Grants will range from $2,500 to $10,000.
Projects should center on themes of social justice.
Reporters should be experienced and have an idea of where their articles/TV productions should be placed.
GEORGE POLK GRANTS FOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING
The George Polk Investigative Grants are given to experienced reporters to pursue reporting projects relating to social justice. The intent is to promote public awareness of social problems in immigration, housing, welfare, health, employment and other areas and to promote investigative articles on the Web as well as in print.
Special consideration will be given to journalists who are no longer employed by their news organizations, but this is not an absolute requirement. Ideally, an applicant should have a proven track record as an investigative reporter and propose an article on a subject with which he or she is familiar. The program is intended as a resource for a reporter who always has wanted to dig into a particular topic or has developed useful expertise – who knows “where the bodies are buried” – in an area of social importance.
Grants will range from $2500 to $10,000, depending on the duration and complexity of the project. The Polk program will provide some editorial supervision and assist when necessary in helping to place the article, but the primary responsibility for this rests with the reporter. Any fees or payment will be retained by the reporter. We do not fund book projects. We request that recipients keep a record, whenever possible, of the circulation/viewership of the publication/production and of the number of hits the article receives on the Website.
An applicant must provide a detailed prospectus, along with a resume, two references and a letter expressing interest in the project from a news organization. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, beginning June 1, 2013. All information will be confidential.