Fund for Investigative Journalism grants

• Eligibility: All journalists are eligible. Most grants are awarded to freelance journalists. Some journalists on staff at nonprofit and traditional media outlets also receive grants. Their investigations can be for print, online or broadcast stories, books, documentaries or podcasts. The story must also demonstrate a strong connection to the United States.
• Target Region: North America
• Application Language: English

The Fund provides grants to journalists for investigative stories that break new ground – which means they uncover wrongdoing in the public and private sectors and reveal information that was previously unknown or hidden, and they shed light on accountability for wrongdoing.

For regular proposals, they review proposals three to four times a year for grants up to $10,000. The next deadline is Friday, January 29, 2027.

Eligibility

• They do not accept resubmissions of proposals that we’ve declined previously, unless we specifically invite you to resubmit.
• They do not accept multiple proposals from the same applicant in one grant cycle, except in rare cases. To seek an exception to this guidelines, please email us at grants@fij.org.
• The Board of Directors looks for: stories that break new ground and expose wrongdoing, such as corruption, malfeasance, or misuse of power – in the public and private sectors.
• The Fund encourages proposals written for ethnic media and submitted by journalists of color.
• Freelance journalists, staff reporters and media outlets are eligible for grants, and their investigations can be for print, online or broadcast stories, books, documentaries or podcasts.

How to apply

Applications submitted through separate application forms. Alicia Patterson Fellowships are awarded annually. Apply here.

To apply and know more, please visit this page.