Fund for Environmental Journalism
SEJ’s Fund for Environmental Journalism welcomes applications for grants of up to $5,000 to underwrite story projects.
The next application deadline is July 15, 2015. Funding is available for story projects in three categories: 1) open topic, including international; 2) coverage of land-use issues of North America; and 3) coverage of biodiversity conservation and climate-change impacts in North America.
SEJ’s Fund for Environmental Journalism invests in top quality public service journalism on environment-related issues, and the journalists who produce it. FEJ grants support development and dissemination of significant coverage that otherwise could not be completed. The selection jury looks for news value, undiscovered or under-reported news, a fresh take on a familiar story, and potential for community impact.
WHO MAY APPLY FOR A GRANT?
Journalists working independently or on the staff of either a for-profit or non-profit news organization worldwide may apply for a grant from the Fund for Environmental Journalism. SEJ membership is not required, but all applicants must meet eligibility requirements for SEJ membership. Membership disqualifiers include paid employment in public relations, media relations, or lobbying on environment-related issues. If you’re not sure, please review SEJ’s membership eligibility requirements.
Applicants are limited to one grant per 2-year period and two grants per 5-year period. There is no lifetime cap on the number of grants a journalist may receive. (There is a one-year blackout period for applicants having served on the FEJ jury.)
HOW ARE FUNDS TO BE USED?
Journalists may request up to $5,000 to produce and disseminate environmental coverage. In the Summer and Fall 2015 cycles, one portion of the total grant fund available will be available for story projects on any topic, including international topics. Another substantial portion of funding is earmarked for coverage of land-use issues of North America, with a third portion earmarked for coverage of biodiversity conservation and climate-change impacts in North America. North America is defined as United States, Canada and Mexico.
Applicants must indicate in the “issue focus” section of the application whether they would prefer to have their proposal reviewed in the context of an earmarked issue. Such selection may produce a slight advantage in that the proposal could alternatively be funded from the general open-topic international category.
Examples of eligible expenses include travel costs; document-access fees; costs related to environmental testing; and fees for professional services such as graphic design, website development, and legal and translation services.
In addition, in the Summer and Fall 2015 cycles of FEJ competition, budgets submitted by independent freelance journalists may include a stipend line item, to compensate for the journalists’ time. Stipends offered to independent freelance journalists by FEJ are not intended to replace fees normally paid by media outlets that will be distributing the work. SEJ expects these outlets to pay standard fees for work produced in part with support from the Fund for Environmental Journalists. Journalists on staff for media outlets are not eligible to receive stipend payments from FEJ grants made through competitive cycles 2015-2016.
Project expenses NOT eligible for funding include equipment purchase or maintenance, and indirect expenses such as office rent or utilities. Funds may not be used to reimburse past expenses on a project; only expenses that would be incurred after receipt of a grant check (approximately 60 days after the respective application deadline) will be considered.
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