New grants supporting local journalism projects and outlets

In year three of the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund, a partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Ford Foundation and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, 11 projects including 12 organizations will work on projects ranging from launching a new podcast to enabling journalists to explore issues of race and equity in Detroit.

The 2020 grants total $225,000 bringing the total grant program over three years to $875,000.

This year’s grantees are:

• Riverwise Magazine (James and Grace Lee Boggs Center to Nurture Community Leadership) received $10,000 for support to pilot podcasting as a method of storytelling to highlight grassroots work.
• Michigan Community Resources in partnership with the Detroit Free Press received $15,000 for support to provide media access directly to grassroots community leaders through office hours and toolkits.
• Southwest Detroit Business Association Inc. received $35,000 for support to pilot a youth-based broadcast news platform in southwest Detroit.
• Detour Detroit received $20,000 for support to pilot a membership model that focuses on delivering relevant journalism that results in audience loyalty.
• Outlier Media received $18,000 for support to transition its housing-related text message services and reporting to a Detroit-based news outlet.
• LGBT Detroit in partnership with Between the Lines received $21,753 for support to produce content by and about LGBT people of color.
• Tostada Magazine received $15,000 for support to build organizational capacity through internships and fundraising events, and produce quality culturally diverse food journalism content.
• Urban Aging News received $16,000 for support to produce news coverage of seniors that is informed by community meetings and senior voice.
• North End Woodward Community Coalition received $15,000 for support to provide podcast training for citizen journalists, to help them produce content about the local effects of climate change.
• The Detroit Equity Action Lab, a program of Wayne State University, received $20,000 for support to empower journalists to explore and report on issues of race and equity in Detroit.
• WDET received $40,000 for support for the Detroit Documenters program, which increases awareness and coverage of public meetings, and to train local newsrooms to utilize the platform.

To support this initiative, please use the form below to donate to the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund. If you’d like to learn about other ways you can support permanent, positive change in the region, click here.