To support fact-checking initiatives worldwide and reduce the harm of misinformation, the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the nonprofit Poynter Institute, a global leader in journalistic excellence, administers the Global Fact Fund, funded by Google and YouTube.

The mission of the Fund is to strengthen the operational and engagement capacities of local and regional media organizations to increase the impact of fact checking journalism. The fund supports verified signatories of the IFCN Code of Principles fact-checking organizations, as well as non-signatory, partnering organizations endorsed by IFCN signatories.

Through its grant application and monitoring and evaluation requirements, the grant fund seeks to improve the capacity of fact-checkers to seek competitive grants across a changing media landscape for the long term.

This three-year program started in 2023 with three rounds of funding for the year, and those rounds will be repeated in 2024 and 2025. In all, nine rounds of grants will be disbursed over the three years of the program. The Fund is administered by the IFCN staff with the guidance of a steering committee made up of experts in the fact-checking field and fact-checking leaders from around the world. 

Global Fact Check Fund Grant Categories 

BUILD

The BUILD category offers $25,000 grants. It is appropriate for both smaller fact-checking organizations, and for larger organizations that seek day-to-day funding support without proposing a new initiative. The support for day-to-day funding is intended to support a plan for the grantee to increase future capacity.

A smaller fact-checking organization that applies for BUILD might be between 1 and 5 years old. The organization is likely not part of a formal Third-Party Fact-Checking Program from a tech platform such as Meta or TikTok. A larger fact-checking organization that applies for BUILD might be  older than five years old, and it might or might not be part of a Third-Party Fact-Checking Program.

Organizations that apply for the BUILD tier fit the following criteria:

• They are seeking general support for day-to-day operations so as to develop capacity in the future.
• They are not proposing a specific new project or program. 
• They seek a grant with a low level of monitoring and evaluation requirements. 

Some BUILD grantees have applied for grants for the following purposes: 

• Improving website development, domain hosting, content management systems, and publishing tools
• Supporting salaries of existing staff
• Purchasing hardware or software necessary for continuation of operations
• Supporting the creation of a new position
• Giving new professional development opportunities to existing staff
• Improving security and resilience against hacking and other threats

GROW

The GROW category offers $50,000 grants and is open only to IFCN signatory organizations with the status of “Active” or “In Renewal” at the time of the application. It is appropriate for small to large fact-checking organizations that are publishing regularly, sustainable in their day-to-day operations, and would like to pursue a new initiative or program with a strong commitment to monitoring and evaluating programmatic accomplishments.

Some GROW grantees have applied for grants for the following purposes:

• Increasing staffing
• Expanding or creating programs designed to boost content visibility
• Staff training
• Launching fundraising initiatives
• Diversifying revenue streams
• Expanding data analytic tools
• Growing partnerships and collaborations to leverage and expand resources

ENGAGE

The ENGAGE category offers grants of $100,000 and is open only to IFCN signatory organizations with the status of “Active” or “In Renewal” at the time of the application. It is appropriate for fact-checking organizations of any size that publish regularly, are sustainable in their day-to-day operations, and want to develop revenue streams outside of third-party fact-checking programs. The organization is ready to put forward a specific project or major expansion with a robust monitoring and evaluation plan. That plan will allow it to share learnings with the broader fact-checking community so that its program might be replicated by other signatories. 

Some ENGAGE grantees have applied for grants for the following purposes:

• Staff increases to expand or create programs designed to boost content visibility
• Advanced staff training
• Cross-pollination across technology channels
• Exploration of new target markets using audience research, metrics, and analytics
• Digital media expansions
• Community engagement projects
• Innovation and experimentation in developing tools for fact-checking

BUILD 2024 opportunity now open (April 19, 2024-May 17, 2024 11:59pm EST)

Check back here for announcements for all 2024 rounds or sign up for the IFCN public listserv.

All grant opportunities require application registration at https://ifcn.grantplatform.com/

IMPORTANT AWARD INFORMATION  

• Award amounts: From the $1,000,000 fund total for BUILD 2024, $25,000 per awarded application will be disbursed in two equal payments, for up to 40 organizations. 
• There is no limit to the number of applications an organization may submit across all categories (BUILD, GROW and ENGAGE). However, each successful primary applicant may not be granted more than one award per year. And each secondary applicant on an application may not be awarded more than one award per year.  
• BUILD 2024 opportunity is open to IFCN signatories and to non-signatory organizations, with an endorsement of a signatory
• NEW: To be eligible for a 2024 BUILD, GROW or ENGAGE funding, an applicant must not have a current, open GFCF grant. The applicant must have a completed and closed GFCF grant based on:
  • having closed out all activities as described in the approved application;
  • having met and finished the end of their grant performance period, including any no-cost extension periods;
  • having submitted a final report; and
  • having been approved for their final grant payment
• Should the BUILD 2024 category fund not be exhausted through the standard award process, considerations for redistribution of the funds will be made with the guidance of the Steering Committee. 
• Grant performance period: Proposed BUILD activities must be completed in either 9 months or 12 months, while GROW and ENGAGE must be completed in 12 months.
• The decision of awards will be made by a selection committee comprised of professionals in the media space who bring diverse skills, experiences, perspectives, and expertise.

Resources

• A 60-minute, BUILD 2024 Q&A webinar was hosted on Zoom on April 24, 2024. A replay of the session is available here.
• A guide for how to apply for GFCF grants is available here.
  
• A 60-minute webinar entitled, “Applying to the IFCN’s Global Fact Check Fund grant program: What’s in a strong application?” was hosted on Zoom on May 8, 2024. A replay of the session is available here and a copy of the PowerPoint is available here.