Journalism Grants

Learn about grants for journalism and media by exploring the curated list of top journalism and media funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities by using the search tool for GrantFinder. Become a member.

Key Funders

Journalism Grantmaking Trends

A free and fair press is fundamental to democracy. Yet, UNESCO reports a measurable decline in press freedom around the world since 2012. In 2024, the United States ranked 55th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index created by Reporters without Borders (RSF). Globally, dozens of journalists are killed and hundreds detained every year, RSF reports. For journalists based in the U.S., RSF suggests that “major structural barriers to press freedom persist in [the United States], once considered a model for freedom of expression.” Contributing to these barriers, RSF identifies economic constraints, the decline in local news, and growing distrust in media stating as sources.

The U.S. has lost about one-third of its newspapers in the past two decades, and more than 40,000 journalists have retired or been laid off in that span, according to the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University. In this light, more than 200 U.S. counties have become “news deserts,” while another 228 are at risk, the initiative reports.

What caused this contraction? The ad-driven business model that sustained American newspapers for decades shifted with the rise of digital media. Consolidation and cost cutting in a news business dominated by billionaire owners led to the shuttering of local outlets and ongoing layoffs. Meanwhile, the rise of social media and political polarization have produced a mutually reinforcing cycle of misinformation, disinformation, and distrust in media. Add to all that the introduction of AI-generated content, and it becomes clearer as to why a 2024 poll by Free Press found that “79% of Americans are concerned that the information they see online is fake, false or a deliberate attempt to confuse people.”

In response to all this, philanthropy for journalism has increased significantly over the past two decades. What was once a focus area of relatively few grantmakers has become a philanthropic priority not just for longtime journalism funders, but also for funders concerned with democracy and the importance of disseminating reliable information about everything from health and education to climate change. From 2018 to 2022, 25 of the top U.S.-based media funders gave more than $1B in journalism grants; the percentage of funders making journalism grants larger than $1M increased every year in that span, according to Media Impact Funders.

Where are journalism and media grants going?

A handful of foundations broadly support nonprofit journalism, while others focus on specific areas, such as the Kaiser Family Foundation’s support for health news and information. Community foundations are an increasingly important source of support for local news outlets. Some of the larger journalism nonprofits, such as the local-news-focused American Journalism Project, are active regrantors.

Still, even with a substantial increase in charitable giving for journalism in recent years, need continues to outweigh philanthropic support. Protecting fair, investigative reporting requires both public and private funding, as well as new business models, which are all essential to an informed population and functioning democratic society.

Journalism grants invest in nonprofit news outlets, public media outlets, and programs that educate and train journalists. Funding priorities tend to include strengthening local news and investigative reporting, combating disinformation, and protecting democracy. Journalism and media grants are also made to help close the digital divide, to raise awareness on specific issues, and to protect journalists’ safety. Advocacy to regulate digital media is another focus of grants for journalism and media.

Today, philanthropy even supports for-profit media outlets as they experiment with new business models and public-private partnerships in order to help them survive. As IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief on Giving for Journalism and Public Media investigates, one emerging trend for journalism funders addresses the conversion of for-profit news outlets into nonprofits.

History of philanthropy for journalism and media

“Twenty-five years ago, the handful of philanthropies that funded journalism and media operated against a backdrop of healthy for-profit media outlets,” Mike Scutari writes in IP’s State of American Philanthropy brief. But since the early aughts, the mounting crisis in journalism has prompted more philanthropists to get involved. Another wave of funding came after the 2016 election drew attention to the urgent need to combat disinformation. Funding at the intersection of democracy, local media, and civic engagement has increased even more since 2021. Today, the local nonprofit news ecosystem is steadily growing, with local news outlets raising 45% of their revenue from foundation grants, the Institute for Nonprofit News reports.

Gaps in journalism funding

The Democracy Fund, in a report titled “Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Journalism: What Funders Can Do,” found that only 8.1% of U.S. journalism grants from 2013 to 2017 supported equity-focused efforts. As a result, more funding is needed for journalism focused on and written by both communities of color and the LGBTQ+ communities. Further gaps remain in philanthropic funding for issue-based journalism, such as coverage of climate change, and for international media outlets and international reporting, Media Impact Funders found, which undermines the dissemination of knowledge that helps people make informed decisions.

Additional resources for journalism philanthropy

Institute for Nonprofit News’ Network Philanthropy Center and the Lenfest Institute’s News Philanthropy Network

Foundations for Journalism and Media

A BLADE OF GRASS

A Blade of Grass is an arts funder that supports arts-focused and participatory journalism projects.

