Expert Tips for Fundraising for Investigative Journalism in Africa

Despite the funding and sustainability challenges that watchdog reporting faces today, journalists across Africa are producing top-tier investigative stories. This is evident in, among others, the GIJN Editor’s Picks stories for the region from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and the decade before.
However, Africa needs to catch up to the rest of the muckraking world in raising the funds that its news organizations need to support the production of investigative stories. Legacy media outlets have relinquished most of the investigative journalism role to nonprofit organizations, yet Africa does not have a robust corporate philanthropic culture to sustain their existence.
As a result, nonprofit investigative groups in Africa mainly depend on small slices of funding from other regions, which are neither sufficient in the short term nor viable in the long term. Faced with such odds, can Africa overcome its investigative journalism funding dilemma?
GIJN is pleased to host a webinar in which experts will share tips and insights on how to address the challenges to fundraising for investigative journalism in Africa. In this online workshop, free to all journalists across Africa and beyond, GIJN brings together four experts to discuss and answer the following questions.
How can legacy media organizations raise funding for investigative journalism in the current environment replete with dwindling advertising and other funding sources?
Beyond the known funding sources for journalism in Africa, what other media financing opportunities exist that journalism groups and journalists still need to tap?
How can nonprofit muckraking media groups in Africa organize themselves to attract the interest of more global funders of investigative journalism?
What can nonprofit watchdog journalism organizations in Africa do to attract locally sourced foundation funding?
What should individual or freelance journalists consider while sourcing foundation funding for their investigative journalism projects?
Speakers:
Dr Kole Shettima is the director of the Nigeria Office at the MacArthur Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 1999 and was previously responsible for grant-making in four projects. He has a PhD from the University of Toronto, a Masters degree from Ahmadu Bello University and an undergraduate degree from the University of Maiduguri. Currently, he sits on the boards of several organizations, including the JAIZ Charity and Development Foundation and the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
Lebogang Maphada is a senior investment officer at the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), a mission-driven investment fund that provides debt and equity financing to independent news and information companies. She actively manages MDIF’s debt and equity portfolio projects in Africa and MENA. Lebogang holds a bachelor of finance degree (Cum Laude) and is currently pursuing her Masters in Finance. She has worked in investment banking, private equity, asset management, and private wealth investment management, working in both primary and secondary markets across Africa for more than 15 years.
Makmid Kamara is the inaugural regional director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM). The Fund was formed to “foster a paradigm shift in how public interest media is resourced, with the goal of ensuring it is independent, inclusive and resilient.” Kamara, an expert in grant-making, is responsible for guiding the Fund’s strategy and grant-making across Africa and the Middle East.
The moderator is Fiona Nzingo, the membership and engagement manager at the Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD).
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The Global Investigative Journalism Network is an international association of journalism organizations that support the training and sharing of information among investigative and data journalists-with special attention to those from repressive regimes and marginalized communities.
Our key activities include:
Providing resources and networking services to investigative journalists worldwide;
Publishing in multiple languages and on multiple platforms the latest tools, techniques and opportunities for those in the field;
Helping organize and promote regional and international training conferences and workshops;
Assisting in the formation and sustainability of journalism organizations involved in investigative reporting and data journalism around the world;
Supporting and promoting best practices in investigative and data journalism;
Supporting and promoting efforts to ensure free access to public documents and data worldwide.
Find more information on our website: gijn.org