About Free Press
Free Press was created to give people a voice in the crucial decisions that shape our media. We believe that positive social change, racial justice and meaningful engagement in public life require equitable access to technology, diverse and independent ownership of media platforms, and journalism that holds leaders accountable and tells people what's actually happening in their communities. We seek to change the media to transform democracy to realize a just society.
Focus Areas
Net NeutralityInternet AccessPrivacy & SurveillanceMedia AccountabilityPlatform AccountabilityMisinformationMedia ConsolidationDiversity in Media OwnershipLocal News and Civic Media PolicyPublic MediaCensorshipRight to ProtestPress Freedom
About Free Press
Free Press channels its giving into media freedom and press freedom work, with two $600,000 grants in the recent record going to The Media Freedom Foundation for Project Censored activities. That scale sits alongside a broader portfolio that supports advocacy, public information, and journalism infrastructure through programmatic and general support. The foundation’s own mission centers on equitable access to technology, diverse and independent media ownership, and journalism that helps people understand what is happening in their communities. It also backs policy and accountability work tied to censorship, platform power, misinformation, and media consolidation. Recent grants show a mix of large institutional support and smaller awards to local and state-based media and research organizations. Free Press also funded its related Free Press Action Fund with $300,000 in 2025 and $100,000 in 2024 for programmatic support, indicating a continuing relationship with a closely connected organization. The pattern suggests a funder that supports both public-interest media advocacy and the organizations that produce or support civic information.
What Free Press Funds
In media freedom work, Free Press gave $600,000 to The Media Freedom Foundation for general support of Project Censored activities, linking its grantmaking to journalism accountability and public-interest information. It also backed platform and policy advocacy through $300,000 to Free Press Action Fund for programmatic support in 2025, after a $100,000 award in 2024 for the same purpose. The foundation’s topic list includes net neutrality, internet access, privacy and surveillance, misinformation, and platform accountability, which fits that mix of advocacy and structural media reform. Its support also reaches local-news and civic-media work: one 2024 grant went to Stockton University for programmatic support, while another supported Miles Media Consulting Management. Smaller awards to Tiny News Collectivefive Wards Media & Newark News and Story Collaborative and Movement Alliance Projectcommunity Info Cooperations point to community-centered media capacity and information access.
How Free Press Gives
Free Press gives across a wide size range, with a typical grant profile of $12,916 at the 25th percentile, $56,666 at the median, and $375,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent list shows both repeat and one-off awards: The Media Freedom Foundation received $600,000 in 2024 and again in 2025, and Free Press Action Fund received $100,000 in 2024 followed by $300,000 in 2025. The foundation is a regular funder rather than a donor-advised fund vehicle, and it does not fund individuals or program-related investments. Its grants appear to be a mix of general support and programmatic support, including some project-level funding in its stated philosophy tags.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.6M
Total Assets
$11.4M
Total Revenue
$5.8M
Total Expenses
$7.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $13K and $375K, with a median of $57K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$57K
75th Percentile
$375K
Geographic Reach
Regional4 states funded
About 33% of grants go to recipients in DC.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
CRAIG AARON
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