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.
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.
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.
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.
$524K
$51.6M
$17.4M
$19.1M
Most grants fall between $10K and $45K, with a median of $20K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$20K
75th Percentile
$45K
About 6% of grants go to recipients in WI.
NEIL BROWN
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The Poynter Institute for Media Studies Inc gives nationally, with recipients in 36 U.S. grants across the list. Indiana appears most often by grant count, with awards reaching Bloomington and other in-state recipients. Florida recipients account for 8% of grants, including Politifact in St Petersburg. Other frequently appearing recipient cities include Milwaukee, McLean, Teaneck, New York, and Washington, DC, showing a spread across newsroom, university, and fact-checking organizations.
Its grants go to journalists, fact-checking organizations and networks, newsrooms, journalism trainers, and journalism-related projects. Recent recipients include the Wisconsin Center for Investig, Reuters News & Media Inc, USA Today, and Univision Communications Inc.
Recent grant sizes cluster in five figures. The p25 is $10,000, the median is $20,000, and the p75 is $45,000, with some larger awards such as $100,000 to the Wisconsin Center for Investig and $50,000 grants to the Trustees of The Univ of Penn and USA Today.
Fact-checking, climate misinformation, vaccine misinformation, journalist training, and media literacy recur in the recent grants. Examples include the Climate Misinformation Grant, the Vaccine Grant Program, Webinars for Journalists, ARPA Training, and Private Equity Journalism.
Yes. Several organizations appear more than once in the recent list, including Planet Detroit in Rochester, Pacificbasin Communications in Honolulu, and Wisconsin Center for Investig in Milwaukee. That pattern suggests repeated support across years and programs.
The foundation gives nationally rather than in one state. Indiana appears most often by grant count, while Florida represents 8% of grants. Recipient cities in the list include Milwaukee, Philadelphia, McLean, Teaneck, New York, and Washington, DC.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin Center for Investig | Milwaukee, WI | $100,000 | 2025 | IFCN |
| Trustees of The Univ of Penn | Philadelphia, PA | $50,000 | 2025 | IFCN |
| USA Today | McLean, VA | $50,000 | 2025 | IFCN Global Fact Check Fund |
| USA Today | McLean, VA | $45,000 | 2025 | IFCN Climate Misinformation Grant |
| Univision Communications Inc | Teaneck, NJ | $45,000 | 2025 | IFCN |
| Factly Media & Research | Prosper, TX | $40,000 | 2025 | IFCN |
| Factchequeado | Carmichael, CA | $40,000 | 2025 | IFCN Spread The Facts 2024 |
| News Detective | Deerfield, IL | $25,000 | 2025 | IFCN Spread The Facts 2024 |
| Snopes Media Group Inc | Dover, DE | $12,500 | 2025 | IFCN |
| Check Your Fact | Washington, DC | $12,500 | 2025 | IFCN |
| Richland Times LLC | Mansfield, OH | $10,000 | 2025 | ARPA Training |
| Racine County Eye LLC | Racine, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | ARPA Training |
| Wisconsin Center for Investig | Milwaukee, WI | $10,000 | 2025 | Webinars for Journalists |
| Lee Ent dba Missoulian Newspa | Missoula, MT | $10,000 | 2025 | Webinars for Journalists |
| IU Office of Research Admin | Bloomington, IN | $10,000 | 2025 | Private Equity Journalism |
| Pacificbasin Communications | Honolulu, HI | $9,250 | 2025 | Private Equity Journalism |
| Planet Detroit | Rochester, MI | $7,500 | 2025 | Reporting on Climate Solutions |
| Daily Journal | Fargo, ND | $7,500 | 2025 | Report on Climate Solutions |
| Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Milwaukee, WI | $6,666 | 2025 | Private Equity Journalism |
| Milwaukee Journal Sentienl | Milwaukee, WI | $5,875 | 2025 | Reporting on Climate Solutions |
| WTVJ-TV NBC6 South Florida | Miramar, FL | $5,750 | 2025 | Beat Academy |
| Underscore Media Collaborat | Portland, OR | $5,750 | 2025 | Beat Academy |
| American University | Washington, DC | $5,750 | 2025 | Beat Academy |
| POLITIFACT | ST PETERSBURG, FL | $45,000 | 2024 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS | WASHINGTON, DC | $20,000 | 2024 | LEGAL FUND |
| MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL | MILWAUKEE, WI | $12,541 | 2024 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINTON, IN | $10,000 | 2024 | PRIVATE EQUITY |
| PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS LLC | HONOLULU, HI | $9,250 | 2024 | PRIVATE EQUITY |
| DAILY JOURNAL | FARGO, ND | $7,500 | 2024 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| PLANET DETROIT | ROCHESTER, MI | $7,500 | 2024 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $49,854 | 2023 | FACT CHECKING INNOVATION INNITIATIVE ROUND 2 |
| FAKENETAI CO SKYDECK | BERKELEY, CA | $49,500 | 2023 | FACT CHECKING INNOVATION INNITIATIVE ROUND 2 |
| REUTERS NEWS & MEDIA INC | NEW YORK, NY | $48,500 | 2023 | VACCINE GRANT PROGRAM |
| GANNETTUSA TODAY | MCLEAN, VA | $45,000 | 2023 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS | TEANECK, NJ | $45,000 | 2023 | CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT |
| RAINBOW PUSH COALITION | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $15,000 | 2023 | MEDIAWISE PROGRAM |
USA Today
$50,000IFCN Global Fact Check Fund
USA Today
$45,000IFCN Climate Misinformation Grant
Univision Communications Inc
$45,000IFCN
Factly Media & Research
$40,000IFCN
Factchequeado
$40,000IFCN Spread The Facts 2024
News Detective
$25,000IFCN Spread The Facts 2024
Snopes Media Group Inc
$12,500IFCN
Check Your Fact
$12,500IFCN
Richland Times LLC
$10,000ARPA Training
Racine County Eye LLC
$10,000ARPA Training
Lee Ent dba Missoulian Newspa
$10,000Webinars for Journalists
IU Office of Research Admin
$10,000Private Equity Journalism
Pacificbasin Communications
$9,250Private Equity Journalism
Daily Journal
$7,500Report on Climate Solutions
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
$6,666Private Equity Journalism
Milwaukee Journal Sentienl
$5,875Reporting on Climate Solutions
WTVJ-TV NBC6 South Florida
$5,750Beat Academy
MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL
$12,541CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$10,000PRIVATE EQUITY
PACIFICBASIN COMMUNICATIONS LLC
$9,250PRIVATE EQUITY
DAILY JOURNAL
$7,500CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$49,854FACT CHECKING INNOVATION INNITIATIVE ROUND 2
FAKENETAI CO SKYDECK
$49,500FACT CHECKING INNOVATION INNITIATIVE ROUND 2
REUTERS NEWS & MEDIA INC
$48,500VACCINE GRANT PROGRAM
GANNETTUSA TODAY
$45,000CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT
UNIVISION COMMUNICATIONS
$45,000CLIMATE MISINFORMATION GRANT
RAINBOW PUSH COALITION
$15,000MEDIAWISE PROGRAM