Lawyers for Reporters, a joint project of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice and First Look Institute’s Press Freedom Defense Fund, provides pro bono legal assistance to local journalists and media organizations in the United States.

Researchers from Fordham University and other academic partners will conduct field experiments on the role of money in our political system.

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) will analyze and distribute research on election mis/disinformation as promulgated by foreign actors. FPRI will provide a standardized review of state-sponsored media outlets, the themes and messages they advance in the U.S., and offer indicators of nefarious influence in social media.

The purpose of this grant is to support the Former Members of Congress Association and their work to improve the function of the U.S. Congress. 

General Operating Support

General Operating Support

The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice, a leadership development initiative housed within the City University of New York, provides training and resources to leaders of color working in the democracy reform and social justice sectors.

The Leadership Center for Democracy and Social Justice is a leadership development initiative housed within the City University of New York to harness the potential of leaders of color working in the democracy reform and social justice sectors.

To provide general operating support to the Emma Bowen Foundation as they continue their work placing undergraduates of color in a variety of media outlets across the U.S., diversifying newsrooms overall, and track the retention of their fellows in the industry over time. 

The Emma Bowen Foundation helps place students of color in a variety of media outlets across the U.S. to increase the diversity of newsrooms. They provide early career support for journalists of color, and track the retention of their fellows in the industry over time.

This grant will provide support for the Emma Bowen Foundation’s (“EBF”) diversity through internships work. This project will provide capacity for EBF to support at least 25 interns in rural, diverse-led, and nonprofit news outlets across the country. To enhance and extend current EBF intern programing on media specific content and leadership development, EBF will also hire a Program Director.

To support wellness and healing for frontline staff at Four Freedoms Fund, a project of NEO Philanthropy, and to learn about strategies, resources, and needs in the field. 

Free Election Fund is a 501(c)(3) fiscally sponsored project of Hopewell Fund that uses litigation to protect the right of all citizens to participate fully in our democratic process and safeguard our free and fair elections.

The Free Press News Voices develops and implements community engagement strategies for journalism that build and sustain information equity and local reporting. These strategies help to create news sources that reflect and represent the communities they serve, in particular people of color who have been neglected and harmed by systemic racism.

Free Press’ Media 2070 project calls for the policies needed to make media reparations a reality, falling within the historical lineage of calls for repair of anti-Black harm. Media 2070’s vision is to achieve a future where Black people have the capital and power necessary to own and control their own stories, from ideation to production, through to distribution.

Free Press is a watchdog for media and technology policy. They conduct research and policy analysis, educate policymakers, the press and the public, pressure corporations, organize campaigns with grasstops and grassroots constituencies to hold decision-makers accountable, and lead winning coalitions.

To support Free Press in their work to create a new deal for the digital age with a focus on racial and gender equity. This grant will advance the work of Change the Terms, a coalition co-founded and co-led by Free Press, in organizing stakeholders from civil society, government, and technology to hold platforms accountable through a public-facing campaign aimed at pressuring companies to make changes on a range of issues, including content moderation and advertising policies.  

To support the core journalism program at Free Press, which is building an advocacy approach that combines credible, rigorous analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of local media ecosystems with a public engagement approach.

To support the core journalism program at Free Press, which is building an advocacy approach that combines credible, rigorous analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of local media ecosystems with a public engagement approach.

To support the continued work and expansion of the NewsVoices project which organizes communities around local newsrooms to highlight underreported issues and build trust between journalists and the communities they serve. Ultimately, the project aims to improve journalistic practices, and coverage in the regions where they work, leaving behind a more active and engaged community which can continue to push for a healthier news ecosystem.