The Pulitzer Center, an organisation that raises awareness of underreported global issues through direct support for quality journalism across all media platforms, is inviting journalists, editors, and media organisations from around the world to submit proposals for journalism grants focusing on climate and labour reporting.
Grants are open to journalists, writers, photographers, radio and podcast producers, and filmmakers. Staff journalists and freelancers of any nationality are eligible to apply. Newsrooms or teams may also apply. The team lead should be the main applicant.
Proposals from the Global South are particularly welcomed, and they should focus on these three key areas:
- Business accountability: Proposals should focus on trade flows and consumer supply chains, hold decision-makers to account, and highlight how the business sector is adapting to climate change.
- Gender: Proposals that reflect how women are experiencing climate risk the most, and how they are at a disadvantage in almost every labour market, with lower wages and worse working conditions, as well as how they tend to be in unorganised labour groups, enhancing their vulnerability.
- Adaptation: This should include stories that showcase community resilience, highlighting the impact of solutions of local communities and amplifying their stories.
Submissions should include journalism proposals that focus on transformative reporting, challenge the status quo, and inspire action. It should consider: Why is the issue the applicant is proposing in the public interest; Is the applicant centering the voices and experiences of workers and vulnerable communities in their storytelling pitch? Who is being held to account? How will applicant’s reporting reach multiple audiences? What impact will the applicant’s reporting generate?
Projects with strong audience engagement and distribution plans, and a commitment from credible local, regional, or international news outlets (print, online, broadcast, visual, radio, podcasts, or a combination) stand a good chance.
Application should include a description of the proposed project in no more than 250 words; a thorough reporting and publication plan, with details of final outputs; a letter or letters of interest (or commitment) from editors and news outlets; a preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs; three contemporaneous samples of published work, either print or broadcast; and two professional references.
Please note that reports are expected to be published by September 2026 or earlier. Travel grants cover hard costs associated with the reporting; applicants should not include stipends for the applicants. Also, local reporting partner/translator/driver fees are acceptable. Meanwhile, professional references can be either contact information or letters of recommendation. The latter is encouraged when letters from interested producers or editors are available, and a copy of applicant’s curriculum vitae.
The budget range is between USD$5,000 and USD$15,000, depending on project specifics. Budgets can include costs for field work, like travel, lodging, and meals, compensation for local journalist partners or translators, and data analysis and visualisation support.
A more detailed description of the project may be added as an attachment. Applications can be submitted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, or Bahasa Indonesia.
Submission deadline is March 6, 2026. Successful applicants will be notified by March 30, 2026. For approved projects, half of the grant amount is generally paid after the contract is signed, and the remaining will be paid upon submission of the principal material for publication or broadcast.
To apply, please visit: https://pulitzercenter.org/grant-application. For questions about pitches, contact Rozina Breen, Pulitzer Center’s Director of Editorial Programmes, at rbreen@pulitzercenter.org
