Submit Applications for Solutions Journalism Network Grant Program

Deadline: 31-Mar-21

Applications are now open for the Solutions Journalism Network Grant Program to support reporting projects that pursue solutions stories by investigating “positive deviants” in datasets.

The Solutions Journalism Network is awarding grants to support newsrooms pursuing solutions stories with a focus on positive deviants. They want to help news outlets that see the value of mining data to discover the places that outperform their peers, and then relish the task of digging in to investigate whether novel and replicable responses are driving that better performance.

It could be a prison system with significantly lower recidivism compared to other prisons with a comparable inmate population; a state that has reversed poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations; a country that has greatly improved access to clean drinking water while comparable countries lag behind.

Solutions Journalism:

• Can be character-driven, but focuses in-depth on a response to a problem and how the response works in meaningful detail
• Focuses on effectiveness, not good intentions, presenting available evidence of results
• Discusses the limitations of the approach
• Seeks to provide insight that others can use.

Funding Information

• Grants of $5,000 to $10,000 will be awarded, based on the complexity and duration of the project and the number of stories planned.
• They anticipate funding projects with proposed timelines of three to eight months.

Funding Criteria

• Successful applicants will receive support and training as necessary, and will participate in monthly calls with other grantees to share tips and insights. (Selected applicants who are not chosen for funding may also be invited to participate in calls.)
• Funding can be applied to:
  • Staff time for project activities, particularly at smaller news outlets
  • Freelancers or contractors, including those who can backfill for staff reporters or editors
  • Acquiring relevant databases
  • Data analysis and data visualization, particularly if you do not currently have staff with the data skills to support your project
  • Audience engagement attached to solutions-focused reporting
  • Multimedia or multi-platform storytelling
  • Language translation costs for communities speaking multiple languages.

Eligibility Criteria

• Any newsroom of any size in any medium anywhere in the world is eligible to apply.
• Freelancers are welcome to propose projects, but their applications must be submitted by a newsroom.
• They prioritize applications that are led by or serve diverse communities.
• They also look favorably on collaborations that have the potential to increase the reach and impact of a project.

For more information, visit https://thewholestory.solutionsjournalism.org/apply-now-want-to-find-success-stories-through-data-solutions-journalism-network-can-help-4630358c43d8