IWMF Howard G. Buffett Fund and Reporting Grants for Women Journalists 2026

IWMF Howard G. Buffett Fund and Reporting Grants for Women Journalists 2026

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is one of the longest-standing organizations dedicated to strengthening the role of women and non-binary journalists worldwide. Through a set of reporting grants, fellowships, and safety and emergency programs, the IWMF puts direct financial and practical support behind journalists who want to pursue ambitious reporting projects but lack the resources to do so. The flagship grant in this portfolio is the Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists, which has supported hundreds of journalists across dozens of countries since its launch in 2015.

This page describes the IWMF’s reporting grants and fellowships collectively, using the Howard G. Buffett Fund as the anchor while also covering the funds and fellowships that are open or run on annual cycles in 2026. Because the IWMF operates several distinct programs, each with its own eligibility rules, benefits, and deadlines, the most important thing to understand is that there is no single application. You apply to the specific fund or fellowship that fits your project and profile.

Key details at a glance

What the IWMF grants and fellowships offer

The IWMF’s support goes well beyond a cash award. Depending on the specific program, journalists can receive:

• Direct reporting funds to cover the real costs of a project, including travel, fixers, translation, equipment rental, and other logistics that make in-depth reporting possible.
• Professional development support, such as training, conference attendance, and skills-building for career growth.
• Fellowships that combine a stipend, structured learning, and placements at news organizations or academic institutions.
• Mentorship and editorial guidance, particularly through the Round Earth Media model, which pairs experienced journalists with emerging reporters.
• Safety training and emergency assistance, delivered through the IWMF’s separate safety and emergency-fund programs, which can help journalists facing threats, trauma, or crisis.

The common thread is that the IWMF is trying to remove the financial and structural barriers that keep talented women and non-binary journalists from producing important work. For many recipients, an IWMF grant is what turns a strong pitch into a published investigation.

The main funds and fellowships

The IWMF portfolio changes over time as individual funds open, close, and are renamed. As of 2026, these are the programs most relevant to journalists seeking reporting support.

Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists

Launched in 2015, the Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists has been the centerpiece of the IWMF’s grantmaking. Public materials describe an annual total of roughly US$230,000 in grants distributed to support women and non-binary journalists and their projects, with the fund reporting that it has supported more than 444 journalists from about 60 countries since its inception. The fund has historically accepted applications on a rolling basis and supported a wide range of work, including investigative reporting, professional development, and media-development initiatives led by women and non-binary people. Individual grant amounts are sized to the project rather than fixed, and larger reporting projects have historically been supported with more substantial awards.

One important note on status: some IWMF materials describe the broader “Fund for Women Journalists” reaching a major milestone after roughly a decade of operation. Because the exact current status of the Buffett Fund’s application window can change, you should confirm on the official IWMF grant guide whether it is actively accepting submissions before you build your plan around it. The organization itself continues to run active, recurring grants and fellowships regardless of any single fund’s cycle.

Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism

The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism supports human-centered, literary, and deeply reported storytelling. For the 2026 round, the fund offers grants averaging approximately US$5,000. It is open to women, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming journalists who work as print journalists or lead multimedia reporting teams, who apply in English and publish in English, and who have at least three years of professional journalism experience. Recipients are expected to complete all reporting and publication within six months of receiving funds. The 2026 application deadline was reported as July 12, 2026 (11:59 p.m. EST), with decisions expected by early September 2026.

Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship

The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship is a six-month fellowship focused on human rights and social justice, offered annually since 2005 to a single fellow. It is open to women, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming journalists worldwide who have at least three years of full-time professional journalism experience and who speak, read, and write English fluently. Benefits reported for the 2026 cycle include a monthly living stipend, arranged and covered housing, round-trip economy airfare to the United States, health insurance, and support with U.S. visa costs for international applicants. The 2026 application deadline was reported as April 19, 2026.

Adelante and Round Earth Media

The Adelante reporting initiative was created in 2015 through a multi-year grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, supporting reporting fellowships open to women journalists of all nationalities. Round Earth Media uses a mentorship model, pairing experienced and emerging journalists to produce reporting across regions including Africa, Latin America, and Asia, on subjects ranging from the environment and politics to gender, health, education, and culture. These programs typically open for applications a few months before a given reporting trip or project cycle.

Safety and emergency support

Separate from the reporting grants, the IWMF runs safety training and an Emergency Fund, established in 2013, that provides support to women journalists in times of crisis. In 2026 the IWMF also announced an emergency fund supporting U.S. journalists at risk. These programs are not reporting grants, but they are part of the same mission and can matter enormously for journalists working in dangerous conditions.

Who these programs fit

These grants and fellowships are a strong match if you are a woman, non-binary, or gender-nonconforming journalist with a specific reporting idea and a track record you can point to. The IWMF’s funds are built around practicing journalists, not students or hobbyists, so most of the flagship programs expect journalism to be your primary profession and generally look for around three years of experience.

You are likely a good fit if you have a concrete story you cannot fund on your own, if you can articulate why the story matters and who will publish it, and if you can complete the work within the program’s timeframe. You are less likely to fit if you are seeking general operating support for an organization, if you cannot demonstrate a professional journalism background, or if your project has no clear reporting output.

