Check Global COVID-19 Microgrants Fund

Geographic Scope: Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, North Africa and Western Asia

Focus Areas:

• Fact-checking and verification projects
• Media and digital literacy campaigns
• Photography and podcasts
• Daily blogging reflecting on applicants' quarantine realities

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, independent media organizations and civil society groups faced immense physical and financial strains. Meedan launched this fund to support media practitioners, independent newsrooms, fact-checking groups, citizen journalism projects, human rights defenders, researchers, and technology and digital literacy advocates.

Key Details:

• Received 298 applications in less than 30 days
• Awarded 24 projects
• Total disbursed: approximately $47,000-$50,000
• Award range: $300-$2,500 per project

Selection Criteria:

• Originality and innovative nature of the application
• Achievability - projects with realistic activities and outputs achievable during the health crisis
• Outreach and potential impact - projects strengthening involvement of underserved communities and representing issues outside mainstream media radar

Application Process

• Applicants submitted proposals via online form or email
• Applications were reviewed continuously
• Selected applicants were notified within 5-10 days of submission
• Some grantees could not be publicly named for security reasons

Note: This fund is no longer active.