(Washington) – The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) is pleased to announce continuing support from the Gannett Foundation for FIJ’s grant and mentoring program for independent watchdog journalists.
The Foundation has awarded a grant for $25,000 that will give critical assistance to reporters working on domestic investigative reporting projects. This is the second year that the Foundation has awarded a grant to the Fund for Investigative Journalism.
FIJ makes grants to reporters who have the ideas, sources, and know-how to produce groundbreaking investigative journalism, but need help paying the expenses of reporting. Gannett Foundation support helped launch five investigations into domestic issues in 2011.
“At a time of shrinking news media budgets, the Gannett Foundation support for investigative reporting provides a much needed boost for the independent journalist doing watchdog work,” said Brant Houston, president of FIJ’s board of directors.
In partnership with Investigative Reporters and Editors, FIJ matches grant recipients with veteran journalists who serve as mentors. Interested grantees are also eligible for fellowships with the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University.
In addition to support from the Gannett Foundation, the Fund for Investigative Journalism receives foundation support from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, the Green Park Foundation, the Park Foundation, from private family foundations, and from individuals. The John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Investigative and Enterprise Reporting at the Journalism Department in the College of Media at the University of Illinois also supports FIJ.
Donations can be made online, www.fij.org, or by mail to the Fund for Investigative Journalism, 529 14th Street NW – 13thfloor, Washington DC 20045.