Flashlight

Our mission is to hold power to account by building a sustainable funding model for independent investigative journalism.Flashlight is a 501(c)3 nonprofit.

Founded by Jordan Jones, Jesse Ryan, Michael Mellody, David Burt, and Tina Xiao.

About

Flashlight is the first giving circle to fund journalism.We're news innovators: we’re journalists and business folks with experience across the Atlantic, Google, nonprofit, journalism tech, and civic tech. We pool money to give grants to investigative journalists, because their work makes our society stronger.Investigative journalism captures public attention, illuminates important issues, and holds power to account. But it’s costly, time-intensive, and today’s news business models aren’t equipped to support it.As a result, many important stories are never told.In a giving circle, members give to a common pool and then collectively decide where to donate the funds. At Flashlight, we give a grant to an investigative journalist once per quarter.We call ourselves Flashlight because we believe that you shouldn’t have to be a billionaire to shine a light on important issues (after all, anyone can hold a flashlight!).Together, let's make telling those stories possible.

FAQ

How do I join?
Flashlight is by invitation, but you can join the waitlist.We build our relationships with each other first. Each member gets a small number of invitations so we can prioritize curated, high-quality relationships.What are the benefits of joining Flashlight?
✓ Be a part of news history: the first to test a new funding model for journalism
✓ Nominate, pitch, and vote for investigative journalists to fund each quarter
✓ Meet other news innovators at exclusive, curated eventsAre donations tax-deductible?
Yes, Flashlight is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit, EIN 92-0725310.I'm a journalist. How can I apply for a grant?
Apply here!Who is behind Flashlight?
Flashlight is led by Jordan Jones, Tina Xiao, and David Burt.

Our Grantees

Flashlight grantees are investigative journalists whose original, independent journalism holds power to account.Our grantees also represent how we want Flashlight to evolve: they inspire and expand our collective understanding, mission, and perspectives.

Melba Newsome

Melba is a journalist who reports on climate and racial justice in North Carolina. She has been published in the New York Times, Bloomberg, Wired, and a 2021 Reynolds Journalism Institute Fellow.

Beatriz Limón

Beatriz is a bilingual journalist at AZ Luminaria, who reports on the Latino community and elections in Phoenix, Arizona.

Rend Smith

Rend is a journalist who reports on working-class communities of color, particularly in the South. His work has been published in the New York Times, the Washington City Paper, and the Village Voice.

Apply

How Flashlight Works

Flashlight members come together at Campfire, our quarterly event.1. Before Campfire, we call for applications
2. Flashlight’s grants committee selects finalists.
3. At Campfire, Flashlight members pitch for finalists they think should be funded by Flashlight.
4. Members and guests select a winner.After Campfire, members crowdfund on behalf of the winning journalists, using seed funding from Campfire to attract donors.Grantees retain complete editorial control and are free to publish their work wherever they like.