The Colorado Media Project (CMP) is offering a new grant opportunity through its Spotlight: Colorado Fund, designed to bolster local news organizations in Colorado. The core mission of this fund, and the projects it supports, is to elevate public awareness of critical issues within the state and to act as a catalyst for positive change across institutions and communities. This directly aligns with CMP's strategic priority of fostering high-quality, nonpartisan investigative and accountability journalism, as well as in-depth reporting on specific topics relevant to Colorado residents.
The target beneficiaries of this grant program are smaller, Colorado-based local news organizations, including journalists, documentarians, and other media makers, who might otherwise lack the resources for extensive investigative work. The primary impact goal is to facilitate the production of high-quality journalism that sheds new light on timely or long-standing challenges faced by Colorado residents, communities, and natural resources. This also aims to empower media makers to undertake in-depth reporting that informs the public and drives meaningful societal improvements.
The program prioritizes investigative or in-depth projects that illuminate new aspects of Colorado's challenges. Preference is given to applicants who uphold the highest ethical and quality standards and have a clear strategy for widespread publication and distribution of their work. Emphasis is also placed on smaller, nonprofit, or locally-owned news outlets with annual budgets under $1 million. Additionally, collaborative projects involving more than two newsrooms or a newsroom and another nonprofit partner are favored, as are proposals that utilize multiple platforms and incorporate engagement strategies to reach underrepresented communities. Membership in professional groups like the Colorado News Collaborative or the Colorado Press Association is also a factor.
Expected outcomes include an increase in high-quality, nonpartisan investigative and in-depth journalism focused on Colorado-specific issues. The grants are intended to cover costs associated with such reporting, including fees for open records, travel, staff time for reporting and data analysis, and other essential resources like photography or video. While the total costs of an investigative project may exceed the grant amount, CMP funds can be applied flexibly to estimated project expenses. Measurable results could include the number of investigative stories produced, the reach and distribution of these stories, and the demonstrated impact on public awareness and community change, aligning with the fund's guiding purpose to catalyze positive change in the state.
