United States Journalism Emergency Fund Application
This is an application for the United States Journalism Emergency Fund established by the International Women’s Media Foundation and supported by the Luce Foundation and the Ford Foundation. To qualify for this emergency fund, you must be a U.S.-based journalist of any gender targeted as a result of your reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including elections, civil movements and other challenging environments. You may request support for:
- Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear;
- Small grants for medical and psychological care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist.
2025 Los Angeles Fires Emergency Response
The IWMF is offering one-time grants of up to $1,500 to journalists covering and/or affected by the January 2025 wildfires in the Los Angeles area. Grants are available to working journalists, staff or freelance, of any gender, to cover costs associated with:
- Emergency housing assistance and basic living necessities
- Immediate needs related to your professional work, such as destroyed equipment or protective gear (PPE)
- Medical or psychological care (trauma support, therapy sessions, etc.) for incidents directly related to the wildfires
Please note that emergency grants are not available to student journalists
Applicants must provide proof of their financial need. Funding is available to both staff journalists and those working independently. To request assistance from the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please complete this preliminary questionnaire. Requests that do not meet the criteria above will not be considered.
For legal support if you have been arrested or face immediate threat of arrest, please contact the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press at their free legal hotline (1-800-336-4243). The hotline is available 24/7.
If you have any questions relating to the IWMF’s United States Journalism Emergency Fund, please email assistance@iwmf.org.