Challenge Fund Gives $674,000 in Matching Grants to Journalism Groups

By: Joe Strupp Sixteen journalism organizations, from Military Reporters and Editors to the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, will be receiving grants totaling $674,000 through the latest round of funding from The Challenge Fund for Journalism, a non-profit entity comprised of three major charitable foundations.

The Ford Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and Ethics and Excellence in Journalism, announced the matching grants, which were provided only to those groups that successfully raised the same or higher amounts on their own.

"It is an honor to be part of this innovative collaboration of funding partners," said Bob Ross, CEO of Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation. "As traditional journalism resources shrink, these grantees have proven that they can tap new sources of revenue that will sustain their bottom line far into the future."

The 16 grantees successfully raised $1.24 million on their own to match the $674,000 in grant awards. Eric Newton, director of Knight Foundation's Journalism Initiatives, said many of them had made significant organizational advancements, citing one group that received its first $20,000 donation from an individual, while another hired its first executive director, and five organizations were able to involve all board members in planning and fundraising. "This is a classic example of teaching folks to fish rather than just handing out the fish," Newton said.

Those receiving the grants, and the amounts they received, included: Asian American Journalists Association, $100,000; Association of Capital Reporters and Editors, $7,500; Association of Women in Sports Media, $8,500; Center for Integration and Improvement of Journalism, $38,000; Carole Kneeland Project for Responsible Television Journalism, $20,000; Education Writers Association, $45,000; Fund for Investigative Journalism, $25,000; Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, $100,000; Military Reporters and Editors, $7,500; National Association of Hispanic Journalists, $100,000; Native American Journalists Association, $25,000; National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association, $100,000; Organization of News Ombudsmen, $7,500; Religion Newswriters Association, $45,000; South Asian Journalists Association, $15,000; and the Washington Center for Politics and Journalism, $30,000.

The Challenge Fund for Journalism also announced another list of 15 organizations who have been awarded $584,500 in challenge grants and will have one year to match or double their specific awards. Those are; Associated Press Managing Editors, Association for Education in Journalism and Communication, Association of American Editorial Cartoonist, Center for Investigative Reporting, Investigative Reporters and Editors, Journalism & Women Symposium, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Minority Media Executives, National Conference of Editorial Writers, National Press Foundation, Online News Association, Society of American Business Editors and Writers, Society of Environmental Journalists, Society of Professional Journalists, and Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse.

The second group will meet in New York Sept. 28th and 29th to launch the latest round of fundraising.