The Fund for Investigative Journalism is accepting proposals for grants of up to $10,000 for stories on any topic that break new ground and uncover wrongdoing in the public or private sectors.
Proposals are due Monday, Feb. 8, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Journalists whose proposals are accepted will be notified (and receive first payment) in March.
Grants are paid directly to investigative reporters or media outlets for expenses related to investigations, including travel costs, filing fees, document collection and analysis costs, reporters’ time and other expenses. Grants can be used for print or online articles, television or radio stories, books, podcasts and documentaries.
- Visit the online application portal: https://investigate.submittable.com/submit/175824/fij-regular-grant-period-february-8-2021-deadline
- 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/
The Fund for Investigative Journalism is holding “open office hours” via Zoom every Friday at 12 noon Eastern to answer questions about the application process and provide assistance. Join by logging on here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82653919300
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 accept. Journalists who receive grants from the Fund 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/.
If you have questions or need more information, please contact Eric Ferrero, Executive Director of the Fund for Investigative Journalism, at [email protected].