Are you an independent publisher, media outlet, or journalist seeking financial or technical support to bring your next project to life? High‑quality, impactful reporting takes time, resources, and dedication—which is why journalism grants and funding play such a crucial role. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities available for a wide range of work, from investigative reporting to documentary filmmaking.
We’ve pulled together a comprehensive list of grants for journalists, media awards, and fellowship programs to help you pursue the project you’ve been eager to tackle in 2026. Bookmark this page and check back regularly for new additions throughout the year.
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⚡ Quick navigation guide
- Fund for Investigative Journalism
- The Pulitzer Centre Grants and Fellowships
- The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism
- Indigenous Community Media Fund
- Grist Fellowship Program
- Earth Journalism Network 2026 Grant Programs and Fellowships
- John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship
- ICFJ Arthur F. Burns Fellowship
- Shorenstein Journalism Award
- 2026 Hillman Prizes
- The Local Journalism Initiative
- Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award
- CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships
- CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting
The Fund for Investigative Journalism
What: Grants and other support for unbiased, nonpartisan investigative stories.
Deadline: (Regular) Winter – January 30, 2026; Spring – April 27, 2026; Summer – September 8, 2026; (Seed) Winter – January 29, 2026; Spring – May 1, 2026; Summer – September 11, 2026
Who can apply: U.S.-based journalists and freelance reporters
Where: United States
How much: $2,500-$10,000 USD
Website: fij.org
The Fund for Investigative Journalism exists to help investigative reporters cover expenses related to developing complex stories. There are two grant types offered: Regular (up to $10,000 USD) for expenses of investigative stories on any topic, and Seed Grants (up to $2,500 USD) to help fund initial reporting.
The work produced can be for any medium. They’re looking 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 also encourages proposals written for ethnic media and submitted by journalists of colour. Begin your application here.
The Pulitzer Centre Grants and Fellowships
What: Short-term grants and year-long fellowships that support in-depth, high-impact reporting projects.
Website: pulitzercenter.org
The Pulitzer Center offers various journalism grants on a rolling basis for investigative stories, as well as fellowship opportunities for journalists including funding, training, and research. Journalists have the opportunity to receive short and yearly financial support to produce stories that meet the various criteria outlined by the center. Here’s a list breaking down their various grants and fellowships:
Global Reporting Grants
What: Support for freelance or staff journalists to conduct high-impact reporting on critical, underreported issues.
Deadline: Rolling
Who can apply: Any staff or freelance journalist in any medium
How much: Between $5,000 and $10,000 USD, but can be higher depending on the proposed budget
Global Reporting Grants are available to cover most expenses, including travel. This grant is not available to cover books, feature-length films, equipment purchases, an outlet’s general expenses, start-ups, routine coverage, advocacy/marketing campaigns, or data projects aimed solely at academic research. Thematic and regional focuses include:
- Rainforest Reporting
- Ocean and Fisheries
- Climate and Labor
- Global Health
- Conflict & Peace
- Democracy
- Transparency & Government
- Gender Equity
- Machine Learning Reporting
- Data Journalism
- AI
- Underreported Stores in Africa
- Impact Seed Fund (ISF) for educational and engagement initiatives in Africa, Brazil, and Southeast Asia
- Persephone Miel Fellowship for journalists from outside the U.S. and Western Europe
- U.S. Local News
- International Reporting by Midwestern Journalists
Journalism Fellowships & Networks
What: Year-long financial support for reporters pursuing in-depth and investigative stories.
Each fellowship has specific criteria, deadlines, and obligations TBA in 2026. The fellowships include:
- AI Accountability Fellowships
- Story Reach U.S.A & Story Reach Midwest
- Rainforest Investigation Network
- The Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant
- Campus Consortium Student Reporting Fellowships
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism
What: Funding and editorial support to produce deeply reported enterprise and investigative stories with a strong economic, financial or business angle.
Deadline: Spring Deadline – April 13, 2026; Fall Deadline – TBA (Early October 2026 expected)
Who can apply: Freelance and staff journalists in all forms of media, with at least five years professional experience in journalism. Open to U.S. journalists or international journalists working on a story that would be of interest to U.S. readers.
Where: United States
How much: Up to $15,000 USD
Website: mcgrawcenter.org
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism looks for projects that focus on important local or regional topics, as well as those that tackle compelling national or international stories or report on under-covered communities or issues. Journalists of colour and those from diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Begin your application here.
