Colorado Media Project is pleased to announce a new grant opportunity to support smaller, Colorado-based local news organizations in producing high-quality, nonpartisan investigative or accountability journalism and/or in-depth reporting focused on a single topic. Applications are due December 2, 2024 for the first round of funding.
The guiding purpose of CMP’s Spotlight: Colorado Fund (and the projects it supports) is to raise public awareness about critical issues facing our state and to catalyze positive change in our institutions and communities.
Eligibility and Priorities
Local newsrooms, journalism, documentary, and other media-making organizations committed to in-depth reporting on a topic that will likely shine a light on important issues impacting Coloradans may apply for up to $10,000 per request. We expect to make six awards in this Fall 2024 pilot round of funding. Preference will be given to:
Investigative or in-depth projects that shine new light on timely or long-standing challenges faced by Colorado residents, communities and/or natural resources;
Applicants committed to the highest ethical and quality standards with a clear plan to publish and distribute their work widely;
Applicants who work for smaller, nonprofit or locally-owned news outlets (with annual budgets of less than $1 million) and might otherwise not have adequate support to allocate time or resources to in-depth stories;
Applicants that propose investigative reporting projects involving more than two newsrooms and/or a newsroom and other nonprofit partner;
Applicants that propose storytelling on multiple platforms and include engagement strategies to reach traditionally underrepresented communities;
Members of the Colorado News Collaborative, the Colorado Press Association, the Colorado Broadcasters Association, Local Media Association, LION Publishers, Institute for Nonprofit News, Society of Professional Journalists, and/or other professional groups.
Who and what is ineligible?
Members of the public who have no affiliation with a Colorado newsroom;
Individuals or organizations with no plans to publish or distribute their work in Colorado;
Applicants whose work is primarily targeted for national audiences outside of Colorado;
Projects proposed by newsrooms owned by national corporations or with annual budgets of over $1 million that may have greater access to institutional support for large-scale projects — though these newsrooms may participate in CMP-funded projects as part of a reporting coalition.
Use of Funds
Grants from CMP’s Spotlight: Colorado Fund should be utilized to cover costs associated with investigative, accountability or in-depth journalism that is relevant to Colorado residents. This includes, but is not limited to: fees for accessing open records; travel expenses for interviews; staff or contractor time invested in reporting and/or data collection and analysis; and other essential resources required for impactful, in-depth reporting such as photography, video or graphics. We recognize that total costs for a single investigative project will be much greater than the size of the CMP grant, so our application requests a simplified list of total estimated project expenses, against which CMP funds may be applied flexibly.
Funding Decisions and Grantee Support
Application review and grant recommendations will be made by a committee of experienced Colorado journalists and freedom of information experts. If needed, additional resources may be offered by committee members to grantees such as technical support, reporting, editing, and/or distribution assistance.
In support of editorial independence and to avoid any perception of possible conflicts of interest, funders do not review proposals or weigh in on story ideas at any time. The goal is to ensure that CMP-supported investigations meet the highest ethical standards of journalistic integrity and excellence, receive the resources required to succeed, reach broad and diverse audiences, and produce a lasting impact.
Grant Requirements
Stories produced with support from the Spotlight: Colorado Fund must be accessible to the public for free (outside of paywalls), made available for republication via a Creative Commons license, and distributed to other Colorado newsrooms via Associated Press StoryShare within one week of original publication. Support from CMP and a link to a list of donors to the Spotlight: Colorado Fund must be acknowledged publicly as a footnote of grantees’ published works. Grantees will be required to submit a post-publication report to CMP, to share lessons learned and metrics such as audience, reach, and lasting impact.
How to Apply
Applications to the Spotlight: Colorado Fund must be submitted via the Rose Community Foundation Grants Portal. Applicants must log in to the portal to complete the application, but you can preview the application without logging in here.
Application Timeline
Application Opens: Monday, November 4, 2024
Applications Due: Monday, December 2, 2024
Notification of Decision: By December 31, 2024
Grant Period: 1/1/25-12/31/25
Final Report Due: 1/31/26
More Information
For inquiries and additional information about this funding opportunity or the online grant application form, please contact Sam Moody, CMP Associate Director, at sam@coloradomediaproject.com.
About Colorado Media Project and the Spotlight: Colorado Fund
Colorado Media Project is a nonpartisan philanthropic initiative housed at Rose Community Foundation that is dedicated to fostering a free, independent, and sustainable local media ecosystem working for the public good.
The Spotlight: Colorado Fund is dedicated to supporting Colorado-based journalists and newsrooms in conducting in-depth reporting projects that probe matters of local, regional or statewide concern. We believe in the power of journalism to shine a light on public and private institutions and on systemic issues and problems that demand scrutiny, in order to inform public debate, hold the powerful to account, and foster a well-informed citizenry.
2024 contributors to the Spotlight: CO Fund are: The Colorado Trust, The Colorado Health Foundation, Bohemian Foundation and Gates Family Foundation. All members of CMP’s Funder Table agree to adhere to the American Press Institute’s guiding principles for funders of nonprofit media.
The Spotlight: Colorado Fund for Accountability Journalism is designed to strengthen editorial independence while providing resources to local journalists producing in-depth reporting.To avoid the appearance of donor influence over the the topics chosen for investigation or journalistic outcomes, grantmaking is conducted from a pooled fund with multiple funders. This approach helps journalists adhere to the highest ethical standards and avoid even the perception of a conflict of interest between funders and newsrooms that could risk public trust. This fund design also helps insulate local journalists from potential external pressures that might arise from donors who may be unaware of the necessary ethical boundaries between funders and newsrooms.
Invitation to Contribute
Foundations, major donors and individuals across Colorado and beyond are invited to contribute to Colorado Media Project’s Spotlight: Colorado Fund for Accountability Journalism at Rose Community Foundation. Your support will directly contribute to the strength and sustainability of Colorado’s local media ecosystem, enabling the production of investigative and accountability journalism that serves the public interest. For contributions of $20,000 or more, donors may direct their funding to support:
A particular geographical area in Colorado (such as a city or a region)
A particular general topic in Colorado (such as education, health, equity, the environment, or other broad topics)