ALEXIA FOUNDATION

This foundation supports photographers, photojournalists and students in related fields with support for projects that reflect the foundation’s focus on promoting social justice, peace and understanding.

ANGELICA FOUNDATION

Working mainly in Mexico and Latin America, this funder supports groups that protect and advocate for journalists and periodicals that expose governmental corruption, especially in regions where reporters are frequently assassinated over their work.

ARTHUR VINING DAVIS FOUNDATIONS

This funder does not have a funding initiative dedicated to journalism, but it has supported some journalistic programming for public television via the educational media initiative.

ASSOCIATION OF HEALTH CARE JOURNALISTS

AHCJ awards fellowships to journalists covering the field of healthcare. It also provides funding to individual journalists and students who wish to attend its annual conference.

THE BEN BAGDIKIAN FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program supports media and journalism through three fellowship programs in San Francisco, New York City and Washington, DC.

BEST BUY FOUNDATION

The philanthropic arm of the retail electronics giant funds programs that teach technology-based 21st-century skills to teens age 13 to 18. Its support for journalism emphasizes media production skills.

BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA

Black Public Media runs training and funding programs for filmmakers and teams producing works that bring the global Black experience to broad audiences.

PETER AND CARMEN LUCIA BUCK FOUNDATION

PCLB’s Journalism program supports organizations that conduct high-quality investigative journalism, as well as professional training and efforts to make new investigative data-gathering and distribution tools available to journalists. New York and Connecticut are prioritized.

CARNEGIE CORPORATION OF NEW YORK

The Carnegie Corporation of New York does not have a dedicated journalism grantmaking program, but awards such grants through its other priority programs and its fellows program.

THE CARTER CENTER

Carter supports journalism via its Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism program.

CHANNEL FOUNDATION

Channel’s Amplifying Gender Equality in Media supports “women’s voices in the media via community radio, journalism, media and communications training and coverage of gender issues.”

THE COMMONWEALTH FUND

Thisi funder supports two fellowships for health journalism in collaboration with the Association for Health Care Journalists.

COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS

The council supports journalism with the Edward R. Murrow Press Fellowship, which supports one distinguished foreign correspondent or editor each year with a ten month residency at the council’s New York headquarters.

CURVE FOUNDATION

The Curve Foundation gives two annual awards for journalistic coverage of LGBTQ issues.

DART CENTER FOR JOURNALISM & TRAUMA

The Dart Center runs fellowships and awards programs for journalism that addresses violence, conflict and trauma.

DIGITAL DEFENDERS PARTNERSHIP

This funder’s grants focus on journalist and organizations working to disseminate information for and about oppressed or marginalized groups. Funding focuses on security, safety and preparedness.

MAX AND VICTORIA DREYFUS FOUNDATION

Dreyfus grant mainly support public media outlets.

EDITORIAL PROJECTS IN EDUCATION

EPE prioritizes journalists reporting on K-12 education. It also publishes Education Week, chronicler of important education news.

EMERSON COLLECTIVE

Journalism funding focuses “local and rural news outlets, investigative journalism, and a diverse array of unscripted and scripted content.” Grants tend to support left-of-center media outlets.

EUROPEAN JOURNALISM CENTRE

This funder supports European journalism by providing access to new ideas, techniques, people, and funding.

F THREE FOUNDATION

Grants support public media, independent and investigative journalism.

FIRSTENERGY FOUNDATION

This funder generally supports smaller, local journalism outfits and freedom of the press advocacy. Grantmaking is limited to geographic ares where FirstEnergy operates.

FLORA FAMILY FOUNDATION

Flora gives to broad range of journalistic organizations and projects ranging from traditional newspapers to social media endeavors. Grantmaking is global in scope.

FORD FOUNDATION

Ford’s Creativity and Free Expression program seeks to explore “how cultural narratives affect and shape our reality, and how the arts, journalism, and film can contribute to fairer and more just societies.”

FOUNDATION FOR MIDDLE EAST PEACE

In addition to publishing its own newsletters and reports, this foundation supports news outlets, journalistic endeavors, and nonprofits dedicated to raising awareness of the situation in Palestine.

FREELANCE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTERS AND EDITORS

This organization supports investigative journalism in the public interest with consulting and editorial services as well as grants.

FREE PRESS UNLIMITED FOUNDATION

Free Press Unlimited supports journalists and media organizations facing attacks, persecution, threats and harassment.

