River City Journalism Fund

RCJF addresses the need for accurate, in-depth journalism in greater St. Louis. Building on the work of the Before Ferguson Beyond Ferguson initiative founded by former Post-Dispatch editor Richard Weiss, our 501c3 nonprofit advances local journalism in St. Louis and enables better representation of historically marginalized people in the media. We do that in three ways:

* Paying grants and stipends to writers in the St. Louis area to increase public-interest coverage, which is made freely available through local news organizations.
* Making grants to support editorial head count through paid fellowships and internships at journalistic outlets that serve St. Louis, with a focus on journalists from historically marginalized communities.
* Conducting public forums to explore issues of importance to St. Louis, including public education and the toll on youth of of a parent's incarceration.

Based on successful nonprofit organizations in other cities, RCJF aims to galvanize local donors to ensure that the people of St. Louis stay informed. Through tax-deductible gifts, supporters can boost reporting on local government, the environment, criminal justice, arts and culture, the business community, and more.

RCJF has commissioned deeply reported stories that have run in media partners including the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Riverfront Times, St. Louis Public Radio, St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis American, St. Louis Jewish Light, and Washington U.'s The Common Reader. Some of our notable projects include deep dives into Missouri's use of the death penalty, St. Louis' readiness for climate change and the region's failure to grapple with the legacy of Charles Lindbergh. 

Our fellowship program also seeks to create a pipeline for young journalists from underrepresented backgrounds in St. Louis. Our inaugural fellow, Julian Trejo, saw his work published in the St. Louis American, the Riverfront Times and St. Louis Public Radio. We will be taking on another fellow in the summer of 2024.

We keep extremely low overhead, with an all-volunteer board of directors and staff, so we can channel almost all the money we raise directly into journalism.

We welcome the opportunity to talk about our plans with anyone who'd like to hear more.