Raising money isn’t rocket science. Just remember that it’s all about cultivating relationships, says Luminate’s Melanie Hui.

“Fundraising is a series of habits. It’s not something you can do occasionally,” says Bridget Gallagher. “It needs to be the first thing on your mind when you wake up and last thing when you go to bed to have any success.”

“As democratic media spaces empty, undemocratic media actors occupy them… Funding media has a positive impact on its freedom and reduces misinformation,” according to Nishant Lalwani.

“With crisis comes opportunity. We launched subscriptions after layoffs and were low on cash. There is nothing like survival to motivate us,” says TIA’s Terence Lee.

MDIF’s Indonesia-based Tessa Piper and Gabriel Sugrahetty talked about the organization’s Southeast Asia Technical Assistance Initiative, a mentorship program that is recruiting five more independent media outlets in the region until September 25.

Kevin Brockland, senior investment officer at MDIF, offers practical tips what to do if you’re looking for investment in your media startup.

MDIF’s Koreel Lahiri has developed a collection of 150+ questions to help guide founders through the process of starting up a media venture.