Several artists have been in touch about funding possibilities, so we have added some arts funding groups to the end of the list.
A surprising number and range of groups have created funds to help journalists through the chaos sowed by the novel coronavirus. Some grants help with reporting expenses, and many help with living expenses in light of so many people losing paychecks and employment.
The grants range from those here in New Mexico, to national and international possibilities. Be sure to read each group’s FAQ and general background before applying.
Reporting Loans:
• Microloans for Journalists – (CLOSED) Here’s a new concept: apply to receive an interest-free $500 loan, to be repaid in one year. The money comes from fellow journalists.
Reporting Grants:
• Freelanceaudio.fund – (CLOSED) The Freelance Audio Fund was established to provide emergency relief to the professional audio community impacted by COVID-19.
• Google Journalism Emergency Relief Fund – (CLOSED) For small- to medium-sized newsrooms covering local communities. Just announced.
• SEJ Rapid Response Grants – (CLOSED) Next week the Society of Environmental Journalists will start taking applications for small story grants on climate change, conservation, and environmental health. Collaborative projects and under-covered topics encouraged. Follow the FEJ info list for a link to apply.
• FIJ Coronavirus Rolling Grant – The Fund for Investigative Journalism unveils a new effort to provide emergency grants to U.S.-based freelance investigative journalists working on stories on the coronavirus that break new ground and expose wrongdoing in the public or private sector.
• Substack Independent Writer Grant Program – (CLOSED) Grants range from $500 to $5,000. There are no strings attached: use the funds for whatever you’d like, including office equipment or materials, research, or funding your time.
• National Geographic COVID-19 Emergency Fund – (THIS CALL FOR PROPOSALS WILL BE REVIEWED ON A ROLLING BASIS. APPLICATIONS MAY BE SUBMITTED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.) National Geographic is launching an emergency fund for journalists all over the world who wish to cover COVID-19 within their own communities. This fund will place particular emphasis on delivering news to underserved populations, particularly where there is a dearth of evidence-based information getting to those who need it.
• Facebook COVID-19 Community Network grant program – (APPEARS TO BE CLOSED; MIGHT REOPEN IN THE FUTURE.) Offering a $100 million investment to support the news industry—$25 million in emergency grant funding for local news through the Facebook Journalism Project, and $75 million in additional marketing spend to move money over to news organizations around the world.
• Poynter Corona Virus Fact Checking Grant Program – (CLOSED) This provides funding for flash grants of up to $50,000 for fact-checkers fighting coronavirus misinformation.
• Pulitzer Center grants for coronavirus reporting collaborations – (CLOSED) The initiative is interested in proposals that focus on systemic, underreported issues underlying the coronavirus crisis, use data-driven and/or interdisciplinary approaches to report on coronavirus and hold the powerful accountable.
Personal Grants:
• NM Local News Fund Emergency Grants – (CLOSED) These are small grants capped at $750 for assistance with child care, elder care, purchasing equipment needed to work remotely, food, rent, or other unanticipated costs imposed by the pandemic.
• SEJ Members in Need Fund – (CLOSED) This fund from the Society of Environmental Journalists supports members affected by the COVID-19 crisis by covering fee waivers and other costs of participating in SEJ programs.
• IWMF Emergency Fund – The IWMF Emergency Fund provides women journalists with a lifeline of support in times of crisis. Now more than ever, journalists around the world face real dangers as a result of their reporting.
• The Gene Roberts Fund for Emergency Assistance – The Gene Roberts fund is administered by the Committee to Protect Journalists staff in New York and overseen by a special committee of CPJ’s board of directors. It provides modest grants to journalists who qualify for CPJ assistance.
• Freelancers Union Relief Fund – NOTE: Closed to applications as of 4/14, but may re-open in the future. Freelancers Relief Fund will offer financial assistance of up to $1,000 per freelance household to cover lost income and essential expenses not covered by government relief programs.
• PEN America Writers’ Emergency Fund – (CLOSED) To be eligible, applicants must be based in the United States, be a professional writer, and be able to demonstrate that a small, one-time grant will be meaningful in helping them to address an emergency situation.
• Carnegie Fund for Authors – The applicant must be an American author who has published at least one full-length work — fiction or nonfiction — that has been published by a mainstream publisher. An applicant must demonstrate need: illness, fire, flood, hurricane, etc.
• The Authors League Fund – The Authors League Fund helps writers living in the United States, regardless of citizenship, and American writers living abroad.
• Freelance Coop Emergency Fund – This funds creative freelancers who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus and resulting public response. NOTE: currently not open to new applications, but still fundraising for future grants.
• The Format.com Photographer Fund – (CLOSED) A $25,000 fund to help photographers impacted by COVID-19. Self-employed photographers who are facing financial hardships are invited to apply.
For the artists in the audience:
• 516 Arts Fulcrum Fund – (Applications open February 15, deadline April 2) This will award $60,000 in emergency relief grants, providing $1,000 to 60 New Mexico artists who have lost income as a result of cancellations due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
• Artist Relief – (CLOSED) From a coalition of national arts grant makers.
• WESTAF (Western States Artist Federation) – A long list of emergency and other funding possibilities for artists.
• The New York Foundation for the Arts has a huge collection of links to COVID-19 support grants of various types.
