Why we support journalism

At Lumina, we work to ensure 75 percent of adults in the U.S. labor force have college degrees or other credentials of value leading to economic prosperity by 2040. Trusted, in-depth journalism provides context and stories that inform public opinion and policymaking. We support organizations that produce credible, independent news that engages the public and leaders who can bring about change in higher education. Quality reporting increases understanding and awareness, driving narrative change.

We support independent newsrooms that fill coverage gaps and create in-depth reporting that otherwise wouldn’t exist. We want to ensure news coverage has a systematic focus that goes beyond reporting on topics such as college rankings or elite institutions serving wealthy students.

Since Lumina began funding journalism more than 20 years ago, coverage reflective of the student experience after high school has increased, including stories about students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, first-generation students, and working adults. There is also better coverage of degree and short-term programs at community colleges, public universities, and minority-serving institutions.

With sustained investment, the newsrooms we support inform public beliefs about how higher education and workforce training can be transformed to serve today’s students.

What we fund

Lumina makes project-based grants to nonprofit news organizations and public media for national or state-level coverage of post-high school education, including news stories, documentaries, photojournalism, podcasts, book projects, and other reporting. We also support professional development organizations for journalists who cover higher education. In the past, grants have supported reporting, training, organizational infrastructure, and strategic planning. For more information, visit Lumina’s grants database.

Our media grantees

Recent highlights from our grantees

The Class — PBS and Three Frame Media

In the East Bay community of Antioch, Calif., six students journey towards their futures in higher education amid the turmoil of a pandemic year. With exceptional passion and determination, their college adviser “Mr. Cam” empowers them to overcome challenges while ceaselessly fighting for their dreams of a college degree.

College Board cancels award program for high-performing Black and Latino students — The Hechinger Report

The College Board changed the criteria for its National Recognition Program awards in a move that could shift tens of thousands of scholarship dollars from Black and Latino students to white students.

Thriving Black Men In Education — Roadtrip Nation

A two-episode series exploring what's possible for Black men's futures when they are given the tools and resources to help them succeed in higher ed.

Tribal colleges face uncertain future amid federal funding cuts — PBS News Hour

Tribal colleges and universities have endured decades of chronic underfunding, relying heavily on federal support to stay afloat. Now, the Trump administration’s broad cuts to federal programs are hitting Indian Country hard, posing a serious threat to the future of these vital institutions.

From Robin Hood to resumes: The humanities get a job market makeover — GBH

Schools like Georgia Tech have reframed liberal arts as essential career training, and students are responding in big numbers.

Our standards and practices

Editorial excellence

We fund organizations that are committed to editorial excellence. Our grantees produce original, fact-based, and nonpartisan journalism; reflect the challenges of the communities they serve (including accurate representation of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, geography, religion, age, and income); and are transparent about their funding sources.

Editorial independence

Our grantees maintain editorial independence. Lumina does not seek to influence articles or coverage decisions, and we do not request or receive prior review. We believe that our support of journalism is only effective if our grantees create credible, independent news coverage that conveys a strong level of trust with readers. This trust-based relationship is crucial to preserving the credibility of newsrooms and public faith in their work. Lumina acts as an honest broker, supporting the newsrooms we support by sharing research, suggesting story ideas, or connecting reporters with sources, but always leaving the final decisions to journalists. We do not fund sponsored content.

Transparency and accountability

We encourage our grantees to disclose their funding sources, to ensure that their grants are public and traceable, and to clearly communicate their policies on topics like corrections, conflicts of interest, use of anonymous sources, and donor influence. With an endowment of roughly $1.5 billion, Lumina is committed to publicly sharing its funding priorities and grant expectations, too.

Organizational capacity and sustainability

In addition to news production, our funding provides general operating support and capacity-building grants for long-term partners that strengthen journalistic operations. Because of today’s precarious environment around sustainable and trustworthy news, we want our support to foster creative solutions that will sustain future journalism, including initiatives such as business model development and professional development opportunities.

Community engagement

Our grantees demonstrate meaningful engagement with the communities they serve, whether nationally, regionally, or locally. They accurately reflect these communities, including fair representation of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, geography, religion, age, and income. We encourage collaboration among the newsrooms we support to amplify the reach of their reporting.

Proactive and reciprocal partnerships

After we award media grants, we support our grantees by promoting their work through our social media channels and by making publicists and public relations firms available to further their promotional efforts; helping them understand issues in higher education through Lumina’s expertise, research, insights, and connections without the expectation of news coverage; securing invitations to invitation-only gatherings; and hosting regular check-in meetings to maintain communication, identify opportunities, and address challenges or concerns. We also seek opportunities to learn from our grantees to improve Lumina’s media and programmatic grantmaking strategies.

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Supporting Higher Ed Change Through Fact-Based Journalism