Advancing Public Service Media
This initiative is a critical component of the foundation's efforts to promote social justice, build healthy communities and contribute to an engaged and active citizenry.
Our work recognizes that the life experiences of all people must be amplified and affirmed, and the rights of citizenship serve as the defining values of public interest media.
Where We Work
We support public interest media services and products in Eastern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, and India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
What We Fund
We provide support in three areas:
- Content. Includes nonfiction storytelling, journalism and other digital media
- Public Interest Infrastructure. Integrates technology and applications that support connectivity, networking and openness
- Public Engagement. Promotes civic participation, use of media and technology to promote life-long learning, collaborative problem solving and informed discourse
Our grant making promotes the following:
- Quality. Top-notch production and narrative standards
- Ethics. Strict journalistic standards and practices
- Diversity. Inclusive perspectives and diversity in terms of production, delivery and participation
- Innovation. Creative use of technology and content to advance public connectivity and involvement
- Openness. Support for creator rights and ownership and innovative ways to advance knowledge sharing and open approaches to access and rights
Additional Selection Criteria
Grant support is available to for-profit and nonprofit federally identified businesses working in the public interest. We do not have submission deadlines. Grants are made throughout the year.
We do not support fictional feature films, for-profit ventures or investments in profit-driven media enterprises. Student films and local journalism, radio or television projects are rarely considered. University media departments or re-granting agents should not apply.
To Apply for a Grant
Follow these steps:
- Review the Initiative(s) most relevant to your work.
- Read our Grant Application Guide, which describes our grant-making process.
- If you determine that your work aligns with our priorities, submit a Grant Inquiry. (While we welcome submissions, please keep in mind that our funds are limited in relation to the large number of worthwhile inquiries we receive. In a typical year, less than 1 percent of unsolicited inquiries result in a grant.)
Please Note:
It is important that you use our grant inquiry form—and refrain from contacting program officers directly. Given the volume of inquiries we receive, this allows us to log, track and respond quickly to your application.
Fellowships
The vast majority of foundation grants go to organizations. We provide a very limited number of fellowship opportunities for individuals through the Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships Program, which aims to diversify the faculties of American colleges and universities.
The foundation does not have any other active fellowship opportunities at this time.
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