Funded Projects

Other ways we support Alaska journalism

training & professional development

We began funding training in 2020. In partnership with the Alaska Press Club and the University of Alaska-Anchorage Department of Journalism and Public Communications, we sponsor training and internship activities for Alaska journalists and journalism students to augment the annual Alaska Press Club Conference. In 2022, we sponsored a Legislative Reporter Exchange in which a Bethel-based reporter from KYUK spent a month covering the Alaska Legislative session in Juneau. We sponsored a University of Alaska Anchorage journalism student to work at KYUK during the same time period. In 2023, our Legislative Exchange program sent a Kenai reporter from radio station KDLL to Juneau and a UAA student to KDLL.

COVID-19 RAPID RESPONSE NEWS ORGANIZATION GRANTS

In an effort to support Alaska news coverage during the coronavirus pandemic, ACE-J awarded $70,000 in grants to 21 newspapers, radio and television stations statewide to help strengthen their ability to serve the public while operating safely. The grants helped to fund laptops, video, audio and other digital equipment so that news organizations could continue to inform the public while reporters and editors worked remotely and in the field.

Grants were awarded to Anchorage Press, Chilkat Valley News, Ketchikan Daily News, Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, Nome Nugget, Petersburg Pilot, Sitka Sentinel, Skagway News and Wrangell Sentinel newspapers; radio stations KYUK in Bethel, KUAC in Fairbanks, KHNS in Haines, KBBI in Homer, KRBD in Ketchikan, Koahnic Broadcasting and KNBA, KTOO in Juneau, KFSK in Petersburg, KCAW in Sitka, KUCB In Unalaska and KSTK in Wrangell; and KTUU-TV in Anchorage.

Read more about our COVID-19 Rapid Response grants here.

Grants

grants through acej

The Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism is opening two grant application opportunities August 1, 2023, closing September 15, 2023.

The Alaska Impact Reporting Initiative is looking for stories that increase public understanding of complex, underreported issues in Alaska. The maximum grant amount is $25,000, but the grant selection committee may choose to award more than one grant.

The Alaska Arts Reporting Initiative aims to expand arts and culture coverage in Alaska. The grant pool amount for this arts reporting funding is $20,000. The maximum single grant amount is $10,000. We expect most awards to be around $5,000, subject to the discretion of the grant selection committee.

These Fall 2023 grant opportunities are made possible with the support of the Atwood Foundation.

For all proposed projects, we encourage collaboration among local news organizations. A majority of the project team must be Alaska-based.

Grants cover out-of-pocket expenses such as travel, document collection, equipment rental and specific services such data analysis and editing. Wages of up to 50% are an acceptable expense. It is ACEJ policy to pay the first half of approved grants to successful applicants, with the second half of the grant paid on publication or broadcast of a finished project in accordance with the original purpose. Second-half grants are not guaranteed if projects are not completed by the agreed-upon deadline.

Letter of Commitment: Before you apply, you need to obtain a “Letter of Commitment” from an editor or manager who can pledge in writing that the news outlet will publish or air the project you propose - as long as it meets the publication’s expectations and standards. ACEJ requires this commitment before a grant application can be considered. The letter must be on letterhead that includes contact information for the news outlet and the individual signing it.

Budget Guidelines: Your estimated budget must identify all other sources of funding and itemize expenses such as travel, document fees, equipment rentals and services. Be specific. Soliciting other sources of funding is encouraged.

Ethics: Grantees are required to abide by the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and the National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics.

Selection: The ACEJ grant application review committee will review and vote on all eligible proposals. Applicants will be notified by email of the status of the application four weeks after the application deadline has passed.

To apply: Scroll down and click on apply. You will be directed to the Alaska Community Foundation portal where you need to create an account. Important: You do not need to give your social security number. Simply type NA in the prompt box. You only need to fill in fields marked with an asterisk. You may save your work and come back to the application, but once you hit APPLY on the final page you will not be able to make changes.

Disclaimer of Liability: ACEJ’s mission is to support the work of Alaska journalists. ACEJ assumes no liability for the legal and/or safety risks undertaken by journalists in the course of their reporting.

Privacy: We take the obligation to guard your story ideas seriously. We will not circulate them beyond our three-member review committee and administrator. We also realize the contents of your proposal may contain sensitive information. If you are concerned about submitting details by email, please contact us at akjournalismcenter@gmail.com.

Conflicts of Interest: ACEJ Board members and grant review committee members may not submit grant applications. Members of the grant application review committee must disclose to the other committee members any conflicts of interest with grant applicants or grant applications.