FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BlueLena Launches BlueLena Advisory to Expand Strategic Support for Independent News Organizations
New consulting division to provide scalable revenue systems, fractional development support, and customized group-based programs for publishers in the U.S. and abroad
Cary, NC – March 26, 2026 – BlueLena, the leading audience development and revenue optimization platform serving more than 250 independent news organizations, today announced the launch of BlueLena Advisory, a new professional services division designed to help independent publishers build scalable, sustainable revenue systems and accelerate long-term growth.
BlueLena Advisory operates as a strategy consulting practice adjacent to BlueLena’s core professional services, technology and licensing business, expanding the company’s ability to support publishers with revenue diversification. The division is purpose-built for organizations that need additional strategic capacity, including fractional development and fundraising support, as well as industry partners seeking to design and administer group-based programs that serve cohorts of newsrooms.
“BlueLena has always focused on enabling execution through our strategic services, licensing and support of best-in-class technology,” said Daniel Williams, CEO of BlueLena. “With BlueLena Advisory, we’re extending that impact by helping organizations go deeper and further in building the underlying systems, strategy, and discipline required to turn community trust into durable revenue.”
The launch comes at a critical moment for the independent and nonprofit news sector. As organizations mature, many face common challenges: underdeveloped major gift programs, inconsistent revenue forecasting, and limited internal capacity to fully leverage their data and tools. BlueLena Advisory addresses these gaps by providing structured, system-level support that integrates directly with BlueLena’s platform.
The division will initially focus on:
- Major gift program architecture
- Development infrastructure and process design
- Revenue performance management and forecasting
- Leadership training and team enablement
- Earned revenue strategy
Unlike traditional coaching and consulting models, BlueLena Advisory emphasizes repeatable, structured engagements and scalable frameworks that can be deployed across organizations and cohorts, ensuring both consistency and impact.
In addition to direct consulting engagements, BlueLena Advisory will partner with journalism support organizations to deliver multi-phase, group-based programs designed to improve key fundraising metrics, including donor conversion, recurring giving, and lifetime value. Its first program will be announced in April.
CJ Ortuño Named Principal Advisor
BlueLena also announced that CJ Ortuño will join BlueLena Advisory as its first Principal Advisor, leading the development and delivery of the division’s offerings.
Ortuño will focus on advancing BlueLena Advisory’s core initiatives, including building scalable revenue system frameworks, leading structured engagements with publishers, and developing group-based programs in partnership with field support organizations. His work will center on helping newsrooms move from ad hoc fundraising efforts to disciplined, performance-managed revenue systems.
“I work in this sector because I believe in what these organizations do. They’ve built real trust with their communities. The next step is building a fundraising program to match — one that’s repeatable, predictable, and built to outlast any one person. That’s the work.”
Ortuño brings more than 20 years of fundraising experience working with nonprofits and news organizations, including Chalkbeat, Borderless Magazine, American Journalism Project, and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.
“CJ brings deep expertise in revenue strategy and program design at exactly the right moment,” said Williams. “He will play a critical role in shaping how BlueLena Advisory delivers impact across both individual organizations and the broader ecosystem.”
BlueLena Advisory is launching with early pilot engagements and strategic partnerships already underway, including programs designed to support mid-level and major gift development across cohorts of nonprofit newsrooms.
A Natural Evolution of BlueLena’s Mission
The introduction of BlueLena Advisory represents a natural evolution of the company’s mission: to strengthen the financial sustainability of independent journalism.
“This is deepening of our commitment to strengthening the independent and nonprofit journalism movement,” Williams added. “By combining existing professional services and technology with embedded strategic expertise, our goal is to help publishers continue building the systems and approaches they need to grow, adapt, evolve and thrive for years to come.”
About BlueLena
BlueLena is a mission-driven technology company that helps nonprofit news organizations grow and sustain their revenue through data, automation, and strategic insights. Serving more than 300 publishers, BlueLena powers fundraising, audience engagement, and revenue optimization for independent journalism.
About BlueLena Advisory
BlueLena Advisory is the strategy consulting division of BlueLena, focused on helping news organizations build scalable, predictable revenue systems. Through structured engagements, fractional support, and cohort-based programs, BlueLena Advisory provides the expertise and capacity publishers need to translate data into durable growth.