Membership Application
Curious if you can become a member of Media Impact Funders?
Watch this quick explainer to find out if you’re eligible. Disclaimer: our membership is open to funders only; this video breaks down our new guidelines, which encompass a wider range of funding activities.
Membership Eligibility and Values
MIF membership is open to foundations, private donors and organizations that designate philanthropic resources to support media and journalism in the public interest.
MIF members share our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as core components of creating a media landscape that is truly representative, inclusive and informative.
Are you designating philanthropic resources to media and journalism in the public interest but not sure if you’re eligible for membership? Let’s chat! Email Shannon Thomas, Manager of Member Engagement, at shannon@mediafunders.org.
Funders are supporting media in a variety of ways, through a program area or a dedicated media portfolio.
A funder is eligible for membership if:
- You’re making grants to support nonprofit news, public media, documentary film, narrative change efforts, access to civic information, arts and cultural expression, and other media in the public interest. (Here’s a thorough list of media activities).
- You’re a grantmaker at a foundation that makes a small number of media grants in a larger portfolio of grantmaking activity.
- You’re a media organization with a significant endowment that enables you to deploy funds for a charitable purpose.
- You’re an operating foundation that is engaging in media activities.
You’re NOT eligible for membership if:
- You are a media company that is engaging in media activities, but also not deploying any funds in a philanthropic fashion.
- You are a nonprofit organization that is raising funds for its own activities but does not deploy those funds in a philanthropic fashion.