media organizations in their growth and ensures that our activities have an impact. She is currently a visiting scholar at Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism.
