Our readers include aspiring as well as established leaders in science communication, climate storytelling, and environmental journalism. Part of WMJ’s mission is to offer actionable insights and resources that will enable them to advance their careers in these fields.
In service of that goal, here is a list of little-known resources we are keen to highlight to help your budding climate-related storytelling projects, documentaries, and news articles get off the ground. May you receive the funds you need to make a difference in environmental protection and climate justice!
Earth Journalism Network
Wealthier countries have always been disproportionately represented within environmental journalism, and Earth Journalism Network’s commendable mission is to correct this bias.
Established in 2004 with the goal of supporting journalists from low and middle-income countries to report more effectively on the environment, EJN offers grants and story stipends to media organizations and journalists besides conducting workshops and developing training materials.
The four pillars of EJN’s work are Education and Capacity Building, Network Creation, Story Production, and GeoJournalism. Unlike some of the other organizations profiled in this article, EJN’s funds are not earmarked for one or two specific grant opportunities but are spread across multiple small projects that EJN defines and periodically opens up for applications.
Focus 🔎
Grants for research and reporting on global environment or climate-related issues as well as funded opportunities to attend workshops and trainings on environment-related topics.
Eligibility ✅
Journalists from around the world with an interest in covering issues related to climate change and the environment.
Funding 💸
Varies by opportunity type. For instance, grants to support journalists attending and reporting on climate conferences like the upcoming 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) cover airfare and accommodation-related costs while grants to aid story research and production on various hotbed environmental topics generally range from $1,000 – $2,000. Project tenure and application requirements also vary by opportunity type.
Apply ✍️
EJN maintains a running list of active opportunities accepting applications, which also lists expired opportunities that are useful references for the kind of work they support. Deadlines vary by opportunity type. Check out examples of EJN-backed projects for a glimpse of the enormous impact they have had on global environmental journalism over the past two decades.
Connected Coastlines
An initiative by the Pulitzer Center, Connected Coastlines supports newsrooms and independent journalists across the U.S. in reporting on climate change issues and erratic weather patterns on every coastline in the country. Established in 2019, this funding opportunity exhibits a preference for projects that rest on a bedrock of climate science, research, and data. The initiative supported 15 projects in its inaugural year.
The Pulitzer Center also offers another environment-related funding opportunity, the Rainforest Journalism Fund. Also, their Global Reporting Grants back coverage on pressing matters often missed in mainstream media, from global health to the shifting climate..
Focus 🔎
Climate-related stories about the coastlines of the United States.
Eligibility ✅
All kinds of journalists – writers, photographers, radio producers, and filmmakers, including both staff journalists and freelancers. Both veteran and budding journalists are welcome to apply.
Funding 💸
While it considers projects of any scope and size, it prefers projects with budgets between $2k and $8k.
Timeline 📆
1-4 month short turnaround projects
Types of projects 🎥
The following types of projects are ineligible for funding: Feature-length films (though short documentaries are accepted), books (though stories that might be included in a book are allowable), salaries, seed money for startups, and academic research. For the full list, check the links below.
Requirements 👌
Three examples of climate-related published work, three professional references, a distribution plan, and a description of the methodology for original data collection and analysis, among other requirements.
Apply ✍️
Check out the FAQs and funded projects. Review application guidelines and apply for the grant. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis – first come, first served!
Filmmakers Without Borders (FWB)
This international organization helps support filmmakers around the world with grants for development, production, and post-production as well as film festival applications. One of the themes they care about is climate change.
Focus 🔎
Any of the following themes: social justice, women’s voices, youth voices, identity, cultural exchange, and most relevant to this audience – climate change.
Eligibility ✅
18+ applicants from any country who are proficient in digital technologies and able to provide samples of work. Both amateur and experienced filmmakers are welcome to apply.
Funding 💸
Ranging from $250 to $5000, depending on the purpose and stage of production.
Timeline 📆
Projects should be completed within a year of the application deadline.
Types of projects 🎥
Short films (6-40 mins), feature films (90+ minutes), and new media projects. Films can be made in any language though application materials submitted must be in English. Narrative, documentary, animation, and experimental films are eligible for funding.
Requirements 👌
Portfolio/work samples, 5-10 page treatment/outline of the project, three short-answer essays, and a 3-5 minute video essay, among other requirements. The budgets submitted should itemize the applicant’s spend of both the minimum and maximum grant amount available for that stage of the filmmaking process. For the full list of requirements, review the Supporting Materials and FAQs.
