The Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism is holding two grants openings in Fall 2026. The application period for Alaska Impact Reporting Initiative grants and Alaska Arts Reporting Initiative grants will open Saturday, August 1, 2026 and close Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026.

The Alaska Impact Reporting Initiative funds stories that increase public understanding of complex, underreported issues in Alaska. The Impact Reporting Initiative grant offers up to $20,000. The selection committee may make one single award, or multiple smaller awards.

The Alaska Arts Reporting Initiative funds arts and culture stories in Alaska that expand beyond current coverage. The Arts reporting initiative grant offers multiple grants of up to $5,000 each. The total grant pool is $10,000.

The Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism grant opportunities are made possible with the support of the Atwood Foundation.

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. The letter must also outline the editorial oversight of the project, including who will be the editor. 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. The news outlet must subscribe to the practices of the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, National Press Photographers Association Code of Ethics, or indicate another journalism code of ethics it has adopted.

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.

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 program administrators. 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 info@akjournalism.org.

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.

More info? Questions about the grant application and criteria can be sent to Alaska Center for Excellence in Journalism Director Kortnie Horazdovsky at info@akjournalism.org. Inquiries will be responded to generally on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Direct questions related to the online application system to The Alaska Community Foundation by email: grants@alaskacf.org or by phone: 907-334-6700 (and ask for a Program & Grants team member).

Note: You'll be directed to the Alaska Community Foundation portal to create an account.

• You do not need to provide your Social Security number — enter "NA" instead.

• Fill in only the required fields marked with an asterisk (*).

• You can save your work and return to it later, but once you click APPLY, you cannot make changes.

• Sample documents are available on the portal to help you prepare your application.