MIF is hiring an Executive Director

Position: Executive Director Location: Flexible in the U.S., with up to 33% estimated travel (U.S. and international) Reporting relationship: Board of Directors ABOUT MEDIA IMPACT FUNDERS Media Impact Funders (MIF) traces its roots back to the Council on Foundations, a longtime philanthropy-serving organization. Formerly Grantmakers in Film, Video & Television, MIF began on a volunteer basis in 1984 as an affinity group for funders interested in the power of film to highlight social issues. Reflecting changes in technology and media behavior over the subsequent decade, it was renamed Grantmakers in Film & Electronic Media (GFEM) and formally incorporated in 2008 to advance the field of media arts and public interest media funding. It had 45 members and was headed by former MacArthur Foundation Program Officer Alyce Myatt. GFEM was renamed Media Impact Funders in 2012 and has since expanded its strategy to include a broad range media funding interests such as journalism, immersive technologies, media policy and more. Since that time, MIF has grown to more than 120 organizational members representing some of the largest foundations and holds more than 40 in-person and online events yearly. Today, MIF represents changemakers in the media funding space, serving a… Read More

Angelica Das is an associate director on the Public Square Team at Democracy Fund. Last month, during our annual journalism funders gathering, Angelica led a discussion about how funders are supporting each other, their staff and their grantees at a time of intense anxiety around the election. If you’re feeling election anxiety, you’re not alone. The source of anxiety is unique to each of us: local vs. national election outcomes, navigating a deluge of mis- and disinformation, recovery from natural disasters, economic stress, or fear of physical and digital threats and harm.  Read More

Misinformation is hardly a new problem, but it often spikes around breaking news events. Racist narratives and conspiracy theories have rapidly escalated after the launch of Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign. Misinformation from across the political spectrum about the motivations behind the attempted assassination of former President Trump has also intensified. The spread of misinformation is being acutely accelerated by political violence and the amplification of false AI-generated media. Newsrooms and journalists face staggering challenges to deliver reliable information to communities in a presidential election year — especially when these tensions are high. The good news is we know more about the solutions today than ever before. The missing piece is the scale of resources needed to adequately respond to today’s challenges. Philanthropy can address these challenges by combating misinformation and amplifying trustworthy information. Both actions are essential this election year and beyond to ensure communities have the necessary information to make decisions that impact their daily lives. It’s not too late to invest in this strategy. Here are four ways that pro-democracy and journalism funders can act now: 1. Fund the organizers and experts who are mobilizing against misinformation. They are working right… Read More

After more than 12 years of service to our growing network of funders who support media and journalism in the public interest, Vince Stehle will be departing from his role as Executive Director. During his tenure, Vince created many new opportunities for foundations and philanthropists to gather and work together to increase their support to journalists, filmmakers and storytellers across the country, contributing to the organization’s growth and impact. Beginning as Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media, one of the first things we did in 2012 was to rebrand the organization as Media Impact Funders (MIF), to reflect a broader range of media activities supported by foundations. At the same time, the field of media philanthropy has grown, with our research documenting that foundation media grants have grown from $1.1 billion in 2009 to more than $3.8 billion in 2021. Under Vince’s leadership, MIF has served this growing field with membership that has tripled over these years. And now, at a moment of even greater expansion and excitement in the field of media philanthropy, MIF is poised for its… Read More

We’re thrilled to announce exciting leadership changes to the Media Impact Funders Board of Directors! Kayce Ataiyero, Chief External Affairs Officer at the Joyce Foundation, brings her expertise in journalism funding to the role of Chair, while Kaitlin Yarnall, Chief Storytelling Officer at National Geographic Society, steps up as Vice Chair. Kayce joined the Board in 2020, and Kaitlin, who joined in 2018, also serves as the chair of our Program & Communications Board Committee. Kayce and Kaitlin bring decades of journalism, media and grantmaking experience to our board and to the field. We’re incredibly excited about this new chapter with Kayce and Kaitlin leading the way. Their combined expertise and vision will be instrumental in helping Media Impact Funders ensure a thriving media landscape that serves the public interest. A huge thank you to outgoing leaders We extend our deepest gratitude to David Rousseau, Publisher and Executive director of KFF Health News, and Elizabeth Christopherson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Rita Allen Foundation, for their incredible leadership as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, since 2013. Their unwavering commitment to MIF’s mission will continue as they… Read More

Media Impact Funders has received a three-year, $300,000 general-operating grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the largest philanthropic institutions in the U.S. Read More

A new study conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago in partnership with Media Impact Funders and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism that examines the role of philanthropy in American journalism found strong growth in support for nonprofit news over the past five years, an increase in funding to for-profit newsrooms, and a growing focus on communities of color. At the same time, the study reveals the need for more newsrooms to disclose donors and adopt clear conflict-of-interest policies to protect editorial independence and public trust. A total of 129 funders and 431 news organizations responded to the survey. The study received additional funding from the MacArthur Foundation and Arnold Ventures, and builds on the last comprehensive survey of funders and newsrooms in 2015 by the American Press Institute (API). Read More