Over the past few months, I built Grants for Journalists, a database of funding opportunities for journalists and newsrooms. My goal was simple: Make it easier to locate money to do important work.
Like other Reynolds Journalism Institute projects, the aim was to create a free resource addressing a challenge in journalism. But while researching journalism revenue, I noticed something that’s hard to ignore.
Black and brown journalists are largely absent from the philanthropic landscape, at least as grantees. I scan fellowship cohort photos and immediately notice who’s missing.
Journalists of color remain underrepresented in U.S. newsrooms; while 12% of the total U.S. population is Black, just 6% of newsroom employees are Black. When journalists of color exit newsrooms or don’t bother entering them, we lose stories about policing, immigration, or neighborhoods that otherwise go untold.
The funding disparities are documented. A report for the Democracy Fund states that $1.1 billion was invested in journalism in the United States from 2013 to 2017. Just 8.1 percent of these dollars went to journalism efforts serving marginalized communities.
Perhaps it’s the pipelines, the application processes or the gatekeeping structures that quietly, consistently leave us out of funding considerations. I built a database and LinkedIn community to help. But opportunity alone isn’t enough if the people who need the funding most don’t know how to navigate the system.
To bridge this gap, we have to address the “hidden curriculum” of grant-seeking — the cultural knowledge and habits well-connected journalists receive from mentors and program officers before they even hit submit. It shouldn’t be insider knowledge, so here it is:
Ask for help. Many people who win grants don’t do it alone. In communities of color, where we’ve had to prove ourselves repeatedly, there is strong pressure to handle things independently. Have a friend review your application for blind spots, including the unspoken language of philanthropy. Seek out the expertise of people who’ve received grants before. For many journalists, the barrier isn’t the writing — it’s knowing what funders expect.
Brag a bit. Journalists of color often undersell themselves in applications. Often this is cultural, Alberto B. Mendoza, managing director of the JSK fellowships at Stanford, said this month at an Institute for Independent Journalists conference. People of color are raised to equate humility with virtue, or to see frankness about our accomplishments as arrogance. Applications aren’t the place for humility.
Develop a budget – and then add more money. Research across philanthropy shows that marginalized applicants receive less money than their white counterparts. Eric Ferrero of the Fund for Investigative Journalism told IRE Access attendees that the applications he receives that ask for too little money are almost always from people of color. But funders frequently anchor decisions based on the amount requested. Look at the average size of previous grants awarded to guide your request. Well-funded organizations often build in 15% to 20% for “indirect costs” or “administrative overhead.” And don’t forget to pay yourself in that budget. Often, we aren’t asking for enough money because of imposter syndrome.
Speaking of imposter syndrome, it’s common among people of color and a rational response to an industry that sometimes excludes us. The quiet voice that tells you that you lack the right credentials is costly. When you hear it, ask yourself, ‘Does this idea deserve to exist?’ Answer that, then apply.
Work with a partner. Funders increasingly favor applications that include collaborations, whether with another journalist, newsroom or community organization. Get into a peer group and share notes. Grant writing develops faster in community than in isolation.
Name your community access. If you have relationships, fluency in a foreign language, or proximity to the community, state this explicitly. This is not just an asset; it often shows why you are the right person for the job.
Build a relationship before you apply. Attend funder webinars and places where program officers gather. Many journalism funders spend time in similar spaces. Attending — even virtually — puts you in the room. If a philanthropic organization offers office hours, sign up.Reach out to program officers, if welcome. Instead of asking for funding, request a brief call to learn about the grant. If someone you know has received funding, ask them: “Would you feel comfortable introducing me to the program officer who helped you?”
Persistence pays. Many applicants were rejected before they were accepted. I applied for an RJI fellowship almost a decade before being accepted in 2025. If you’re rejected, reflect and revise, and apply again.
The tips above are about getting in. The longer game is about who we bring with us. If you’ve successfully been through the grant process, reach back for someone else.
Grants are transformative only if they reach the people doing transformative work. So while journalists of color can (and must) learn to navigate the system, the philanthropic world must also confront the structures that keep too many of us outside it.