Apply ✍️
Spring, Summer, and Fall grant cycles. Check out the requirements and supporting materials and read through the FAQs section before applying. Since the FWB grant was on hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic, we advise applicants to contact FWB directly to confirm the current status of this funding opportunity.
Climate Story Fund
Established in 2020, the Doc Society Climate Story Fund believes that “investing in culture is a solution to address the climate emergency.” As the moniker suggests, Climate Story Fund has supported global stories and impact campaigns that advance us toward “a more climate just and biodiverse future.”
CSF has awarded $1.9M to geographically and thematically diverse projects since its inception, with a stated preference for climate stories that pull underrepresented and deeply affected voices and stakeholders into the global climate justice conversation.
Focus 🔎
Creative nonfiction projects centered on climate themes, whether long-form, shorts, episodic documentaries, podcasts, or radio documentaries, as well as completed creative projects seeking funds to pilot an impact campaign engaging audiences who are new to the climate conversation.
Eligibility ✅
Projects from all over the world, created by both new and established artists are eligible for funding. However, stories in the pre-production or development phase and fictional stories looking for production support are not eligible.
Funding 💸
Up to $100K in grants to support the production of creative nonfiction projects and pilot impact campaigns.
Timeline 📆
Projects must be completed and impact campaigns must be piloted within the same year in which they receive funding.
Requirements 👌
Intention to implement an impact campaign, desire to get skilled in impact creation, ability to complete production and pilot the campaign within the same year, and ability to attend a virtual Impact Lab that is mandatory for all grantees. For more concrete requirements, applicants will have to access the application portal.
Apply ✍️
While applications are closed for 2023, review the application timeline to mark important dates on your calendar for next year’s application and check out examples of funded projects. When applications open for 2024, sign up and apply here.
Other Opportunities to Consider
While we have compiled detailed profiles of a few select funding opportunities, the list is not exhaustive. Here are a few others worth checking out.
Transatlantic Media Fellowships
The Berlin-based Heinrich Böll Stiftung Foundation provides support for promising journalists to take independent, transatlantic trips to research stories in the following thematic areas: climate & energy, democracy & social policy, foreign & security policy, technology & digital policy, or global development policy. Read the stories published by the Climate and Energy Fellows and check out the 2023 Fellows cohort to understand the kinds of profiles they support.
Mongabay’s Y. Eva Tan Conservation Reporting Fellowship Program
Journalists from biodiversity hotspots in low to upper-middle-income tropical countries can apply for this paid 6-month Fellowship Program with a modest requirement – engaging with Mongabay for just 10 hours a week and producing one story a month, for which they earn a $500 stipend monthly. This rare opportunity for paid remote work on conservation with full immersion within the Mongabay ecosystem may open up career advancement opportunities with the renowned nonprofit. To learn more and apply, visit the Fellowship Information page.
International Journalists’ Programmes — Fellowship for Climate and Energy Topics
While not globally relevant, this fellowship opportunity is worth mentioning given its generous support (€3,800) for journalists reporting on climate and energy issues. Open to journalists working in any type of media in Germany and several Eastern European countries, the fellowship offers training and travel expenses coverage to encourage fellows to pursue transnational research. Visit the Fellowship page for more information.
The National Geographic Explorers Program
National Geographic welcomes projects in science, conservation, storytelling, education, and technology that fall within their focus areas: Ocean, Land, Wildlife, Human Histories and Cultures, and Human Ingenuity. It offers Level I Funding (up to $20,000) for early-career professionals and Level II Funding (up to $100,000) for established professionals or previous grant recipients along with networking and mentorship opportunities. Learn more about the grants and investment programs and submit your application.
ERC Collaborative Reporting Grants
The Environmental Reporting Collective’s Collaborative Reporting Grants bring together journalists from different countries or regions to uncover underreported environmental issues or trace cross-border environmental crimes. ERC is flexible regarding funding and applicants must submit budgets for discussion. Freelance journalists can apply with proof of publishing interest from a news outlet. The grant information page shares detailed application requirements and examples of stories published through successful ERC applications.
If you know of additional funding opportunities that belong on this list, let us know! Contact us >
