New Jersey Civic Information Consortium awards $1M+ to 12 renewal grantees

$1,096,050 invested in local journalism and civic engagement across New Jersey

The New Jersey Civic Information Consortium (NJCIC) has announced the latest round of renewal grants totaling $1,096,050. This announcement comes on the heels of a major victory for local news in the state: New Jersey lawmakers and Governor Phil Murphy recently approved a $2.5 million investment for the Consortium in the FY26 State budget, to ensure that support for trusted, community-rooted journalism continues into the next fiscal year.

The 12 grantees, according a statement by the NJCIC, are receiving continued support to deepen their reporting, grow community connections, and empower future media professionals. This investment brings the Consortium’s total grantmaking to more than $10 million since launching in 2021.

Renewal grants:

Atlantic City Focus – $100,000: Since its founding, Atlantic City Focus has centered civic information for residents, nonprofits, and local officials. This funding will support the production of the Atlantic City Focus Civic Engagement Guide, a concise, visually engaging directory designed to inform voters about local elections, connect residents with essential community resources, and highlight civic leadership opportunities unique to Atlantic City.

Central Desi – $100,000: Central Desi serves as the premier news outlet for South Asian communities across New Jersey. With this grant, Central Desi will continue to deliver reliable, culturally informed journalism serving a diverse audience in multiple South Asian languages and ensuring representation for immigrant and diaspora voices.

Chalkbeat Newark – $100,000: Chalkbeat Newark is a national nonprofit newsroom with a local presence, focused on education equity and policy. This funding underwrites in-depth education reporting that holds school systems accountable and equips families, educators, and policymakers with well-researched stories on Newark’s classrooms, school financing, and student outcomes.

Front Runner New Jersey – $100,000: Front Runner New Jersey is a digital news platform dedicated to centering Black, Latino, and other marginalized communities, particularly in South Jersey. This grant supports original reporting designed to amplify community voices, elevate local leaders, and foster civic participation in historically overlooked areas.

Hopeloft (Follow South Jersey) – $100,000: Hopeloft’s Follow South Jersey operates a youth journalism initiative that mentors young people in telling their own stories. Funding will enable structured internship and training programs, where participants learn investigative skills, multimedia storytelling, and civic reporting, and produce content that reflects South Jersey’s diverse communities.

Industry Media Arts – $75,000: Industry Media Arts (IMA) is a statewide education nonprofit offering real-world media training to diverse youth. This investment will expand their hands-on journalism and media workshops, allowing students to create documentary and digital content about local civic issues—building both technical skills and a sense-of-community voice.

New Labor – $70,000: New Labor’s community journalism program equips BIPOC migrant worker leaders with reporting skills to document workplace conditions, labor rights, and migrant experiences in New Jersey. This grant helps participants produce bilingual articles, podcasts, and reports that elevate worker-led narratives.

NJ Spotlight News – $100,000: NJ Spotlight, in partnership with WNET and under the Report for America model, focuses on beat reporting in important public interest areas. Funding supports two early-career journalists assigned to cover mental health, education, and child welfare—areas with profound impact on New Jersey families and communities.

Slice of Culture – $100,000: Slice of Culture, hosted at Saint Peters University, is a Gen-Z led newsroom rooted in Hudson County. The grant will support locally focused civic reporting by youth journalists—primarily BIPOC—who produce multimedia stories, podcasts, and distributed newsletters addressing culture, community, and civic life in the urban core.

South Jersey Climate News – $51,050: Offered through Rowan University, South Jersey Climate News trains student journalists to cover climate change, environmental justice, and sustainability issues across the state. Funding supplies stipends, reporting resources, and community engagement tools to help students build an enduring environmental media presence in the region.

The Jersey Bee – $100,000: The Jersey Bee is a hyperlocal nonprofit newsroom that produces accessible, community-driven news across the state’s diverse BIPOC and working-class neighborhoods. The funding helps expand reporting capacity, introduce new civic series, and engage residents through pop-up reporting events, town halls, and translated content.

Trenton Journal – $100,000: The Trenton Journal is an independent nonprofit dedicated to original accountability reporting in New Jersey’s capital. This grant supports expanded newsroom staffing, audience engagement tactics (like newsletters and events), and business planning aimed at achieving long-term editorial and financial sustainability.

These projects reach into every corner of the state — and we’re excited to continue supporting their work, the NJCIC’s statement stressed.