The Fund for Investigative Journalism is accepting proposals for grants to cover the expenses of investigative stories that break new ground and uncover wrongdoing in the public or private sectors. Grants are for up to $10,000 for stories on any topic.
Proposals are due Monday, Jan. 31, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Journalists whose proposals are accepted will be notified (and receive first payment) in March.
- Visit the online application portal: https://investigate.submittable.com/submit
- View a short video with proposal tips from a past grantee and a member of the Fund’s board: https://fij.org/how-to-get-a-grant-webinar/
- Read answers to frequently asked questions about grant applications: https://fij.org/grants-faq/
- Learn more about how to request mentorship in the application process from a past grantee: https://fij.org/new-past-grantees-provide-peer-mentorship-in-applications-process/
The grant application includes the following components:
- Brief summary (100 words or less)
- Full proposal (1,000 words or less) that explains what makes this an investigative journalism project, what the applicant’s investigative plan is, what the story will uncover that’s new, and why the applicant is uniquely suited to do the story
- Budget for the project
- Resume and references
- Letter of commitment from a media outlet to publish the story
The Fund’s Board of Directors, comprised of accomplished journalists, reviews grant proposals and decides which ones to approve. Journalists who receive grants are also eligible for other support, including editorial mentorship, pro bono legal help and training.
For an index of stories published in the last 12 months with support from the Fund for Investigative Journalism, go to: https://fij.org/2020-index-of-grantee-stories/. For highlights of the impact of stories supported by the Fund, go to: https://fij.org/impact/.