Fund for Investigative Journalism Grants 2026 for Journalists with Funding up to USD 10,000

The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) offers regular grants to support in-depth investigative reporting that uncovers important information previously hidden or unknown and sheds light on corruption, misconduct, injustice, or abuse of power in both the public and private sectors.

Grants are worth up to USD 10,000. Investigations may be produced as print or digital articles, radio or television reports, documentaries, podcasts, or investigative journalism books.

Eligible Journalism Formats

The grant accepts investigative projects in the following formats:

1. Print articles and reports.
2. Investigations published on websites and digital platforms.
3. Television programmes and reports.
4. Radio reports and programmes.
5. Investigative documentaries.
6. Podcasts and audio productions.
7. Investigative journalism books.
8. Photojournalism projects, provided they are investigative in nature.

Selected journalists and projects will receive the following benefits:

1. Funding of up to USD 10,000 to cover investigation-related expenses.
2. The possibility of covering the time journalists spend researching and preparing their reports.
3. Support for travel costs and for obtaining documents, records, and data.
4. The possibility of funding the rental of equipment required for the investigation.
5. Eligibility for written, digital, audio, and visual investigative projects.
6. The option to apply individually or as part of a journalistic team.
7. Editorial support from experienced investigative journalists.
8. The possibility of receiving free legal assistance for selected projects.
9. Support with public-record requests and pre-publication review in certain cases.
10. Permission to receive additional funding from other sources, provided that it is fully disclosed.

Applications are open to:

1. Freelance journalists.
2. Journalists employed by media organizations.
3. Teams of journalists.
4. Newsrooms and media organizations.
5. Nonprofit media organizations.
6. Documentary filmmakers.
7. Podcast producers.
8. Authors of journalism books.
9. Photojournalists working on investigative projects.

Required Documents

The grant application usually includes:

1. A project summary of approximately 100 words.
2. A detailed proposal of fewer than 1,000 words.
3. An explanation of the misconduct, wrongdoing, or issue the investigation will uncover.
4. A summary of the preliminary findings and information gathered.
5. A clear plan for carrying out the investigation.
6. An explanation of the new information expected to be revealed.
7. The applicant’s CV.
8. Samples of or links to previous journalistic work.
9. Contact details for professional references.
10. A detailed project budget in Word or PDF format.
11. A letter of commitment to publish from a US-based media outlet.
12. Information about all team members when submitting a group application.

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