Indigenous Community Media Fund
What: Funding for Indigenous media and journalists.
Deadline: TBA (Expected early 2026)
Who can apply: Indigenous journalists and community radio stations globally
Where: Various regions and countries
How much: $8,000-$12,000 USD
Website: culturalsurvival.org
The Indigenous Community Media Fund provides opportunities for international Indigenous community radio stations and media platforms to strengthen their broadcast infrastructure and systems while providing training opportunities to their community journalists through a participatory and dynamic grants program. The initiative enhances community efforts to establish and ensure sustainability of Indigenous community-controlled media. The fund has made it a priority to consider projects that promote the participation and inclusion of women, other marginalized genders, and young people.
The Grist Fellowship Program
What: Full-time newsroom fellowship focused on environmental journalism.
Deadline: TBA (Expected early 2026)
Who can apply: Early career journalists with an interest in environment and climate justice reporting. Applicants must have a U.S. address and be eligible to work in the United States.
Where: United States
How much: $58,750 for a year
Website: https://grist.org/
The Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to reporting on climate change. The Grist Fellowship is an opportunity for early-career journalists to work in their newsroom for a year, while developing skills and connections that will help to elevate their climate reporting and storytelling.
The program was divided into three streams in 2025: Climate News, Climate Solutions, and Indigenous Affairs. While applications for that cohort ran from December-January there has been no announcement yet from the publication for the 2026-2027 program. Check back for updates.
Earth Journalism Network 2026 Grant Programs and Fellowships
What: Reporting grants to support in-depth investigative journalism into various issues related to climate change.
Deadline: Various
Who can apply: Journalists with a working understanding of English (or access to a translator) in any medium
How much: Varies depending on program
Website: https://earthjournalism.net/
Through training workshops, webinars, fellowships and grants for journalists and media-related organizations, Earth Journalism Network helps reporters cover the world’s most pressing environmental challenges and explore solutions to address them more effectively. This year’s early 2026 grant programs and fellowships include the following topics:
- Story Grant On Fisheries Transparency: Five grants worth $1,500 USD each. The deadline is January 15, 2026.
- Extreme Weather in the Philippines Investigative Reporting Fellowship: 12 fellowships with a budget of P118,000. The deadline is January 9, 2026.
- Fellowship Supporting In-depth Reports on Climate Change and India’s Private Sector 2026: Only applicants based in India can apply for 10 fellowships with a budget of €1,800. The deadline is January 8, 2026.
- Forest Governance Story Grants: Seven story grants with a budget of £1,500. The deadline is January 6, 2026.
John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship
What: Fellowship for journalism leaders passionate with a passion for re-imagining and transforming the field.
Deadline: Expected December 2026
Who can apply: U.S. and international journalists, both those working in news organizations or independently as freelancers or contractors. Applicants need to have at least five years of full-time professional work experience in journalism, not including internships during college.
Where: Stanford University
How much: $125,000 for the nine months duration of the fellowship
Website: jsk.stanford.edu
The John S. Knight Fellowship is designed for journalists who are committed to preserving democracy’s promise and are working to reimagine journalism. During their time at Stanford University, fellows will receive individual coaching and customized workshops, a purposefully-designed cohort experience, and the time and freedom to explore the university’s offerings. Application for the 2026-2027 cohort is closed and applications for 2027-2028 cohort are expected to open in late 2026.
ICFJ Arthur F. Burns Fellowship
What: Exchange fellowship for working journalists between U.S., Canada and Germany.
Deadline: February 1, 2026 for German applicants and March 1, 2026 for North American applicants
Who can apply: U.S., German, and Canadian journalists aged 21-40 who are employed by a newspaper, news magazine, broadcast station, news agency, or who work as freelance and/or online reporters
Where: United States, Canada and Germany
How much: $4,000 stipend for living expenses and $1,500 for travel expenses
Website: icfj.org/our-work/burns
The International Centre for Journalists’ Arthur F. Burns Fellowship is open to journalists in the U.S., Canada and Germany who are interested in living and working in the respective host countries. North American reporters will work at a German media outlet and vice versa for two months through this exchange fellowship by the ICJF. Application instructions are available here.
Shorenstein Journalism Award
What: An award recognizing the work of journalists and journalism organizations for significant contributions to reporting on the complexities of the Asia-Pacific region.
