Journalismfund Europe vzw is an independent, non-profit intermediary organisation based in Brussels and founded by citizens in 1998. It was set up with the aim of strengthening democracy in Europe by facilitating independent, cross-border investigative journalism.
At the core of its commitment to hard-hitting investigative journalism lies a comprehensive risk management approach. Journalismfund’s strong firewall ensures complete security for donors, journalists and media outlets.
Direct support to media and journalists inevitably carries certain risks. Journalists who accept funding from third parties often face scrutiny over potential conflicts of interest. They may be publicly pilloried via social media, with critics using their funding sources to undermine the credibility of their investigative work. Similarly, donors themselves can become targets of public criticism following the publication of articles they have directly funded.
Journalismfund enables donors to play their vital role in supporting one of the pillars of democracy without risk. Its commitment to transparent project reporting brings donors and media professionals closer together, while maintaining the editorial independence that journalists and media organisations require.
Through this careful balancing act, Journalismfund creates a safe environment in which fearless journalism can flourish, and democracy can thrive.
Journalismfund is only able to operate in a strong and independent manner thanks to the generous support of its many donors (2024): Arcadia (€2,319,573), Veronica Vereniging (€52,845), the European Union (€1,690,985), Flanders (€545,169), Limelight Foundation (€99,527), King Baudouin Foundation (€2,501), Adessium (€21,829), The Meliore Foundation (€55,732), Porticus (€103,692) and some individual donors (€2,155).
