Democracy Fund Grants IWMF $100,000 to Support Mental Health for Journalists of Color

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is thrilled to announce a recent gift of $100,000 from Democracy Fund to support the organization’s work providing journalists of color with mental health grants. This effort began in 2020 with the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund (BJTRF), which was founded by Sonia Weiser; since that time, the fund has expanded to aid all journalists of color facing financial hardship who are unable to pay for mental health support.

Since its inception, the BJTRF has given nearly 100 journalists access to mental healthcare to heal from traumas incurred on the job and in daily life, including police violence, online harassment and hostile work environments. The IWMF is grateful for this support, which will ensure the longevity of emergency funding for mental health, particularly as journalists of color prepare to cover the U.S. midterm elections amid heightened political tension.

The Democracy Fund is a legacy supporter of the IWMF, most recently supporting the non-profit with a $150,000 grant supporting the BJTRF in 2020.

“Black journalists, and journalists of color broadly, are frequently on the frontlines when it comes to reporting for their communities. They also continue to experience disproportionate online harassment and hostile work environments that make doing their jobs all the more challenging,” said Lea Trusty at Democracy Fund. “Democracy Fund is proud to continue our support of the IWMF and the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund as a critical resource for journalists facing these hurdles, and we hope it is one small part of the greater push to center health and wellness in the industry overall.”

The IWMF’s emergency funding for mental health is open to journalists of color across all genders, ages, backgrounds and countries of origin. More information on funding is available at https://www.iwmf.org/programs/emergency-fund/.