Deadline: February 15, 2026
Who can apply: An Asian news media outlet or a journalist whose work has primarily appeared in Asian news media
Where: Global
How much: $10,000 USD
Website: https://aparc.fsi.stanford.edu/events/shorenstein-journalism-award
Beginning with the 2026 award cycle, the Shorenstein Award will alternate between recipients whose work has primarily appeared in Western news media and those whose work has primarily appeared in Asian news media. The 2026 award will honor a recipient from the former category. That is, eligible nominees for the 2026 award are either Western news media outlets or journalists with a substantial body of work published in Western news media. Submit a nomination here.
2026 Hillman Prizes
What: Prizes honouring journalism in service of the common good across several categories.
Deadline: Canadian Prize – January 15, 2026; U.S. Prizes – January 30, 2026
Who can apply: The contest is open to journalists and subjects globally, although the reporting must have been published in 2025 in the U.S. and/or have been widely available to a U.S. audience. For the Canadian Prize, the reporting must have appeared in a Canadian publication.
Where: United States and Canada
How much: $5,000 USD
Website: http://thehillmanfoundation.submittable.com/submit
The Sidney Hillman Foundation awards the Hillman Prizes for Journalism in the U.S and Canada, as well as the monthly Sidney Awards for investigative journalism in service of the common good. Begin an application for any category here. Categories include:
- Canadian Hillman Prize
- Hillman Book Prize
- Hillman Prize for Newspaper Journalism
- Hillman Prize for Magazine Journalism
- Hillman Prize for Opinion and Analysis Journalism
- Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism
- Labour and Workplace Reporting Grants (Rolling Deadline)
The Local Journalism Initiative
What: Funding to support hiring journalists to practice civic journalism for underserved communities in Canada.
Deadline: Open for applications
Who can apply: Community-focused Canadian news outlets
Where: Canada
How much: Varies
Website: www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/local-journalism-initiative.html
The Local Journalism Initiative supports the creation of original civic journalism that covers the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada.
Funding is available to eligible Canadian media organizations to hire journalists or pay freelance journalists to produce civic journalism for underserved communities. Part of the program includes the The Changing Narratives Fund (CNF), a new initiative that will support diverse communities (Indigenous, Black, racialized, ethno-religious minority, people with disabilities and 2SLGBTQI+ communities) to share their stories, experiences, and perspectives so that their voices are accurately and authentically represented in the media, and culture sectors in Canada.
Outlets interested in applying are encouraged to contact the program administrators directly.
Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award
What: Paid internship
Deadline: January 31, 2026
Who can apply: Canadian photojournalists with less than five years of experience
Where: Canada
How much: Salary equivalent of the start rate for photographers at The Canadian Press
Website: cjf-fjc.ca/criteria/
The Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award administered by The Canadian Journalism Foundation offers a six-week paid internship at The Canadian Press head office in Toronto for an early career photojournalist. The annual internship is designed to give a photographer trying to break into the business the chance to perform on the national stage. Begin your application here.
CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowships
What: A paid, four-month fellowship with CBC Indigenous
Deadline: January 26, 2026
Who can apply: First Nation, Inuit and Métis journalists with with one to 10 years of experience
Where: Winnipeg, Alberta or Montreal, Quebec
How much: $30,000 CAD
Three First Nation, Inuit and Métis journalists will have the opportunity to highlight achievements and challenges in their communities through the CJF-CBC Indigenous Journalism Fellowship. Fellows will be hosted for one month at CBC Indigenous in Winnipeg or Montreal, and write or produce a piece or series upon completion of their fellowship opportunity, which will be considered for publication or broadcast by CBC News. Begin your application here.
CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting
What: Prize for Journalists who have reported climate change and innovative solutions in Canadian print, broadcast or online news reporting in 2025.
Deadline: January 23, 2026
Who can apply: Working journalist or team of journalists (employed full-time or freelance)
Where: Canada
How much: $10,000 CAD
Website: cjf-fjc.ca/cjf-award-climate-solutions-reporting/
The CJF Award for Climate Solutions Reporting recognizes the efforts of reporters who highlight environmental challenges, and the solutions being tested and implemented to address the environmental challenges affecting the world today and in the future. Submissions can be in any medium but the work must have been produced in 2025. Begin your application here.
Read more: So you want to apply for a grant? – Our CEO shares her grant-writing secrets
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