The Facebook Journalism Project / ICFJ COVID-19 Latin America News Relief Fund Grant Program is a program offered by Facebook, Inc. and administered with the help of ICFJ, awarding up to $1,500,000 USD total in Grants, which offers financial assistance in the form of a one-time payment ranging from $10,000-$40,000 USD to select organizations in select Latin American countries to help support news organizations serving a critical role for communities impacted by COVID-19 by either 1) responding to immediate community needs and/or 2) off-setting revenue shortfalls to help publishers maintain long-term sustainability.
Funding Information
- The applications selected to receive a Grant by the Program Entities will receive grants ranging from $10,000 to $40,000 USD, with each Grant value and exact number of Grants awarded determined in Program Entities’ sole discretion, up to $1,500,000 USD for the entire Grant Program. Program Entities expect to award between 50-60 grants.
- The Grant must be used directly and solely for the Purpose as identified in the Grant recipient’s application and otherwise in accordance with these Terms.
Grant preference will be given to publishers who meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Those serving diverse or traditionally underserved communities;
- Those serving a defined geographic area;
- Those that have not yet received grant support from the Facebook Journalism Project in 2020;
- Those representing areas where COVID-19 impact is particularly acute; and
- Those that clearly and candidly explain the grant's contribution to their organization's long-term viability.
- Facebook pages and Instagram accounts are in compliance with Facebook community standards and partner monetization policies.
Eligibility Criteria
The Program Entities will consider one application per news brand/newsroom. Organizations must meet the following requirements as of the application date to apply to the Grant Program:
- A non-profit or for-profit news organizations with their principal place of business located in one of the following countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, or Uruguay;
- Actively covering COVID-19 and producing original news content related to COVID-19;
- Have been in operation for two years or more; and
- Employ at least 5 full-time journalists.
Applicants must NOT:
- Discriminate based on race, gender, faith, national origin, sexual orientation or disability;
- Carry on propaganda or otherwise attempt to influence specific legislation;
- Influence the outcome of any specific public election or to carry on, directly or indirectly, any voter registration drive;
- Be on a government web-based watch list of banned entities or employ, deal with, or otherwise be associated with any individuals on such lists, or aid or support any entities or whom it knows or believes to support terrorism;
- Be a fact checker participating in the 3PFC Facebook program;
- Be a state media company, or a state supported or funded news foundation; or
- Be primarily a research organization, rather than a news organization.
As a Condition of Participating, Applicants hereby agree as follows:
- To read, complete, agree to, and sign additional documentation that, among other things, provides information for tax and legal compliance purposes and confirms the requirements and conditions of these Terms, if selected as a potential Grant recipient; and
- That the natural person filling out the Grant Program application is an authorized representative of the organization identified in the application, if applicable.
Application Requirements
Each application must include the following:
- A description of how Grant funds will be used for the Purpose
- Budget outlining how the funds will be used
- Desired grant amount in the following ranges:
- $10,000-$20,000
- $20,000-$30,000
- $30,000-$40,000
- Contact information.
- Organization information, including number of employees and a link to your website.
- Organization information, including number of employees and link to website.
- Details on their digital revenue models, percentage of income from reader support, their unique visitor digital audience and their content focus.
- Gross revenue in 2019.
- Samples of your best coronavirus coverage.
- All of the information and materials supplied by Applicants is referred to as "Applicant Content." If you do not provide all required information, your application will not be considered.
- Applicant Content must meet the following requirements, as determined by Program Entities in their sole discretion:
- Not infringe, misappropriate, or violate any rights of any third party including, without limitation, rights of privacy or publicity; and
- Only include content about persons or entities from whom the Applicant has all necessary permissions and rights, including, if applicable, a minor’s parent or legal guardian (Applicant agrees to provide Program Entities with written confirmation of those permissions and rights upon request).
- Applications must be in English
Selection Criteria
Finalists will be selected according to the following criteria:
- Clear and compelling description of how Grant funds will be used for the Purpose
- Organizational need and clarify of budget proposal
- Quality of prior news reporting and other content related to COVID-19
- Whether the organization meets one or more of the preference criteria
Post Date - 07-May-2020
About
The Facebook Journalism Project works with publishers around the world to strengthen the connection between journalists and the communities they serve. It also helps address the news industry's core business challenges.