Case Study: Inside Philanthropy achieves 58% revenue growth with Piano

How Inside Philanthropy Grew Revenue by 58%

Inside Philanthropy is a journalism site dedicated to exposing how major donors and foundations shape public life. To fund its reporting, IP relied on a metered paywall, but found it inadequate for protecting its most valuable research—funding guides—and susceptible to being bypassed, so leadership sought a more effective monetization strategy.

IP implemented Piano VX and Composer, switching to a hybrid model—metered access for news and a hard paywall for research—with custom paywall templates tied to specific guides. The change drove immediate results: new subscriptions rose 70%, overall revenue grew 58%, and monthly subscriptions jumped as much as 47%, while the Piano team supported a smooth migration and ongoing optimization.

Inside Philanthropy

David Callahan

Founder and Editor