This study offers an initial snapshot of how some philanthropic organisations are funding journalism and media in Europe, revealing a landscape that is diverse, dynamic and still evolving. Though the sample is relatively small, the study reveals valuable insights into philanthropic funding in this field.
The field of journalism and media is widely recognised by funders as essential for democracy, accountability and countering misinformation, but it still receives only a tiny slice of philanthropic budgets. Despite this, there is growing urgency, a slow but visible increase in investment, and a shift toward more flexible, long‑term funding, as the field grapples with a rapidly changing media landscape, unstable business models, and rising threats to independent journalism. The data from this study underlines this context, showing a field that is crucial yet under‑resourced.
An extended and more detailed report emerging from this study will be published later in the year, including further segmentation and additional insights.
Vital statistics of our sample organisations
Click to enlarge all charts in the report
id culpa
ad anim
cillum aute
ipsum nisi
labore laborum
labore laborum
labore laborum
labore laborum
A snapshot of journalism and media funders in Europe
The study sample comprises 36 philanthropic organisations from 12 countries, with nearly 1/3 headquartered in the Netherlands.
With a combined annual expenditure of €9.6 billion*, more than 1/2 of these organisations are grantmaking only (21); 1/4 are grantmaking and operating (12); and just a few are operating only (3). While nearly 1/3 report a budget between €10-50 million, the overall range is quite diverse with the smallest budget reported being €70,000 and the highest €7 billion. In terms of staff size, nearly 1/3 of respondents report 6-10 full-time employees, with 2/3 falling in the broader range of 3-20 employees.
The majority of respondents indicated that journalism and media is one of their main areas of work. Completing the top 3 choices are democracy, environment, and climate & sustainability.
When it comes to partnering with public authorities, only a small portion of our sample has done so; in most cases, collaboration took the form of light knowledge exchange, and only in a few cases did it result in joint initiatives or scaling of projects. The main stakeholders mentioned include European institutions; national radio broadcasters and film institutes; local news commissions; ministries of foreign affairs; development agencies and embassies; national governments and authorities and advisory bodies; and universities and academia.
To connect with Philea’s work around equality, we added a question on whether organisations in this sample have incorporated equity considerations specifically into their work on journalism and media. Almost 1/2 reported that they support journalism that highlights inequality, discrimination or social justice, and that they simplify applications to reduce burdens on grantees. About 1/3 assess diversity and inclusion within grantee leadership or staffing, and almost 1/3 co‑create goals or metrics with grantees.
*One organisation accounts for €7 billion of total expenditure. Financial and other data in this report refers to the year 2024. The currency conversion rate used for calculating assets and expenditure is based on the average rate of the year of reference.
Total expenditure
Journalism and media budget
Percentage of total expenditure
Key survey findings
1. Funding for journalism and media is relatively limited but highly diverse.
2. Support is spread widely across different types of actors, content and geographies.
3. Protecting democracy and countering misinformation are core motivations for funding.