Park Foundation: Media Grants

Park Foundation: Media Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Park Foundation, Inc.
Last Updated: January 07, 2026

Summary

The Park Foundation Grants: Media support public interest media that raises awareness of critical environmental and social issues. They prioritize funding for investigative journalism, media policy, public broadcasting, and documentary films to promote a better-informed citizenry. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) certified, and funding is aimed at projects that ensure diverse perspectives and community engagement. The foundation is committed to fostering a robust democracy and independent media, reflecting its mission to advance a just and sustainable society.

Overview

NOTE: Prospective applicants may want to consider submitting a Letter of Inquiry as a preliminary step before submitting a full proposal. Letters of Inquiry (LOI) are accepted at any time. Once an LOI is submitted, please do not submit a full proposal unless contacted by a staff member. If you have recently (within the last year or two) received a grant from Park Foundation, it is not necessary to submit an LOI before submitting a renewal proposal. Mission Statement Park Foundation is a family foundation dedicated to advancing a more just, equitable, and sustainable society and environment, both nationally and in our local Ithaca community. We are principled, strategic and fearless in our grantmaking, collaborative with our partners, and nimble and innovative in our approach. We are committed to challenging the powers that threaten an independent media, a robust democracy, and the future of our planet. Our Funding Priorities The Park Foundation funds a variety of non-profit partners, from local Tompkins County grassroots programs to initiatives with national impact. Environment Civic Participation Media Democracy Community Needs Sustainable Ithaca Animal Welfare School Food & Nutrition Media The Foundation supports public interest media that raises awareness of critical environmental, political, and social issues to promote a better-informed citizenry in the U.S. It supports quality, non-commercial media that is substantive, fair, and accurate. Program priorities include: Investigative Journalism:Investigative Journalism supports excellence in reporting on nationally significant public affairs issues in the U.S. Competitive proposals will show evidence of groundbreaking content employing multi-platform media tools with the potential to achieve broad distribution and social impact.Media Policy:Media Policy supports nationally significant initiatives that promote fair and open media systems and policies in the U.S. The Foundation supports projects that advance universal access to communications, a "neutral" Internet, diverse and independent ownership, public interest media, and the future of journalism.Public Broadcasting:Public Broadcasting supports nationally distributed and aired television and radio programming.Documentary Films:Documentary Films supports a very limited number of small grants to individual documentary projects related to civil society and democracy, the environment, and animal welfare.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Eligible organizations must be classified under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Unless you have a fiscal sponsor, your organization must be recognized as a 501(c)3 or 509(a)2 under IRS guidelines.  In addition, as a private foundation, we may not grant to an organization for a total of more than two-thirds of its annual budget (see "public support test" under IRS guidelines).