We are accepting applications that seek to increase media coverage or train journalists on a variety of coastal resilience topics, including ecosystem rehabilitation, livelihood and food security, shelter and infrastructure, land use and development, managed retreat and more. We are particularly interested in projects that help journalists explore similar efforts and shared solutions (including living shorelines, reef and island restoration and more) across regions.
Proposed activities should contribute to the following overarching objectives:
Strengthen the capacity of journalists and media organizations to produce high-quality, factual and engaging public information on coastal risk and the impact of climate change on coastal communities, plus viable solutions to mitigate and respond to these impacts.
Increase the quantity of high-quality content and media coverage on key coastal resilience themes to focus public attention on the intersections between the environment and social dimensions including food security, health, migration and more.
Empower women, the poor, youth, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Indigenous peoples, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and other marginalized groups to address the disproportionate impacts of coastal issues by amplifying their voices and increasing their access to high-quality, publicly available information on resilience.
Improve access among policymakers, government and corporate actors and the public to factual, relevant and reliable information on coastal risk and resilience.
Who we are
EJN is offering organizational grants to media outlets, NGOs, academic institutions and other interested groups worldwide to support media and journalism activities related to coastal resilience
Internews initially developed the Earth Journalism Network (EJN) in 2004 to enable journalists from developing countries to cover the environment more effectively. We are now a truly global network working with reporters and media outlets in virtually every region of the world. In our mission to improve the quantity and quality of environmental reporting, EJN trains journalists to cover a wide variety of issues, develops innovative online environmental news sites and produces content for local media – including ground-breaking investigative reports. We also establish networks of environmental journalists in countries where they don’t exist and build their capacity where they do. We do so through workshops and the development of training materials and by offering Fellowship programs, grants to media organizations, story stipends, and support for story production and distribution. Watch the video above to learn more about our work.
Examples of possible activities include, but are not limited to:
– Field trips and/or training workshops that bring journalists together with experts
– Development of reporters’ resources and e-learning courses or tools
– Story grants for journalists
– Mentoring of journalists
– Special reporting projects
– Networking and partnership activities for journalists
– Development of new storytelling platforms
– Establishment of a journalists’ network.
Eligibility
– Media organizations, journalist networks, universities and journalism institutions focusing on coastal resilience reporting
– Civil society organizations, community-based groups and research institutes with strong media and communication components dedicated to supporting fair and accurate reporting (Please note that we will not consider applications rooted in advocacy, activism or political campaigning).
– We are accepting applications from organizations in any country in the world, with a preference for those from coastal countries.
– Organizations conducting work in the country where they are based and those looking to collaborate with groups in coastal countries.
For the purposes of this grant opportunity, we will only be accepting applications in English, Spanish and French
Applicants must either have a working understanding of English or have a translator available to assist with communication with Internews staff. However, project activities such as story publication may be completed in any language.
Important Details
Organizations must be legally registered in their country and maintain a bank account with the ability to receive international funds.
– Organizations in India and Bangladesh (and potentially other countries with similar requirements) must have the appropriate license to receive foreign funding to be eligible. (For administrative reasons out of our control, we are unfortunately unable support organizations in Pakistan).
– Organizations that have received support from EJN in the past are eligible, and we will take past performance into consideration during the selection process.
– EJN reserves the right to disqualify applicants from consideration if they have been found to have engaged in unethical or improper professional conduct.
Grant amount and logistics
– We anticipate supporting at least 3 organizations with up to $10,000 each in funding. Generally speaking, applications with smaller budgets will be more competitive, but we will consider larger grant amounts up to $10,000 for projects using innovative approaches that may be more resource-intensive and time-consuming.
– All applicants are required to provide a detailed budget with justification for the amount requested using the template provided. We ask that the budgets be reasonable and account for costs necessary for project implementation. Applicants may use a portion of the grant to purchase equipment but should clearly state how the equipment will contribute to the expected outcomes and it should make up a relatively small portion of the overall budget.
– Applicants are permitted and encouraged to raise co-financing for the proposed activities, but it is not required. If you have received any co-financing, please indicate the amount and the source in your application.
-We expect to notify successful applicants in early June, with projects starting work in early July. Projects should be completed within 12 months. Applicants should consider this timeline when drafting their workplan.
-For projects that involve the publication of stories or other material, please note that Internews, EJN, its partners and the grant funder will be given rights to edit, publish, broadcast and distribute those materials freely.
Judging criteria
All applications we receive are reviewed and discussed by a panel of international judges, comprising Internews staff and experts in environmental reporting.
Assessment criteria
– The overall quality of the proposal; ‘
– The relevance of the proposed project in contributing to the objectives and priorities of this grant program;
– The potential impact of the proposed project, including the quality and effectiveness of the project design;
– The innovativeness of the proposed activities;
– The financial viability and cost-effectiveness of the proposed project;
– The ability of the applicant to carry it out;
– The geographical spread of the grantees.
How to Apply
Follow this link to apply