Support and service for the investigative freelancer
FIRE fortifies freelance investigative reporters with a suite of resources—grants, reporting services, contract-related legal assistance, and tools like the FIRE Contract Template and Tip Sheets on liability.
But we are also part of a larger support system for freelancers, a network providing everything from grants to safety trainings.
Some tools and services are highlighted by category below and more are available from the allies further below. (To suggest any ones we may have missed, please contact us!)
Grants
Alicia Patterson Foundation
The Alicia Patterson Foundation fosters, promotes, sustains and improves the best traditions of American journalism by providing support for journalists engaged in rigorous work that will benefit the public, with grants of $40,000 for a year and $20,000 for half year.
Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors
More on grants here.
The Fund for Investigative Journalism
The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) is a non-profit that provides grants for investigative journalism in an effort to fight against racism, poverty, corporate greed, and governmental corruption.
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) Freelancer Fellowship
Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE), a grassroots nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of investigative reporting (and FIRE's fiscal sponsor), offers grants for independent journalists.
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism provides stipends to reporters for in-depth business and economic stories.
The Pulitzer Center
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is an award-winning non-profit journalism organization that supports independent international journalism and focuses on underreported topics, promoting high-quality international reporting, and educational programs.
Society of Environmental Journalists
The Society of Environmental Journalists, a North American member-based association of professional journalists dedicated to more and better coverage of environment-related issues, offers grants on environmental topics.
Grants, with partner-publishing platform
Type Investigations
Type Investigations is a nonprofit newsroom that provides financial and editorial support for freelance stories on topics ranging from racial and economic justice, to climate and environmental health.
Food and Environment Reporting Network
The Food & Environment Reporting Network, Inc., is an independent, non-profit news organization that produces investigative reporting on food, agriculture, and environmental health.
100 Reporters and Editors
100 Reporters and Editors exists to hold accountable those wielding power and controlling money—specifically, governments, public officials and corporations in the U.S. and abroad—through fearless reporting that spans the globe.
Additional grants, fellowships, awards
SEJ comprehensive list
https://www.sej.org/initiatives/awards-fellowships/nonSEJ-awards
GIJN comprehensive list
https://gijn.org/resources-grants-and-fellowships/#reporting
Fellowships and workshops
SEJ comprehensive list
https://www.sej.org/initiatives/awards-fellowships/non-sej-environmental-journalism-fellowships-and-workshops
Protective tools in the public interest
A Culture of Safety Alliance (aka ACOS Alliance), a coalition of news organizations, freelance journalist associations, and press-freedom NGOs, helps freelance journalists and editors work safely every day via a range of tools, including Safety Principles, legal referrals, and a model publishing agreement.
The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) serves as the international hub for the world's investigative reporters, with extensive resources on safety and security, legal assistance, and emergency aid.
Lawyers for Reporters, a joint project of the Press Freedom Defense Fund and the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, offers pro bono legal services for small newsrooms and the freelancers engaged by them, including those arrested or injured while reporting on protests.
The Media Law Resource Center (MLRC), a non-profit membership association serving content providers and their defense lawyers, provides a wide range of resources on media and content law and policy issues.
PEN America, which works to promote journalistic and literary freedom, leads an online abuse and harrassment program that offers self-defense resources and training; and conducts related research and advocacy—as profiled by FIRE here.
Media Law: contract-related protection
Freelance Investigative Reporters and Editors (FIRE) offers contract-related legal assistance here.
Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press, a longtime partner and ally of FIRE, provides a robust menu of non-contract-related legal services for freelancers, on everything from protecting sources to filing FOIA appeals.
Allied Organizations
A Culture of Safety Alliance (ACOS)
A Culture of Safety Alliance (aka ACOS Alliance) is a coalition of news organizations, freelance journalist associations, and press-freedom NGOs that helps freelance journalists and editors work in everyday safety according to Freelance Journalist Safety Principles.
American Society of Journalists and Authors
The American Society of Journalists and Authors, founded in 1948, is a professional organization of independent nonfiction writers.
The Asian American Journalists Association
The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit educational and professional organization with more than 1,600 members across the United States and Asia.
Association of Independents in Radio
Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) provides training, mentorship, resources for professional development, and networking opportunities to its network of audio industry professionals in public media, journalism, and podcasting.
Freelancers Union
Freelancers Union promotes the interests of independent workers through advocacy, education, and services.
Global Investigative Journalism Network
The Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) serves as the international hub for the world's investigative reporters. GIJN offers a full array of events, daily social-media feeds, a Help Desk, Resource Center, job listings, fundraising resources, and grants/fellowships.
Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting
The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting increases and retains investigative reporters and editors of color in the field via mentorship, training, job opportunities, and promotion of work by Black investigative reporters and about the Black experience—and educating news organizations and journalists on the benefits of diversity.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, founded originally as a project of the Center for Public Integrity, is a global network of 185 investigative journalists in more than 65 countries who collaborate on in-depth investigative stories.
Institute for Nonprofit News
Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) is a network of more than 300 nonprofit news organizations that helps its member organizations distribute stories of impact, network for resources and services, and develop new revenue streams to become more sustainable.
The International Women's Media Foundation
The International Women's Media Foundation is one of the largest supporters of women and nonbinary journalists in the world. It offers reporting opportunities, awards, safety training, an Emergency Fund, fellowships and grants like the Fund for Women Journalists, and co-coordinates an Online Violence Response Hub.
Journalism and Women Symposium
Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) supports the professional empowerment and personal growth of women in journalism through their Conference and Mentoring Project, fellowship programs, and regional gatherings.
Lawyers for Reporters
Lawyers for Reporters offers pro bono legal services for small newsrooms and the freelancers engaged by them.
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism
The McGraw Fellowship for Business Journalism provides stipends to reporters for in-depth business and economic stories.
Media Law Resource Center
The Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) is a membership association for content providers in all media, and for their defense lawyers, providing a wide range of resources on media and content law and policy issues.
National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is a member-based organization of journalists, students and media-related professionals that provides quality programs and services to and advocates on behalf of Black journalists worldwide.
National Association of Hispanic Journalists
National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is a member-based organization dedicated to increasing the number Latinos in the newsroom and works towards fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media.
National Writers Union
National Writers Union is the largest labor union representing freelance writers.
Native American Journalists Association
Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) is member-based association that serves and empowers Indigenous journalists through programs that promote Indigenous culture and strives to increase the representation of Indigenous journalists across media.
PEN America
PEN America is part of an international organization working to promote journalistic and literary freedom. For a dedicated FIRE page on PEN America's online abuse program, visit here.
The Poynter Institute
The Poynter Institute is a leading instructor, innovator, convener, and resource for anyone who aspires to engage and inform citizens in 21st Century democracies.
Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press
Reporters Committee on Freedom of the Press provides non-contract-related legal services for journalists on every aspect of reporting as it relates to the First Amendment and media law.
Society of Professional Journalists
Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) is a member-based organization providing professional development and advocacy for the First Amendment rights for professional journalists. The SPJ Freelance Community is a virtual network of independent journalists offering camaraderie, training and resources.