J-Lab: The Institute for Interactive Journalism invites United States (US) non-profit groups and education organisations to apply for funding to launch new community news ventures and to cooperate with J-Lab in spotlighting best practices and lessons learned. Funding is available for start-up news initiatives only. Ongoing efforts are not eligible to apply unless they are proposing a new venture. Successful applicants will be ventures that benefit a defined geographic or special-interest community, and foster an open exchange of journalistically sound ideas, information, news and opinion in those communities. New Voices is funded by the John F. and James L. Knight Foundation. Proposals from as many as three of the 26 communities where the Knight brothers once owned newspapers will be given special consideration. For more details, please visit the website links below.

New Voices will help fund the start-up of 8 micro-local news projects with grants of up to US$25,000.

Projects will be selected on the basis of:

• Innovation
• News
• Interactivity
• Sustainability
• Innovations
• Learning

Eligibility:

Eligible to apply for funding under the New Voices project are 501(c)3 organisations and education institutions, including civic groups, community organisations, public broadcasters, schools, colleges, and universities.

• Funding is available for start-up news initiatives only. Ongoing efforts are not eligible to apply unless they are proposing a new venture.
• Funding may be used only for news and information projects. Advocacy and government projects are not eligible.
• Funding is available for print or electronic news initiatives, including online, cable, broadcast, narrowcast, satellite, and mobile efforts.
• Collaborative ventures are eligible as long as the funded party is a nonprofit or education institution.
• Religious organisations may receive grants for non-sectarian purposes only. Proposals to proselytise or to promote the tenets of a particular religious belief will not be considered.
• Funded applicants must have plans to launch their initiative within 10 months of receiving funding.
• Applicants must specifically outline a realistic vision for sustaining the project after start-up funding is spent.
• Only projects based in the United States may apply.
• Projects using a language other than English will be permitted as long as translated samples of the project are made available monthly for educational purposes and all reports are made in English.

Click here for eligibility information.

Click here for more information on registration and the application process.

Click here to read about previous grantees.

New Voices website on November 24 2009.