The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), an organisation that provides grants and other support to independent journalists and news organisations around the world, is inviting freelance journalists, staff reporters, and media outlets to apply for its grants to produce high-quality, unbiased, non-partisan investigative stories that have an impact.
Its Regular Grants program provides funding of up to $10,000 for investigative reporting projects. Proposals are reviewed three to four times each year, with the next application deadline set for September 14, 2026.
For journalists in the early stages of an investigation, Seed Funding grants offer up to $2,500 to cover preliminary reporting expenses such as public records requests, background research, and initial reporting trips. The next deadline for Seed Funding applications is also September 14, 2026.
FIJ additionally offers Follow-up Grants of up to $2,500 for journalists seeking to continue or expand investigations originally funded by the organization. These applications may qualify for expedited review when timely coverage is needed.
Recipients of previous Seed Funding can apply for Regular Grants of up to $10,000 on a rolling basis. Decisions are typically made within two to four weeks, allowing reporters to move forward quickly with their investigations.
Another major opportunity is the Alicia Patterson Fellowship. Fellows spend six or twelve months researching, reporting, traveling, and writing stories on topics of their choice for publication in news outlets. The fellowship provides $40,000 for a 12-month project and $20,000 for a six-month project.
Applications for Regular Grants, Seed Funding, Follow-up Grants, and Regular Grants for former Seed Funding recipients must be submitted through their respective application forms. Alicia Patterson Fellowships are awarded annually.
Applicants should note that FIJ does not accept resubmissions of previously declined proposals unless an invitation to reapply has been specifically extended. In addition, multiple proposals from the same applicant are generally not accepted within a single grant cycle, except in rare circumstances. Those seeking an exception may contact the grants team at grants@fij.org.
For more information and to apply, please visit: https://fij.org/apply-for-a-grant/
