ROCKVILLE, Md. – August 4, 2026 – Montgomery Community Media (MCM) has been awarded a $75,000 Strategic Planning Grant through the Montgomery County Office of Grants Management’s Fiscal Year 2026 Nonprofit Strategic Planning (NSP) Grant Program. The highly competitive grant will support a comprehensive strategic planning initiative designed to strengthen MCM’s long-term sustainability and position the organization to meet the rapidly evolving needs of Montgomery County residents, in addition to capacity building and technical assistance to respond to the decline of cable funding and pursue centralization of services within the Montgomery County cable system.
The award comes at a pivotal time for community media organizations across the country. Public media is navigating significant shifts in funding, technology, media consumption habits, and the economic landscape that supports local journalism and public access media. Through this initiative, MCM will examine how it can continue to fulfill its mission while identifying innovative opportunities to strengthen services, expand community impact, and ensure long-term organizational resilience.
The strategic planning process will bring together nationally qualified consultants, MCM’s Board of Directors, staff, community partners, and key stakeholders to evaluate the future of community media in Montgomery County. The project will examine organizational sustainability, governance, funding models, operational efficiencies, and opportunities for collaboration to ensure that residents continue to have access to trusted local journalism, media education, civic engagement, and public access services for years to come.
MCM was selected through a highly competitive application process. Montgomery County’s Office of Grants Management received 37 applications requesting more than $2.77 million in funding, while only $750,000 was available for distribution. MCM’s proposal received full funding, underscoring both the strength of the project and its importance to the future of local community media.
“For years, MCM has explored ways to modernize community media and centralize our work with other PEG partners to better serve Montgomery County residents,” said MCM Chief Executive Officer Jasmine White. “This grant gives us the opportunity to turn those conversations into a strategic roadmap that positions community media to remain a strong, sustainable county resource with purpose, innovation, and impact.”
MCM will begin the process of procuring consulting services in August 2026.
