Who can apply
- Freelance journalists
- Staff reporters
- News organizations
- Independent investigative reporters
- Investigative reporting teams
- Authors developing investigative books
- Documentary filmmakers with an eligible distributor or broadcaster
Focus areas
- Investigative journalism
- Accountability reporting
- Corruption
- Malfeasance
- Misuse of power
- Public-sector wrongdoing
- Private-sector wrongdoing
- Public-interest investigations
- Investigative documentaries
- Investigative podcasts
- Investigative broadcast reporting
- Investigative books
Requirements
- The proposed work must be a high-quality, unbiased and nonpartisan investigative project.
- The investigation should break new ground and expose wrongdoing, corruption, malfeasance or misuse of power.
- Regular grant applicants must have initial findings from preliminary reporting.
- Regular grant applicants must obtain a Letter of Commitment from a news outlet agreeing to publish or air the investigation.
- A U.S.-based media outlet is required for international reporting proposals.
- International reporting proposals must have a very strong U.S. angle involving American citizens, government or business.
- International stories must be published in English.
- Seed grant applicants do not need a publisher commitment.
- The proposed budget must clearly explain each reporting expense.
- Applicants may not submit multiple proposals in the same grant cycle except with FIJ approval.
- Previously rejected proposals cannot be resubmitted unless FIJ specifically invites resubmission.
Application steps
- Choose between a Regular Grant and a Seed Grant.
- Develop an investigative story idea that meets FIJ's public-interest and accountability criteria.
- For a Regular Grant, conduct preliminary reporting and develop initial findings.
- Secure a Letter of Commitment from the intended U.S. publishing or broadcasting outlet for a Regular Grant.
- Prepare the investigative proposal and reporting plan.
- Prepare a detailed budget explaining each requested expense.
- For Seed Grants, explain the preliminary reporting required to determine and develop the investigation.
- Complete the appropriate FIJ online application form.
- Submit the application by 14 September 2026 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.
Global Grants Hub strategic note
A specialist journalism funding opportunity for investigative reporters, media outlets and reporting teams. The regular grant can provide up to US$10,000 while seed funding provides up to US$2,500 for early reporting. GGH should clearly flag the geographic restriction: this is principally a U.S.-focused programme, and international investigations must have a very strong U.S. connection and be published in English by a U.S. media outlet. This makes the opportunity particularly relevant to journalists and media organizations with a U.S.-linked investigative story rather than general African NGOs or local reporting projects.