The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has announced the formation of the Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists. An annual total of US$230,000 will be awarded to applicants who can demonstrate how their proposal will lead to the exposure of under-reported stories, strengthen story-telling skills, develop their expertise or support entrepreneurial media projects.

“Promoting the work and advancing the role of women in the media is critical to transparency and the diversity of voices in the world,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Muñoz. “The launch of this Fund marks an unprecedented opportunity to provide significant support to hundreds of journalists on the path to future leadership roles in the news industry.”

The Fund was established by the Washington DC-based IWMF in 2014 with a $4 million gift from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to empower women in the media working around the world. “This Fund will give outstanding women journalists the ability to turn their reporting ambitions into reality,” said Howard G. Buffett.

At least $2.3 million will be awarded to women journalists across all media over the next 10 years. The IWMF has left individual grant amounts to be awarded as well as the type of projects intentionally undefined.

The fund was designed to help women journalists by providing support to:

•  Expose under-reported but critical global issues

•   Undertake ambitious projects that challenge traditional media narratives

•   Develop field-based expertise and strengthen careers

•   Pursue training and leadership opportunities

•   Launch entrepreneurial news projects or acquire the skill to do so

The schedule for future 2015 funding rounds will be released on the IWMF website in the coming weeks. Learn more about the Fund and submit proposals at iwmf.org/fund