The Swampscott Tides has been named the startup of the year at the 2025 Nonprofit News Awards.
The Institute for Nonprofit News presented the awards on Wednesday, September 10, in New Orleans. The startup of the year award honors a nonprofit operating for less than three years that demonstrates strong community support and sustainable revenue growth. The Swampscott Tides was previously named a finalist alongside Spotlight Delaware and the Oxford Free Press.
“This is a proud day for The Swampscott Tides to have this national recognition by our nonprofit news peers, but we didn’t do it alone. We got here because of the support of our readers, our board, our managing editor and all the volunteers that have helped restore local journalism to our community,” said Anne Driscoll, the president of the board.
The Nonprofit News Awards, or INNYs, are meant to honor “excellence in journalism, leadership and community service across the field of nonprofit news.” Award categories range from “best investigative journalism award” to “insight award for explanatory journalism” and an “insight award for visual journalism.”
There were about 600 entries to the INNYs in 2025 across 11 categories. A total of 76 judges, including nationally recognized journalists, formed panels to evaluate the entries.
Previous winners of the startup of the year award include the Flatwater Free Press in Nebraska, Cardinal News in Virginia, and El Paso Matters in Texas.
The idea for The Swampscott Tides was born in a local Panera, where three journalists and a lawyer discussed launching a publication in December 2023. At the time, Swampscott hadn’t had a dedicated local newspaper in years.
Now, two years later, The Swampscott Tides has been publishing online for 133 days, with nearly 250 stories covering local politics, schools, town events, new businesses, and community explainers.
“It’s incredible what we’ve accomplished in such a short time,” said Monica Sager, managing editor of The Swampscott Tides. “I’ve been lucky to get to know Swampscott and its residents while covering what matters to them. Local news really makes a difference, and this publication has been able to show that. I still can’t believe the Institute for Nonprofit News recognized the importance of our local paper.”
Since its launch, the publication has averaged 56 articles per month. The site has attracted more than 36,000 visitors, with over 19,000 coming directly from Facebook.The Swampscott Tides has doubled its email subscribers since it launched on May 9th.
“These early results show the community not only wants but will support a dedicated independent local source of news,” Institute for Nonprofit News’ Alana Rocha said at the award ceremony.
To subscribe to the Swampscott Tides and receive a weekly Friday roundup email, visit swampscotttides.org/subscribe-to-the-tides.
