MIF’s Journalism Funders Network is a diverse constellation of philanthropy organizations working in journalism and media.

In-person convenings

We host an annual gathering for our journalism network members, selecting locations and topics according to the network’s needs.

Additional in-person convenings of this network take place at high-profile events where funders are scheduled to gather.

Monthly calls

Beginning in November 2016, MIF has organized near-monthly calls to help funders find common points of entry to make their work effective and efficient through strategic partnerships. Calls typically include senior level program officers that represent a high caliber of support for journalism as well as a variety of diverse funding strategies. We often invite guests with subject-matter expertise who can speak to timely issues and research in the journalism field, such as misinformation, news deserts, or First Amendment threats. Our goal is to knit the community of funders closer together, to show the affinities between their work, and to address areas that are currently being overlooked. Want to join the calls? Email roshni@mediafunders.org.

Our reports are designed to help funders navigate opportunities, uphold best practices, and maximize their impact. Recent reports have included case studies on innovative funding practices, and a practical handbook for foundations seeking to begin or refine journalism funding.

We also leverage our Media Grants Data Map for trends to produce reports that can inform and foster greater collaboration.

We know that funders rely on the expertise of other funders. We can help make connections to peers who are eager to share best practices and lessons learned.

By taking a broad view across the field of media funding to include many different types of platforms, issues and philanthropic goals, we are uniquely able to bring funders together around specific topics, connect funders and media makers who might not otherwise cross paths, and in the process, expand the field of journalism funding.

For example, in 2017, we worked with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to host a series of webinars on how funders are fighting misinformation along the three points of the information system: production, distribution and consumption. The webinar series represents some of our most popular and informative programming to date.

In October 2016, we were among a key group of stakeholders who worked with the American Press Institute to create best practices for funders of nonprofit news. The guidelines explore how to ensure editorial independence and maintain the firewall between publishers and funders.

External Resources

Media Impact Funders is grateful to work within a thriving field of journalism research and practice. These organizations provide excellent resources, whether you’re trying to get the lay of the land or dig deeper into specific topics:

• American Press Institute
• Center for Community and Ethnic Media at CUNY
• Center for Media Engagement at UT Austin
• Columbia Journalism Review
• Democracy Fund Engaged Journalism Lab
• Institute for Nonprofit News (INN)
• Knight Foundation Journalism Articles
• Nieman Journalism Lab
• Pew Research Center: Journalism and Media
• Poynter Institute
• Reynolds Journalism Institute
• Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia