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Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of stories do you fund?

We seek out reporting on important stories likely to be bypassed by the mainstream media and stories with the potential to have social impact. Some Investigative Fund stories have sparked resignations of public officials; others have triggered police investigations, Congressional hearings or federal legislation. Still others have changed the debate around a key issue or exposed previously hidden forms of abuse and exploitation. Stories that fill a gap in mainstream reporting or that have the potential for impact will be the strongest contenders for grants.

What makes a story "investigative"?

By investigative we mean enterprise reporting — digging up stories other reporters haven't found yet or significantly advancing stories that have been covered, but not in depth. Proposals for spot news coverage or political analysis aren't for us.

Who can apply?

Assigning editors may query us on behalf of reporters. Reporters may also query us directly. Our grants typically go to the reporter or producer to cover direct costs associated with an investigative project, though we occasionally make grants to nonprofit publications or to journalism graduate programs to support team-reported stories. We meet every two to four weeks, or as needed, to review proposals. Our decision-making process is designed to be informal and supportive. If a project has potential but we have questions about your reporting plan or budget request, we'll contact you to ask for revisions.

How big are your typical grants?

Our grants typically range from $500 to $10,000, and are based on the submission of a detailed budget to justify those costs. Our grants are not designed to replace fees at the host outlet; we expect each outlet to pay an Investigative Fund grantee at least its standard fee. Budget requests should include only direct costs or compensation for reporting time that exceed compensation and reimbursements from the host outlet. Investigative Fund grants are usually paid out in two installments.

Do you help place stories?

We prefer that reporters already have interest from an assigning editor when they query us, but we do often work with reporters to find an outlet for their stories.

Do you fund stories that won't run in The Nation?

Yes. In fact, the majority of Investigative Fund stories appear in other outlets. While The Nation Institute is loosely affiliated with The Nation magazine, we are financially and editorially independent of each other. Our mission is to promote independent journalism in a wide variety of public, independent and commercial media.

Do you only fund stories for print, or do you also make grants for investigations destined for radio, video, film and on-line outlets?

We make grants for investigative reporting in any medium.

I am a reporter based outside of the United States. May I apply for a grant?

Yes, absolutely. But our grants go to stories that will appear in U.S. media outlets. That said, we are quite open to co-publishing arrangements in which a story appears both in a U.S. and a foreign outlet.

Besides making grants, what role do you play?

Our editors play a wide variety of roles depending on the host outlet. Sometimes we simply issue a travel grant. Sometimes we do a preliminary edit on a story, in consultation with the assigning editor at the host outlet. When necessary, we also provide fact checking and legal vetting in-house. In some cases, we have sued in support of reporters' FOIA requests. When Investigative Fund stories appear, we assist with publicity work and outreach to communities of interest to increase each story's impact.

What does the reporter have to promise in return?

We require that you do the reporting outlined in your proposal, and that any significant editorial changes in direction or change in the host outlet be made in consultation with our editors. We also require that you work with us to negotiate an appropriate credit line for the Investigative Fund in the host outlet.

If the Investigative Fund turns down my proposal, where else can I go for funding?

Here's a partial list of alternatives:

•   Alicia Patterson Foundation

•   Center for Investigative Reporting

•   Fund for Investigative Journalism

•   George Washington Williams Center for Independent Journalism (for journalists of color)

•   Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (health reporting)

•   Investigative Reporters and Editors

•   ProPublica

•   Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting (international reporting)



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The Great American Stickup

How Reagan Republicans and Clinton Democrats Enriched Wall Street While Mugging Main Street

By Robert Scheer

"One of the best reporters of our time."—Joan Didion

In The Great American Stickup, celebrated journalist Robert Scheer uncovers the hidden story behind one of the greatest financial crimes of our time: the Wall Street financial crash of 2008 and the consequent global recession. Scheer goes back to Washington, D.C., a veritable crime scene, beginning in the 1980s, where the captains of the finance industry, their lobbyists and allies among leading politicians destroyed an American regulatory system that had been functioning effectively since the era of the New Deal.

Check out Scheer's book tour!

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Marfa Dialogues/Diálogos en Marfa: Politics and Culture of the Border

undef 0 | Marfa, Texas

See acclaimed Nation Books authors Charles Bowden and Mark Danner speak at Marfa Dialogues: Politics and Culture of the Border, three days of art, film, music, and literature. Presented by Ballroom Marfa and The Washington Spectator, in collaboration with The Big Bend Sentinel, Marfa Public Radio and Marfa Book Company.

September 9 - October 22
Robert Scheer: Author Tour
(West Coast, United States)
Please join Nation Books author Robert Scheer as he travels to Washington, California and Oregon on an author tour to discuss his latest book, The Great American Stickup. MORE

September 16 | 5:30 pm
Investigating Impunity After Katrina
(New York University, New York City)
Please join us for "Investigating Impunity After Katrina," the launch event for The Backstory, a new monthly series of public conversations with investigative reporters and nonfiction authors affiliated with The Nation Institute. Investigative Fund reporter A.C. Thompson will discuss his award-winning reporting in New Orleans. (See Katrina's Hidden Race War and Body of Evidence, published in The Nation in January 2009.) MORE

September 18 | 1 pm
Author Talk: Wayne Karlin
(Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, Washington, D.C.)
Please join Nation Books author Wayne Karlin as he discusses his book, Wandering Souls: Journeys With The Dead And The Living In Viet Nam at Washington, D.C.'s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library on September 18 at 1 p.m. MORE

September 24 - October 5
Fatima Bhutto: Author Tour
(Across the United States)
Please join Fatima Bhutto as she travels from New York to Massachusetts, Oregon and California on an author tour to discuss her new memoir, Songs of Blood and Sword. MORE

October 5 | 7 pm
Herding Donkeys: Howard Dean and Ari Berman on the Future of the Democratic Party
(92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street, New York City)
Nation Institute Fellow Ari Berman talks about his new book, Herding Donkeys: The Fight to Rebuild the Democratic Party and Reshape American Politics, with former Governor of Vermont, Howard Dean. MORE

October 23 - January 16
Eugene Richards: Photo Exhibit
(Exhibition around the world)
Institute Fellow and award-winning photographer is the winner of the 2010 World Press Photo of the Year contest. Every year following the World Press Photo Contest, the winning images go on tour. The exhibition is officially opened in Amsterdam as part of the award ceremony in April and can be seen at venues around the globe until the next year. The tour program takes in approximately 100 cities in 45 countries and is still expanding. MORE


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