Overview

To apply for FIRE's distinct new $25,000 Greenlight Grants by deadline April 27, 2026, see below and "Applying for Greenlight Grants."

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FIRE provides a suite of customized services to freelance reporters who are planning or developing investigative stories—as well as story grants for select reporters.

Criteria for Selection

To apply to a consultancy of your choice, the gateway to any FIRE grant, please first review the criteria, program details, and application instructions below.

Investigative Stories

• Are you doing original reporting, using public records or difficult-to-obtain sources?
• Has your reporting turned up anything that might suggest potential damage to the public good in ways that hadn't been known or understood before?
• Have you found evidence that, if sufficiently corroborated, would reveal systemic injustice, damage to the public good, corruption, deceit, or abuse by someone in a position of authority who would not want your story disclosed publicly? 

Freelance Investigative Reporters

FIRE exclusively serves freelance investigative journalists—those who are not formally attached to any newsroom, news site, or outlet. If you are affiliated with an outlet, you are eligible for FIRE services only if the story you are working on will be placed outside your affiliated outlet.

If you are unsure whether you are reporting as a freelancer, consult the "Eligibility and Qualifications" section of FAQs.

As long as you are a freelance investigative reporter:

• You can be a print reporter, photojournalist, radio or TV producer, videographer, or filmmaker (FIRE does not support book-only projects).
• You can reside or work either in the United States or outside the United States, regardless of citizenship. 
• You can have proven experience in investigative reporting, or show promise in the field.

If your story is international in scope, it's helpful to have a U.S. angle.

While you may report from or live anywhere outside the US, FIRE supports reporting for English-language outlets only.

(Because FIRE-affiliated lawyers specialize in US media law, a Legal or Comprehensive FIRE Consultancy, for FIRE’s contract-related legal assistance, is available only for stories planned for US outlets.)

Specific criteria for projects

Based on the above guidelines, we support work that is fair, meticulous, resourceful, comprehensive, innovative, and effectively rendered for a strong chance to succeed at fulfilling the public interest with FIRE's help.

For more information, see FAQs. If you still have questions, email application@firenewsroom.org. 
 

FIRE's Two Programs

New applicants and anyone seeking FIRE grants must first apply to the FIRE Consultancy. If accepted, you may be invited to apply to the Virtual Newsroom with grants—including the new Greenlight Grants. The programs are reviewed below.

FIRE Consultancy

The FIRE Consultancy, FIRE's basic initial service, provides two hours of customized reporting and legal assistance to advance investigative stories. To be eligible, you do not need a specific story or experience as an investigative reporter. A FIRE Consultancy can

• help reporters at most levels of experience
• work with investigative stories at every stage of development
• address contract-based legal issues of just about every kind.

A FIRE Consultancy is also the gateway to FIRE grants. Receiving one makes you automatically eligible for an invitation to FIRE's Virtual Newsroom, which provides extended services and grants—including the standard Virtual Newsroom grant up to $12,500; and the new $25,000 Greenlight Grants.

You may apply to one of three types of consultancies:

Legal Consultancy

This program is like having your own First Amendment lawyer vetting your contract. It provides contractual-related legal assistance —including up to an hour of an attorney’s time, covering anything from how to respond to an indemnity clause, to whether to sign a particular contract.

For more, visit Legal Consultancy or FIRE Consultancy Overview.

Reporting Consultancy

This program is like having two hours of meetings with a friendly editor. Topics may range from specific reporting tips to strategy for story placement or funding. 

For more, visit Reporting Consultancy or FIRE Consultancy Overview.

Comprehensive Consultancy

This program covers both contract-related legal assistance and reporting needs.  

For more, visit Reporting Consultancy, Legal Consultancy, or FIRE Consultancy Overview.

Grants and funding

No funding is provided in the FIRE Consultancy program, but if you are accepted and invited to apply for the Virtual Newsroom, you would be eligible for a standard story grant of up to $12,500; a Greenlight Grant $25,000 if you inquire by deadline below—plus smaller specialty grants—and significantly more services. To be eligible for $25,000 Greenlight Grants, you would inquire by an application deadline of April 27, 2026,. For more, see below, Virtual Newsroom, or Applying for Greenlight Grants.

Commitment from an outlet

No commitment from a publisher or broadcaster is required for the FIRE Consultancy—and a consultancy can help with story placement. But a commitment is required to finalize and receive most grants.

For more information, see below—or FIRE Consultancy Overview and FAQs. If you still have questions, email application@firenewsroom.org.
 