FUND FOR INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

This fund supports individuals and groups working on journalistic projects that expose wrongdoing such as corruption, malfeasance and misuse of power.

GANNETT FOUNDATION

Gannett’s media grants support journalism education and training programs, with an emphasis on increasing the media industry’s diversity.

WALLACE ALEXANDER GERBODE FOUNDATION

The Gerbode Foundation invests in journalism and media through its Advancing Truth initiative, which seeks counter misinformation and amplify diverse perspectives.

GRANTHAM FOUNDATION

Journalism is a smaller area of giving for this foundation, and most grants support climate-focused projects.

GRUBER FAMILY FOUNDATION

This foundation does not outline goals for its journalism grantmaking but tends to support progressive organizations and public media outlets.

HARRY FRANK GUGGENHEIM FOUNDATION

Guggenheim’s journalism grants focus on ethical reporting for criminal justice. It funds the Harry Frank Guggenheim Journalism Fellows program and the Harry Frank Guggenheim Awards for Excellence in Criminal Justice Journalism.

HEISING-SIMONS FOUNDATION

This foundation’s journalism initiative “recognizes and supports journalism as a critical element of a healthy and multicultural democracy.” Underrepresented groups and investigative journalism are interest. It also awards the American Mosaic Journalism Prize.

HUMANITY UNITED

Humanity United is an offshoot of the Omidyar Group. Its journalism grantmaking aims “engage media partners, journalists, and storytellers in order to educate audiences about important social issues” and to “help create the space for action and change.”

INASMUCH FOUNDATION

Inasmuch’s journalism initiative, which used to be the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, supports Oklahoma Journalism, Nonprofit Investigative Reporting and Special Opportunities.

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE

ITVS supports the production of documentary film for distribution on public television and affiliated media.

INSTITUTE FOR JOURNALISM & NATURAL RESOURCES

IJNR’s awards programs support journalism and projects in environmental reporting.

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR JOURNALISTS

The International Center for Journalists runs fellowship, awards and accelerator programs with a strong focus on developing nations and investigative journalism.

INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY ASSOCIATION

IDA funds grants that support documentary filmmakers with their filmmaking, production and distribution costs.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S MEDIA FOUNDATION

The International Women’s Media Foundation runs fellowship, grant and awards programs that support women journalists and media professionals.

KAHLE-AUSTIN FOUNDATION

This organization funds digital media preservation rather than journalism directly. The Internet Archive is the Kahle-Austin Foundation’s largest grant recipient.

HENRY J. KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION

This funder makes grants to support journalism about health and healthcare. It also funds internships and fellowships to train journalists working in health reporting.

KAVLI FOUNDATION

This foundation supports science journalism with its AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Awards.

KNIGHT FOUNDATION

The Knight Foundation’s Journalism program seeks to advance journalistic excellence in the digital age.

JACOB AND VALERIA LANGELOTH FOUNDATION

This funder supports journalism and media that reports on and informs the public about the foundation’s two main areas of interest: criminal justice reform and gun violence.

JONATHAN LOGAN FAMILY FOUNDATION

This is a is a social justice-oriented funder that supports investigative journalism, documentary film production and other organizations and projects that aim to “illuminate the world and create positive change.”

REVA AND DAVID LOGAN FOUNDATION

This foundation’s journalism program aims to support investigative work that “exposes acts of tyranny and malfeasance and stands as a bulwark for freedom, justice and democracy.” Grantmaking is global in scope, but Chicago is an area of priority.

LUMINA FOUNDATION

Lumina does not name journalism or media projects as areas of grantmaking interest, but several recent grants have supported projects in these areas in recent years.

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION

This iconic funder conceives of independent journalism as an essential component of democracy and a vital means of “informing, engaging, and activating Americans.” Nonprofit and local news are areas of priority.

MEDIA DEMOCRACY FUND

The Media Democracy Fund supports organizations that protect people’s freedom of expression and their right to communicate in the digital age.

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT FUND

The Media Investment Fund invests in independent media outlets located in select countries around the world, including across Africa, Asia, Eurasia, Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, and Latin America.

MIZE FAMILY FOUNDATION

Journalism and media grantmaking stems from the Innovative Media program, supporting “organizations working in traditional and new media, who use creative methods to effectively communicate issues related to climate change and environmental justice.”

MOZILLA FOUNDATION

Mozilla is committed to supporting “individual and collective actions that advance a more human-centered internet.” Journalism projects that advance the democratization of information are an interest here.

NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION

NIHCM funds healthcare journalism. Topics of interest include cost and quality of care, healthcare reform, coverage, Medicare and more.

CRAIG NEWMARK PHILANTHROPIES

This funder supports organizations and initiatives that are working to promote journalistic transparency and fight disinformation. Journalism education is another priority.

OMIDYAR NETWORK

Omidyar’s Responsible Technology program prioritizes projects that aim to “stop the viral spread of conspiracy theories, destabilizing hoaxes, fake news, false claims, minority-targeting speech, and organized disinformation campaigns.”

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS

Journalism grantmaking prioritizes “independent journalism that seeks to innovate and remain relevant, effective, and sustainable in a rapidly changing environment.”

PARK FOUNDATION

A media giving area focuses on “public interest media that raises awareness of critical environmental, political and social issues to promote a better-informed citizenry in the U.S.”

PATAGONIA

Patagonia supports journalism projects related to conservation and climate change via its media grants program.

ALICIA PATTERSON FOUNDATION

This foundation supports the work of individual journalists working in the U.S. with twelve- and six-month grants to support quality investigative work.

RORY PECK TRUST

This organization supports journalists around the world with grants, safety training and practical assistance.

PEN AMERICA

Some of this organization’s awards are relevant to the work of journalists.

PUFFIN FOUNDATION

This funder provides ongoing support to several organizations involved in investigative journalism.

PULITZER CENTER ON CRISIS REPORTING

The Pulitzer Center supports journalism on underreported issues of broad impact in the U.S. and around the world.

DOROTHEA AND LEO RABKIN FOUNDATION

The foundation supports the work of visual arts journalists.

RADIO TELEVISION DIGITAL NEWS FOUNDATION

RTDNF funds fellowships for journalists and scholarships for journalism students. It also runs awards programs for excellence in journalism.

DONALD W. REYNOLDS JOURNALISM INSTITUTE

Housed at the University of Missouri, this organization funds fellowships to support new ideas and and projects in journalism.

ROTH FAMILY FOUNDATION

This funder supports public broadcasting organizations “whose programs are innovative and informative for radio, television and other media.”

SCRIPPS HOWARD FOUNDATION

Journalism grants support schools and organizations that provide students and professionals with “hands-on experience” and opportunities to develop professional skills in reporting, editing and news production.

STEPHEN M. SILBERSTEIN FOUNDATION

Tax filings suggest an interest in progressive media and journalism

ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION

This funder aims to bring information about advances in science and technology to the general public through a variety of media.

W. EUGENE SMITH FUND

Smith provides grants, fellowships, and awards for photographers developing projects in humanistic photography.

STANFORD UNIVERSITY JSK FELLOWSHIPS

JSK fellowships bring journalists from across the globe to Stanford for a yearlong immersive program.

SUNDANCE INSTITUTE

Sundance offers a number of different grant opportunities for nonfiction filmmakers working to make “cinematic documentaries on contemporary themes”

TEGNA FOUNDATION

Grants support “freedom of the press, ethics in journalism, and education and training for the next generation of diverse journalists.” Giving prioritizes areas served the the foundation’s parent media company.

TOW FOUNDATION

This funder makes grants for “innovative journalism that educates the public, holds leaders accountable and combats misinformation.”

TRELLIS CHARITABLE FUND

Trellis demonstrates a strong commitment to journalism and news organizations involved in human rights and social justice reporting.

UNITED STATES ARTISTS

Journalists are eligible for this funder’s media and writing awards.

VERE INITIATIVES

The philanthropic vehicle of Dirk and Natasha Ziff names journalism and democracy as areas of interest, although it does not name specific goals for its giving in these areas.

WALLACE GLOBAL FUND

This funder established its media program in response to rapidly growing inequality and “the effects of unchecked corporate control of government and policy on critical issues.” Media misinformation is also a major focus.

WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION

Wikimedia’s grantmaking supports the democratization of knowledge around the world, strongly prioritizing underserved communities.

WOMEN PHOTOGRAPH

This funder aims to to “[e]levate the voices of female visual journalists.” It also supports gender nonconforming, transgender, genderqueer and nonbinary photographers.

WOODCOCK FOUNDATION

This funder recently developed an interest in supporting independent journalism in the U.S., although this is a smaller area of giving at this time.

WYNCOTE FOUNDATION

Grantmaking for Public Media and Journalism aims “to encourage innovation and adaptation in legacy institutions” and to support “experimentation and scaling of actors offering new approaches.”