The Columbus Dispatch has long been a cornerstone of central Ohio’s news landscape, and a proud incubator of its future journalists. Through our annual internship program, we’ve helped launch the careers of talented reporters who now serve our community with essential local coverage.

About 20% of our current staff once worked as interns at The Dispatch, while many other former interns now serve your community at other local media outlets. That crew includes Managing Editor Rick Rouan, Photo Editor Kyle Robertson and higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix among many others.

Our staff takes tremendous pride in our annual crop of summer interns. Reporters volunteer as mentors. They plan special weekly trainings and go out of their way to help interns learn while getting real work experience reporting on local stories. Dispatch staff also volunteer each winter to run Community Journalists in Training, a hands-on program for local high school students interested in exploring journalism.

Your Gift, Their Future

Donations to support the internship program are possible thanks to a partnership with Journalism Funding Partners (JFP), a verified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (tax ID #84-2968843) and EnMotive Company, LLC, a subsidiary of USA TODAY Co., Inc.  USA TODAY Co., Inc. is the parent company of this publication.

Contributions made to JFP will be distributed to The Columbus Dispatch as monitored public good grants to financially the internship program and cannot be used for any other purpose.

Give Today, Grow Tomorrow

Through JFP and EnMotive, your tax-deductible donation will directly support hands-on training, mentorship, and real newsroom experience for aspiring journalists in Columbus. The Dispatch’s leadership team is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of reporters through a robust summer program that builds skills, confidence, and community connections.

Your generosity doesn’t just fund a program; it shapes futures, strengthens our community, and ensures Columbus stories continue to be told.

If you prefer to donate via check, please address it to Journalism Funding Partners with "Gannett Community Giving CD" in the memo line. Then mail to: 1801 West End Avenue, 16th floor, Nashville, Tennessee 37203. Please include your email address and the newsroom you’re donating to in a note with your check.

This campaign is a program of Journalism Funding Partners (JFP), tax ID #84-2968843, a verified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to “increase the depth, diversity and sustainability of local journalism by building and stewarding connections between funders and news organizations.” www.jfp-local.org.

JFP is providing funds to this news organization for their endeavors in support of this educational purpose, and will share your information with the publication you are supporting. JFP takes your privacy seriously, and we are committed to safeguarding, preserving, and respecting the privacy rights of JFP's donors, website visitors, and other supporters. For additional information on how JFP maintains your personal information, please see JFP's Privacy Policy.

Empower the Next Generation of Reporters in Columbus

Support the Internship Program