U.S. Local News Reporting Grants is sponsored by Pulitzer Center. The Pulitzer Center offers grants to support freelance and staff journalists in producing in-depth investigative reporting for local news outlets in the U.S., particularly on underreported stories crucial to community engagement and systemic issues.

U.S. Local News Reporting Grants | Pulitzer Center U.S. Local News Reporting Grants This opportunity is open to freelance and staff journalists working with local U.S. news outlets to publish in-depth enterprise and investigative reporting projects. The Pulitzer Center is already actively working with partner outlets in many cities, from Milwaukee to Louisville to Tucson to St. Louis.

We are committed to investing in U.S. local news by providing the resources to cover stories that might not otherwise get told. You decide what underreported stories your community needs to engage with, and we support that reporting and champion it, including creating educational materials and organizing events to expand the reach of your stories and the conversation about them.

We value data, investigative, and accountability journalism projects that tackle systemic issues and hold to account powerful local figures. For inspiration, here are a few recent reporting projects we've through this initiative: "‘They Think Workers Are Like Dogs. ’ How Pork Plant Execs Sacrificed Safety for Profits" | Rachel Axon, Kyle Bagenstose, and Sky Chadde Lawmen Off Limits | Callie Ferguson and Erin Rhoda "At What Cost?

For Baltimore’s Poorest Families, the Child Support System Exacts a Heavy Price—and It’s Hurting Whole Communities" | Lloyd Fox, Yvonne Wenger, and Christine Zhang Dairyland in Distress | Rick Barrett, Bill Glauber, Mark Hoffman, and Maria Perez Tracking the Vaccine: Eye on Equity in Chicago and Illinois | Alex Keefe, Alden Loury, Katherine Nagasawa, Angela Rozas O’Toole, Kristen Schorsch, Becky Vevea, Mariah Woelfel, and María Inés Zamudio TO APPLY, YOU WILL BE ASKED TO PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING: A description of the proposed project in no more than 250 words A preliminary budget estimate, including a basic breakdown of costs A compelling distribution plan We aim to support teams that reflect the communities they report on.

We hope our investment in U.S. local reporting projects will help our partner organizations advance their diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and commitments. We accept grant proposals on a rolling basis. Our editorial team meets regularly to review the proposals we receive.

Freelancers are eligible for our U.S. local news grants as long as they publish their stories in U.S. local outlets. If you have any questions about the application process, please email us at [email protected] . Who is eligible to apply?

When will you be notifying applicants on whether they've been selected? We begin reviewing applications as soon as they are received and typically notify applicants within a month if they're being considered for support. If there is some urgency to the field reporting, the applicant should state the reason in the application.

What is the budget range for proposals? We do not have a budget range. We will consider projects of any scope and size, and we are open to supporting multiple projects each year.

Do you pay stipends or salaries for freelance journalists? What are examples of editorial products or project expenses that the Pulitzer Center grants DON’T cover?

Books (we can support a story that might become part of a book, as long as the story is published independently in a media outlet) Feature-length films (we do support short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans) Equipment purchases (equipment rentals are considered on a case-by-case basis) An outlet’s general expenses (for example rent, utilities, insurance) Routine breaking news and coverage Advocacy/marketing campaigns Data projects aimed solely at academic research.

Data should be developed to enhance/support journalism. Email us at [email protected] . We check emails daily and look forward to hearing from you.

Support for U.S. Local News Grant Initiative is provided in part by an unrestricted endowment gift from the Facebook Journalism Project. Support for reporting projects also comes from the Omidyar Network, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the MacArthur Foundation, Humanity United, and other generous donors to the Pulitzer Center.