MIAMI — The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will continue to work as a local funder in Tallahassee and Detroit, despite a change in ownership of the newspapers in those communities.

Knight Foundation remains committed to serving all of the 26 communities where its founders owned newspapers at the time of the death of James L. Knight in 1991. “Jack and Jim Knight were devoted to good journalism, and they believed in giving back to the communities they served. That commitment to Tallahassee and Detroit remains,” said Alberto Ibargüen, Knight Foundation president and CEO.

In Detroit, Knight will continue working to increase community engagement, and to broaden diversity among arts and cultural organizations. Knight has made a five-year commitment to this work and is providing $24.5 million in grants for nonprofit organizations with projects in these two priority areas.

In Tallahassee, Knight will continue its investments to improve school readiness and reading skills of young children. Over five years, Knight has committed to invest $2.5 million in its projects in Tallahassee.

In both Detroit and Tallahassee, as in its other communities, Knight’s grant making is informed by a local advisory committee.

Since the foundation was established in 1950, it has invested more than $50 million in the Detroit area and more than $12 million in Tallahassee.

Knight Ridder has agreed to sell the Detroit Free Press to Gannett Co., Inc. It also plans to exchange the Tallahassee Democrat plus an undisclosed amount of cash for three Gannett newspapers in Washington and Idaho.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities. Knight Foundation is independent of Knight Ridder.