Applicant criteria
- No specific age required
- Both
Opportunity criteria
Opportunity description
The Rainforest Reporting Grant provides short-term, project-based funding to journalists reporting on tropical rainforests in the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. The program seeks ambitious reporting proposals addressing critical issues including illegal deforestation, Indigenous rights, extractive industries, biodiversity, and more.
Tropical rainforests are crucial for mitigating climate threats and sustaining livelihoods. However, decades of deforestation and resource extraction have alarming impacts. Reporting on these issues raises public awareness and demands accountability.
The Rainforest Reporting Grant is an evolution of the Rainforest Journalism Fund (RJF), which has supported over 600 journalists producing 1,700 reports in the past five years. These reports document challenges, harmful industries, policy failures, scientific explorations, and inspiring Indigenous community practices in forests across the three regions.
Areas of Interest:
The program seeks proposals expanding rainforest reporting in the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia. The program welcomes ideas exploring underreported systemic issues affecting tropical rainforests, such as the impacts of extractive industries, poor forest governance, carbon market initiatives, or inspiring conservation initiatives. Reporting driven by innovation, data, technology, and collaboration is encouraged.
Topic ideas to explore:
- Large-scale agro-industry
- Indigenous rights and policies
- Cross-border timber and wildlife trade
- Forest and biodiversity health
- Chemical pollution
- Forest fires
- Palm oil production and regulation
- Green energy
- Artisanal mining and agriculture
- Carbon storage and market schemes
Eligibility:
- Staff and freelance journalists are eligible.
- Applications are accepted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Bahasa Indonesia.
Application:
Applicants will need to provide:
- A project description (no more than 250 words).
- A preliminary budget estimate.
- A compelling distribution plan.
Benefits
Short-term, project-based funding for journalists reporting on tropical rainforests.
Eligibility criteria
Applicants must be journalists (staff or freelance), have a compelling project proposal, and submit the application in an appropriate language (English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Bahasa Indonesia).