Joyce Foundation: Journalism Grants

Joyce Foundation: Journalism Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: The Joyce Foundation
Last Updated: November 24, 2025

Summary

The Joyce Foundation's Journalism Grants support independent, nonpartisan reporting to address critical issues in the Great Lakes region. By investing in high-quality journalism, the Foundation aims to promote informed decision-making and strengthen community cohesion. Eligible applicants include nonprofit journalism organizations and projects that enhance local news and support early career journalists, particularly those from diverse backgrounds. The application process requires advance planning, with funding decisions made quarterly.

Overview

NOTE: The Joyce Foundation welcomes new ideas, but primarily funds on an invite basis.The Joyce Foundation accepts grant inquiries online throughout the year. Letters of inquiry should be submitted at least six to eight weeks prior to the proposal deadline for a given grant cycle. See Deadlines here represented by full proposal deadlines above.Applicants should anticipate the application process to take approximately four to six months from the initial submission of the letter of inquiry to the receipt of funding.Grant proposals are considered at meetings of the Foundation’s Board of Directors in April, July, and December. Applicants are strongly encouraged to plan their application and proposal submission process for the April or July meetings, since most grant funds will be distributed at those times. What is the Mission of the Joyce Foundation? The Joyce Foundation invests in policies to advance racial equity and economic mobility for the next generation in the Great Lakes region. Journalism Grants The brief description below explains our approaches to supporting journalism and the types of projects we seek to fund as part of our current strategy. Our Approach The Joyce Foundation’s Journalism program invests in independent, nonpartisan reporting to help illuminate what Joyce identifies as the most important issues shaping the future of the Great Lakes region, and to inform fact-based policies and other measures needed to solve them. A strong and inclusive news and information system is a pillar of our democracy, smart decision-making, accountability for our leadership, and cohesion in our communities. We define the Great Lakes region as Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. We support journalism organizations, mostly nonprofit, whose high-quality, investigative coverage helps illuminate issues related to Joyce’s program areas in the Great Lakes region. This mostly involves projects and reporting positions.We also selectively fund national media coverage of critical issues that impact our region.We support organizations and projects that strengthen the nonprofit journalism network in the Great Lakes region.We support efforts to strengthen local and community news, including trusted messengers.We support projects and programs that support early career journalists, particularly journalists of color, including fellowships, training programs, and other efforts to help them enter and remain in the field.

Ineligibility

We do not support documentary filmmaking.We do not support general journalism education for students.Federal tax law prohibits private foundations from funding lobbying activities. There are types of projects the Foundation typically does not fund. For example, other than by direct invitation, the Foundation does not fund:Capital proposals Endowment campaigns Direct service programs Commercial ventures Religious activities Scholarships