We have four application channels. To be informed of all new calls for proposals or grant, employment or training opportunities, subscribe to our regular newsletter.
Our General Fund supports journalism investigations of current interest in South Africa on any topic of public interest. Applications can be made at any time for work in any medium from individuals, teams or a publication/broadcaster. We will assign an editor to work with you.
- There is no application form. Applicants should send a brief proposal (no more than 3 pages), a CV, a budget (download our application budget guideline here) and where possible a letter of support from an editor/publisher/broadcaster to henrynxumalofund@gmail.com.
- Our Southern African Accountability Journalism Project (SA | AJP) takes submissions from editors and journalists in select Southern Africa countries (South Africa, eSwatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique) and is focused on journalism that holds the authorities to account. In this project, we work closely with the grantees, including editing, mentoring and training. Calls for applications are made from time to time. To be alerted to further calls, subscribe to our newsletter.
- Specialist calls on specific topics are made occasionally. In recent years, we have made calls for proposals dealing with election interference, the building mafia, child literacy and public service reform. These calls stipulate the requirements for applications. Subscribe to our newsletter to be alerted to these calls.
- Our two newsrooms take freelance work in their areas of interest, Our City News on anything of interest to Joburg residents, and The Education Desk on matters of learning, teaching and schooling. Both also take analysis and opinion pieces.
Rules of application
We favour work which:
- Is in the public interest
- Aims to reveal information which might otherwise not be known
- Is in-depth and investigative in nature
- Uses innovative techniques, approaches or technology
Grant decisions are made by a panel of experienced journalists. Applications are treated confidentially.
You may not apply for more than one grant at a time. In order to ensure that grants are spread around, anyone who gets two grants within a year may not apply again for another 12 months.
Applicants must be resident in the country they are writing about.
We do not fund academic research, educational scholarships, conferences, start-ups, organisational costs or infrastructure and equipment.
Ensure that your application deals with the following:
- How does your story serve the public interest?
- Is the story investigative in nature? What does it hope to uncover? What is the minimum story you can deliver (ie if you don’t uncover what you seek to uncover) and what is the maximum you hope for?
- How will you approach the story? What sources or source material have you got or can get?
- Do you have the skills and experience to deliver on this proposal?
- Where do you intend to publish/broadcast and what is your relationship with this outlet/s? What will you do to maximise the impact of the story?
- What is your timeframe/deadline?
- Provide a detailed budget. (Download our application budget guideline here.)
Recipients are required to commit to the highest standards of ethical journalism and to comply with the SA Press Code (or equivalent in other countries) and HNF policies.
Grant recipients will be required to sign a grant agreement with the Foundation which stipulates the work to be done, a time frame and budget. We will assign an editor to every grantee to provide guidance, advice and editing.
Recipients will also be required to do a safety and risk assessment, to inform us of any potential risk arising from the project they are proposing and to take measures to minimise such risk.
Recipients will be required to report on the progress, outcome and expenditure of the project, to provide copies of all published material and to document the proper use of funds. It is essential that financial records and documentation (such as receipts and invoices) are kept.
It is the responsibility of the grantee to ensure publishers give credit to the Foundation when material is produced as the result of a grant. The Foundation will also ask that the published material is not put behind a paywall.