Background and Institutional Overview:
The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting is a leading journalism organization based in Washington, DC that supports in-depth, high-impact reporting on critical issues that are often overlooked or underreported in the media. Through its grant programmes and fellowships, the Pulitzer Center provides funding, training, data and research support, and community access to freelance and staff journalists pursuing underreported enterprise stories across the world. The Center's broader network includes thousands of journalists, editors, and engagement specialists, and its grantees have produced award-winning journalism that has driven public awareness and policy change on issues ranging from climate change and public health to human rights, conflict, and governance. The Pulitzer Center operates two primary support mechanisms: reporting grants that fund specific in-depth journalism projects, and fellowship programmes that provide funding, training, cohort experiences, and mentorship for journalists pursuing similar in-depth or investigative stories on specific themes.
Global Reporting Grants — The Signature Programme:
The Pulitzer Center's Global Reporting Grants are the organization's signature, "catch-all" funding mechanism, supporting in-depth, high-impact reporting on critical and underreported issues worldwide. There are no restrictions on topic or reporting location for these grants — journalists can propose stories on any subject from any country, making this programme fully accessible to journalists reporting from or about Nepal and the broader South Asian region. Staff and freelance journalists are eligible worldwide, and the Center is committed to supporting journalists from diverse backgrounds and of all nationalities. The Center supports projects across all media platforms and encourages ambitious proposals that combine print, photography, audio, and/or video for one or more news outlets. The most successful projects are those in which news outlets match the Center's commitment by adding interactive, data, or multimedia elements to enhance and showcase the original reporting.
Thematic and Special Grants:
In addition to the Global Reporting Grants, the Pulitzer Center periodically launches thematic and regional grant opportunities focusing on specific issues. Current and recent thematic grants include AI Accountability Fellowships for reporting on how AI systems are funded, built, and deployed; the Rainforest Investigations Network (RIN) for investigative reporting at the intersection of climate change, corruption, and governance in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia; the Eyewitness Photojournalism Grant (with Diversify Photo) supporting independent photojournalists historically underrepresented in global media; StoryReach U.S. Fellowships for local and regional newsrooms; Campus Consortium student reporting fellowships for undergraduate and post-graduate students; a special call for Climate and Labor reporting (deadline March 6, 2026, with results by March 30, 2026); and a special call for Health Reporting in the Global South focusing on the impact of U.S. health aid cuts. Journalists unsure about which grant best fits their project are advised to submit through the Global Reporting Grants form, which serves as the universal entry point.
Eligibility Requirements:
Grants are open to all journalists regardless of nationality, location, or experience level. Eligible applicants include writers, photographers, radio/audio journalists, television/video journalists, and documentary filmmakers. Both staff journalists and freelancers may apply. The Pulitzer Center values a diversity of voices across gender, ethnicities, backgrounds, and nationalities. Younger applicants seeking to jumpstart their careers are welcome alongside veteran reporters. There are no restrictions on the topic or geographic location of reporting, though the Center is particularly interested in underreported, systemic issues of global importance. For conflict zone reporting, freelancers must have a firm assignment from a news organization that will assume full responsibility for their safety and well-being, and must adhere to the ACOS Alliance principles for the safety of journalists. The Center encourages Hostile Environment Training and may include it in approved budgets.
What the Pulitzer Center Does NOT Fund:
The Center does not fund books (though it can support a story that becomes part of a book if published independently in a media outlet), feature-length films (though it supports short documentaries with ambitious distribution plans), data projects aimed solely at academic research (data should enhance/support journalism), overhead or indirect expenses for newsrooms, universities, or similar institutions, or stipends as a primary budget item (news organizations are expected to pay journalists for their work, though exceptional cases may be considered).
Application Requirements:
All proposals require the following components: a description of the proposed project in no more than 250 words; a letter or letters of interest (or commitment) from editors and news outlets willing to publish or broadcast the work; a preliminary budget estimate with a basic breakdown of costs (travel, local partners, translators, fixers, drivers, and other hard reporting costs); three contemporaneous samples of published work, either print or broadcast; and two professional references (contact information or letters of recommendation — letters from interested producers or editors are encouraged when available). Applications can be submitted in English, Spanish, French, Bahasa Indonesia, or Portuguese. The application form allows applicants to save progress and resume later.
Evaluation and Selection:
There is no magic formula for a successful proposal, but the Pulitzer Center prioritizes proposals from journalists with a deep commitment to their topic and a demonstrated plan for engaging audiences broadly. The best proposals clearly articulate what issue the journalist wants to address, whose stories they want to tell, where they will travel, which media will best tell the story, who they plan to interview, and how they will make the material accessible to broader audiences. The Center looks for stories that are underreported, systemic, and of global importance. Proposals are reviewed on a rolling basis, with responses typically provided within 2–3 weeks. Some applicants succeed on their first try; others refine their proposals over multiple submissions before being funded — persistence is encouraged.
Payment Structure:
For approved projects, 50 percent of the grant amount is paid after completion of the initial grant paperwork and contract signing. The remaining 50 percent is paid upon submission of the principal material for publication or broadcast. This structure ensures accountability while providing upfront support for reporting costs.
Nepal Relevance:
Nepal is fully eligible for Pulitzer Center reporting grants. There are no geographic restrictions on the Global Reporting Grants, and the Center has explicitly welcomed proposals from the Global South. Nepal offers rich potential for underreported stories across themes the Center actively supports, including climate change and environmental degradation, public health challenges, labor migration and workers' rights, governance and democratic consolidation, gender equality, biodiversity and conservation, and disaster resilience — all of which align with the Pulitzer Center's mission of supporting journalism on systemic global issues.
Key Details
Application Form: https://pulitzercenter.tfaforms.net/236721
Grant Application Page: https://pulitzercenter.org/grant-application
How to Apply / Tips: https://pulitzercenter.org/grants-fellowships/tips-writing-successful-pulitzer-center-grant-proposal
Important:
Discover a wide range of careers across every industry from design and tech to healthcare and finance. Find roles that match your skills and passion, and take the next step toward your dream job.
Deadline: Jun 2, 2026
NED awards 2,000+ grants/year to NGOs in 100+ countries including Nepal. Avg ~$50K for 12 months. Supports democracy, human rights, free media & civic participation. Four deadlines/year. Apply via email.
Deadline: Jun 2, 2026
Wellcome + NIHR: £1M–£8M for randomised controlled trials optimising infectious disease treatments. Must be led from Africa/South Asia/SE Asia. Nepal explicitly eligible. 8–12 awards. Deadline: June 2, 2026.
Deadline: Jun 5, 2026
Together Women Rise offers two-year Featured Grants of $35,000–$50,000 to women-led organizations empowering women and girls in the Global South, including Nepal. Requires US 501(c)(3) status or a US fiscal sponsor. Deadline: June 5, 2026.
Deadline: Jun 5, 2026
Together Women Rise: $35,000–$50,000 over 2 years for orgs empowering women/girls in Global South. At least 12 grants/year. Nepal eligible via US 501(c)(3) or fiscal sponsor. Apply: May 5 – June 5, 2026.