Virtual Newsroom

The Virtual Newsroom is like having access to a newsroom. It offers a range of services, from open-records coaching and trained research assistance to data management and other tools. It also offers standard grants up to $12,500, and the $25,000 Greenlight Grants.

For more information, see Virtual Newsroom or Greenlight Grants.
 

Applying to FIRE

How to Apply

All FIRE applications start with a simple email inquiry about something called a "FIRE Consultancy," our basic two-hour service and gateway to further support. In the inquiry you may indicate interest in a grant (more on grants here). If you wish to indicate interest in the pilot $25,000 Greenlight Grants, you must do so in an email submitted by the deadline, April 27, 2026. Besides the Greenlight Grants, FIRE accepts inquiries on a rolling deadlines basis. To begin, study the options above, choose an appropriate consultancy, and proceed by the following steps.

Applying for a Reporting Consultancy

To apply for a Reporting Consultancy, please read the selection criteria and program descriptions above. If your story or inquiry meets the criteria, please summarize it in a brief email to application@firenewsroom.org, according to the following guidelines:

• In the body text of an email briefly summarize the nature of your investigation, specifying what you've already found out; what you want to do; for which publisher or broadcaster; the status of any discussion with the outlet; or if you do not have a particular story, describe your specific need.

• You may also indicate "I am interested in a Virtual Newsroom standard grant" or (if you're confident you will have a newsroom co-applicant by the deadline of April 27, 2026), "I am interested in a Virtual Newsroom Greenlight Grant."

• In the Subject line of your email, please indicate “Inquiry: reporting assistance.”

• Emails must go to application@firenewsroom.org—no other FIRE address (even if you previously corresponded with another address). 

• Inquiries that do not follow the above directions will not be considered.

• We would request certain application materials (e.g., resume) only if your inquiry is accepted.

Availability for this service is limited. We try to respond to inquiries quickly. But it sometimes takes two weeks or more.

For more, visit Reporting Consultancy or FIRE Consultancy Overview.

Applying for a Legal Consultancy

To apply for contract-related legal assistance via a Legal Consultancy, please read the selection criteria and program descriptions above. If your inquiry meets the criteria, please summarize it in a brief email to application@firenewsroom.org, according to the following guidelines:

• In the body text of an email briefly summarize the nature of your investigation, specify your legal question or concern, identify the intended publisher or broadcaster, and clarify whether you have already signed a contract. 

• You may also indicate "I am interested in a Virtual Newsroom standard grant" or (if you're confident you will have a newsroom co-applicant by the deadline of April 27, 2026), "I am interested in a Virtual Newsroom Greenlight Grant."

• In the Subject line of your email, please indicate “Legal Inquiry”

• Emails must go to application@firenewsroom.org—no other FIRE address (even if you previously corresponded with another address).  

• We would request certain application materials (e.g., resume) only if your inquiry is accepted.

Availability for this service is limited. We try to respond to inquiries quickly.  But it sometimes takes two weeks or more.

Note: If your legal inquiry would request assistance for navigating the legal landscape to report safely, it's actually a Reporting Consultancy. The Legal Consultancy is limited to contractual assistance to understand and arrange your story agreement with an outlet. For more, visit Legal Consultancy or FIRE Consultancy Overview.
 

Applying for a Comprehensive Consultancy

Follow steps for Legal Consultancy above, but indicate “Legal and Reporting Inquiry" in the subject line.

For more, visit Reporting Consultancy, Legal Consultancy, or FIRE Consultancy Overview.

 

Eligibility for Virtual Newsroom grants

If your inquiry is accepted, we would invite you to submit a formal application to the FIRE Consultancy. If selected, you may be subsequently invited to apply for the Virtual Newsroom with either conventional grant or Greenlight Grant. 

Invitation criteria may include any of the following:

• how much more reporting remains on your story
• how your investigation has progressed during your FIRE Consultancy
• where your story stands with an outlet that may have expressed interest in commissioning it
• story terms arranged in principle with outlet (for Greenlight Grants)

You will not need a letter of commitment from an outlet at the time you initially inquire, but you will need one before you receive your standard Virtual Newsroom grant or Greenlight Grant. For any grant, the outlet must meet basic journalistic standards as determined by FIRE, which now include indemnifying the reporter for the story—legally protecting you as it would a staff reporter. The requirement is more formalized in the Greenlight Grants, as elaborated here.

Depending on the circumstance, an invitation can happen at any stage of the Consultancy.  If you are invited to apply, your application would be subject to the following review and selection.