About Poynter Institute for Media Studies
To strengthen journalism and democracy by training journalists and newsroom leaders, promoting ethics and trust in media, supporting fact-checking and media literacy, and providing resources to improve reporting worldwide.
Focus Areas
journalism trainingfact-checkingmedia literacyjournalism ethicslocal news supportAI and journalism ethics
Who They Fund
journalists (including beat reporters and investigative journalists)fact-checking organizations and networksnewsrooms and media projectsjournalism trainers and training programs (e.g., Beat Academy, ARPA training)
Funding Style
About Poynter Institute for Media Studies
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies Inc uses grantmaking to support journalism training, fact-checking, media literacy, and ethics work across newsrooms and related organizations. Its recent giving includes $100,000 to the Wisconsin Center for Investig in Milwaukee for IFCN and $50,000 to the Trustees of The Univ of Penn in Philadelphia for IFCN, showing a mix of large institutional awards tied to fact-checking infrastructure and journalism research. The foundation also funds newsroom-facing projects and public-information work, such as $50,000 to USA Today in McLean and $45,000 to Univision Communications Inc in Teaneck through IFCN. In addition to these higher-dollar grants, Poynter regularly supports smaller project grants for webinars, training, and thematic journalism work, including ARPA training and private equity journalism. The portfolio points to a funder that backs both core fact-checking capacity and practical reporting support, with grants aimed at strengthening how journalism is produced, taught, and used in public life.
What Poynter Institute for Media Studies Funds
Fact-checking is a central theme in the foundation’s giving. Through IFCN, it awarded $100,000 to the Wisconsin Center for Investig in Milwaukee and $50,000 to the Trustees of The Univ of Penn in Philadelphia, both tied to fact-checking infrastructure. Thematic misinformation work also appears in grants such as $45,000 to Politifact in St Petersburg for the Climate Misinformation Grant and $48,500 to Reuters News & Media Inc in New York for the Vaccine Grant Program. Training and professional development are another clear lane: Lee Ent dba Missoulian Newspa in Missoula and the Wisconsin Center for Investig in Milwaukee each received $10,000 for webinars for journalists. Reporting-focused support also shows up in $10,000 awards to IU Office of Research Admin in Bloomington for Private Equity Journalism and to Richland Times LLC in Mansfield for ARPA Training.
How Poynter Institute for Media Studies Gives
Typical grants cluster around the middle of five figures: the p25 is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the p75 is $45,000. The recent list includes repeated recipients across multiple years, including Planet Detroit, Pacificbasin Communications, and Wisconsin Center for Investig, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards only. Grantmaking is programmatic and project-specific, with named tracks such as IFCN, Climate Misinformation Grant, Webinars for Journalists, ARPA Training, and Private Equity Journalism. The foundation does not fund individuals, and the listed programs are grant-based rather than program-related investments.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$524K
Total Assets
$51.6M
Total Revenue
$17.4M
Total Expenses
$19.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $10K and $45K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$45K
Geographic Reach
National19 states funded
About 6% of grants go to recipients in WI.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
NEIL BROWN
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