We collaborate with funders and partners to produce original research and reports.

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 […]

Written by Global Press Chief Operating Officer Laxmi Parthasarathy and Global Press CEO Cristi Hegranes, this study establishes that there is a deep reservoir of untapped demand from readers in the United States—across a wide range of demographics, including noncitizen, diaspora and migrant populations—for higher-quality international journalism. The study’s conclusions were derived from a rigorous […]

This report provides a detailed look at community foundation support for media in the U.S., including top funders and recipients, comparisons of funding across regions, and examples of grants across a range of media subjects. Data is drawn from Foundation Maps for Media Funding, an interactive map developed by Candid that shows philanthropically funded media since 2009. […]

In October 2019, Media Impact Funders released a major report looking at the state of journalism funding in the U.S. since 2009. Part of that report paid special attention to the increasingly important role of community foundations in the journalism funding ecosystem. This data snapshot provides further examination of community foundation-funded journalism and is an […]

This report aims to highlight trends in environmental media grantmaking, impact studies and examples of promising media projects, and insights from funders in the space. This report focuses on U.S. funders who give in the U.S. and globally, with funding data covering 2009–2019. Some grantmakers are newer to the field of environmental media philanthropy, and […]

This report provides an examination of the current state of the field of media impact assessment, which Media Impact Funders (MIF) has been tracking for seven years.  It is meant to serve as a practical resource for funders who want to understand where to start. Informed by feedback from our network, it represents a synthesis […]

Philanthropy is playing an increasingly significant role in supporting journalism—especially local and investigative work, as well as identifying new business models that will work in a competitive digital media landscape. We are pleased to share our new report, Journalism Grantmaking: New Funding, Models and Partnerships to Sustain and Grow the Field. Written by Sarah Armour-Jones, consultant to Media […]

Both radio and audio are being used in exciting ways to reach new audiences, spark civic engagement and dialogue across diverse communities, examine science and advance disability education, and much more. Radio, in particular, is garnering significant support from philanthropy across a range of programming themes. While perhaps considered a less dynamic media format in […]

With support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Media Impact Funders has been researching trends, challenges and opportunities for global media funding. The research in this report draws on a variety of sources: data from the media data map through 2015, results from a survey of leading organizations engaged in funding media-related projects around […]

Produced by Media Impact Funders in collaboration with Harvard University’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, this case study report surfaces pioneering funding practices in journalism. It highlights five foundations and their grantees, and describes the innovative ways in which philanthropic support can revive quality journalism.

This booklet is a starter guide for foundations interested in exploring how to make impactful journalism and community-information grants. Foundations do not need to have a formal journalism program to make grants that support healthy news and information flows. Nor does a foundation need large dollar investments to get started. Even a small grant may help […]

This report offers an overview of Foundation Maps for Media Funding, a free, interactive mapping and research tool that shows the full scope of philanthropically-funded media projects worldwide since 2009. Developed by Foundation Center and available on the Media Impact Funders’ website, this new tool enables users to see, understand, and dig deep into the […]

This is a how-to guide for funders and nonprofit news organizations looking to develop media assessment strategies.

How are funders evaluating the outcomes of the media productions and campaigns that they support? Over the past five years, this question has informed a growing array of convenings, reports and research initiatives within the philanthropic sector, driving the emergence of a small but increasingly visible field of analysts and producers seeking to both quantify […]

Partnering with Media Impact Funders for Communications Strategies that Fast Track Policy Change, The California Endowment aims to identify and share examples that use media and communications grantmaking to create a more receptive environment for dialogue about potential solutions, build public momentum and generate political will for policy change.

This report profiles nine organizations identified by grantmakers and independent research as adventurous in their use of digital media. They represent a mix of arts disciplines, geographies, organizational sizes and media purposes. Some are using digital tools to extend organizational capacities in new ways while others are creating, documenting and disseminating the art itself. Conversations with these nine […]