The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation is proud to announce $3 million in new grants to strengthen local news reporting across Illinois—representing one of the largest journalism investments in the Foundation’s history.
At a moment when trustworthy local reporting is shrinking even as the need for accountability journalism grows, these grants reflect the Foundation’s long-standing belief that a healthy democracy depends on an informed and engaged public. The funding will support investigative and government accountability reporting at four nonprofit news organizations serving communities statewide.
“For more than two decades, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has invested in investigative journalism as a public good. This historic level of funding reflects both that long-standing commitment and Mr. Driehaus’s belief that strong, independent local reporting is essential to a healthy civic life,” says Lynn Osmond, President and Executive Director.
Grant Awards
- Better Government Association (BGA)
A three-year, $1.9 million grant provides full funding support for BGA’s special State Investigations Team, which partners with local newsrooms across northern, central, and southern Illinois to report deeply on issues with statewide impact. The statewide unit, part of the BGA’s Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom, expands investigative capacity in communities that often lack resources for long-term accountability reporting. Past work by the team has driven action on issues ranging from infrastructure failures to restraint chairs in Illinois jails. The grant also supports the annual Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting, recognizing the most consequential investigative journalism produced in Illinois each year.
- Chicago Public Media
A two-year, $500,000 grant supports government accountability journalism across WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times. The funding strengthens investigative and explanatory reporting focused on public institutions and policy decisions that shape daily life for audiences throughout the Chicago region.
- Capitol News Illinois
A two-year, $250,000 grant supports in-depth state investigative coverage of Illinois government. A nonpartisan, nonprofit newsroom established by the Illinois Press Association, Capitol News Illinois provides daily coverage of the Illinois Supreme Court, the General Assembly, and state agencies. Its reporting is distributed for free through more than 400 media partners, connecting communities statewide to essential Springfield coverage and high-impact investigations.
- South Side Media Works
A two-year, $150,000 grant supports investigative reporting at South Side Weekly and the Hyde Park Herald. The funding bolsters accountability journalism rooted in Chicago’s South Side, expanding coverage of local systems, institutions, and issues that directly affect neighborhood residents.
- Public Media Sustainability Grants
A set of targeted sustainability grants will provide business-side support to Illinois public media stations affected by recent federal funding cuts. These grants aim to protect access to trusted local reporting in communities served by public media.
“The challenges facing local news are urgent, but so too is the opportunity to invest in meaningful work when it is needed most,” says Nicholas Burt, Senior Program Officer for Investigative Journalism. “We’re grateful to the newsroom partners across Illinois who serve and uplift their communities—and to the journalists who continue to report with care, rigor, and a deep sense of public responsibility.”
Investing in Civic Infrastructure
Together, these grants reinforce the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation’s longstanding commitment to investigative journalism as critical civic infrastructure. The grants add to more than $6 million the Foundation’s Investigative Journalism program has granted to Illinois-focused nonprofit news over the past three years.
More information: Investigative Journalism for Government Accountability
