Introducing the Covering Canada: Election 2025 fund
Today the Public Policy Forum (PPF), the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF) and the Michener Awards Foundation (MAF) launched a timely, non-partisan granting initiative to support journalists at small- and medium-sized media outlets in covering the 2025 federal election.
The Covering Canada: Election 2025 fund seeks to enhance journalistic coverage by providing financial resources to ensure high-quality information is produced for Canadians during this campaign.
Up to $500,000 will be distributed through grants of up to $35,000. Grants will facilitate election-related travel and in-depth reporting that would not otherwise be possible. Applications will be judged by the Michener Awards Foundation and a minimum of 15 grants will be awarded.
“The Covering Canada: Election 2025 fund addresses a critical challenge: As journalism business models collapse, particularly among small and medium-sized media, the availability of high-quality, fact-based election coverage is no longer guaranteed,” said Inez Jabalpurwala, PPF’s President and CEO. “We are pleased to be helping to address this problem by working with leading philanthropists who recognize that journalistic coverage of issues important to Canadian voters is key to a strong democracy.”
The Covering Canada: Election 2025 fund has been made possible through generous contributions from the Echo Foundation, The Gordon Foundation and The Rossy Foundation.
Grants will support Qualified Canadian Journalism Organizations (QCJOs) with fewer than 20 editorial staff, although non-QCJO applicants with strong journalistic credentials may also be considered. Funding decisions will strive for a broad geographic representation of media outlets, as well as a wide variety of communities covered, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
“This unique initiative offers local journalists a chance to get out and cover the issues and perspectives Canadian citizens truly need at this time,” said Margo Goodhand, President of the Michener Awards Foundation. “In an age of social media, disinformation and gossip, Covering Canada aims to help fund strong public service journalism — journalism that strengthens our communities, our country and our democracy.”
Since 2008, more than 340 communities across the country have lost local news providers. More than 500 local news outlets have shuttered. In some places, there is no longer a local news option. This trend has severe consequences: Canadians often don’t have the information they need to make informed choices around the issues that affect their communities.
PPF, in collaboration with RHF and MAF, will produce a post-election report analyzing the role of journalism in the election and providing policy recommendations.
“Strengthening our democratic foundation is a non-partisan priority that benefits all Canadians,” said Teresa Marques, President and CEO of the Rideau Hall Foundation. “The charitable sector has an important role to play in ensuring a wide variety of voices and perspectives contribute to covering the election, providing Canadians with access to relevant, unbiased reporting that can help them make informed decisions.”