Eligibility in detail

Eligibility differs by fund, so treat the following as general signals and verify the specifics for the program you choose:

• Gender identity: The IWMF’s programs are open to women, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming journalists. Confirm the exact inclusive language on each program page.
• Nationality: Applicants of any nationality may apply to the main funds and fellowships.
• Profession: Journalism must be your primary profession for the flagship funds.
• Experience: The Howard G. Buffett Fund, the Kari Howard Fund, and the Neuffer Fellowship each generally require at least three years of professional journalism experience.
• Language: Some funds, such as the Kari Howard Fund and the Neuffer Fellowship, require applying and working in English.
• Teams: The Howard G. Buffett Fund has historically allowed team applications when led by a woman journalist and when at least half the team is women.
• Project: Nearly all funds require a well-defined reporting project or, for fellowships, clear professional goals.

If any specific figure, deadline, or rule is not confirmed on the official page at the time you apply, treat it as unverified and check directly rather than relying on secondary summaries.

The application process

While each program has its own portal and forms, the process across IWMF reporting grants follows a similar shape:

1. Start at the grant guide. The IWMF grant application guide is the hub that links to each open fund and fellowship and explains what is currently accepting applications.
2. Pick the right fund. Match your project and profile to a specific program rather than applying broadly. A narrative feature fits the Kari Howard Fund; a six-month human-rights immersion fits the Neuffer Fellowship.
3. Prepare your materials. Most applications ask for a project pitch, a budget, work samples or clips, and a short biography or CV. Fellowships add statements of interest and letters of recommendation.
4. Submit through the online portal. The IWMF uses online submission systems, and applications are reviewed by the program’s selection process.
5. Wait for the decision window. Rolling funds review continuously, while annual fellowships announce decisions on a fixed schedule.

Timeline and deadlines

Deadlines are the single most program-specific part of this page, so plan around the fund you actually want:

• Howard G. Buffett Fund for Women Journalists: historically a rolling application process, meaning there was no single fixed deadline. Confirm current status before planning.
• Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism (2026): application deadline reported as July 12, 2026, with decisions by early September 2026.
• Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship (2026): application deadline reported as April 19, 2026, on an annual cycle.
• Adelante and Round Earth Media: applications typically open a few months before each reporting trip or project.

Because these dates rotate each year, use the official grant guide to confirm the live window. The deadline field on this page is marked “ongoing” to reflect the IWMF’s continuous, multi-program grantmaking rather than any one fund’s fixed date.

Required materials and how to prepare them

Strong IWMF applications share a few characteristics. Prepare these elements carefully:

• The pitch. Explain the story, why it matters now, what is new about it, and what the finished piece will look like. Be specific about the reporting you still need to do and the access you already have.
• The budget. Build a realistic, itemized budget covering travel, fixers, translation, equipment, and other logistics. Reviewers can tell the difference between a padded estimate and a grounded plan.
• Clips and work samples. Choose two or three of your strongest pieces that demonstrate the skills your project requires. For narrative funds, show narrative craft; for investigative work, show rigor.
• A publication plan. Show where the work is likely to appear. A letter of interest or assignment from an editor strengthens your case considerably.
• Fellowship extras. For the Neuffer Fellowship, prepare a statement of interest, your fellowship goals, and two letters of recommendation.

Common mistakes to avoid

1. Applying to the wrong fund. Each program has a distinct purpose. A misaligned application signals you did not read the guidelines.
2. Vague projects. “I want to report on climate change” is not a project. Name the story, the location, the characters, and the outcome.
3. Weak budgets. Underestimating costs or omitting an itemized breakdown undermines credibility.
4. Ignoring language and format rules. If a fund requires English-language work and applications, non-English submissions will not qualify.
5. Relying on secondary sources for deadlines. Aggregator sites can be outdated. Confirm dates and amounts on the official IWMF pages.
6. Missing the experience bar. The flagship funds generally expect at least three years of professional experience, so early-career applicants should confirm fit before investing time.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one application for all IWMF grants? No. Each fund and fellowship has its own application, eligibility, and deadline. Start at the grant application guide to see what is open.

How much money can I receive? It depends on the fund. The Kari Howard Fund’s 2026 grants average about US$5,000, while the Howard G. Buffett Fund sizes individual reporting grants to the project. Confirm current amounts on the official pages.

Who is eligible? The main programs are open to women, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming journalists of any nationality, generally with at least three years of professional journalism experience and journalism as their primary profession.

Is the Howard G. Buffett Fund open right now? The Buffett Fund has historically used a rolling process, but the status of any single fund can change. The IWMF continues to run active, recurring programs. Check the grant guide for the currently open funds.

Can teams apply? The Howard G. Buffett Fund has historically allowed team applications led by a woman journalist where at least half the team is women. Verify the rule for your chosen fund.

Do I need an assignment or a publication lined up? It is not always required, but a clear publication plan and editor interest strengthen most applications.

Official links and next steps

• IWMF grant application guide (start here): https://www.iwmf.org/our-programs/grant-application-guide/
• IWMF programs overview: https://www.iwmf.org/our-programs/
• IWMF main site: https://www.iwmf.org/

Before applying, open the official grant guide, identify which fund or fellowship is currently accepting applications, and confirm the exact amount, eligibility, and deadline for that program. Then build your pitch, budget, and clips around that fund’s specific requirements. The IWMF’s reporting grants and fellowships remain one of the most established sources of support for women and non-binary journalists producing ambitious work around the world.