In 2022 and 2023, MVJ offered Journalism Grants for quality stories about issues related to disabilities in the military veteran community.
This program helped aspiring journalists grow professionally in their reporting careers and publish quality stories about issues related to disabilities in the military veteran community. Grant amounts varied depending on the story, and started at $500. Applications for this program are now closed.
MVJ is not a publishing organization – nor do we plan to be. But we care about developing the careers of military vets in journalism. So selected grantees were given help to shape their stories and assistance in getting the story placed.
Here’s what our grant selection committee looked for for this program:
- Disability focused. We are seeking pitches for stories related to disability in the military veteran community. Maybe it’s a story about a new healthcare issue, or a personal narrative about a visit to a crummy VA facility, or an investigative piece on an emerging medical issue that affects vets.
- Be ambitious. We are looking to support deeply reported stories that will make a splash and potentially be impactful.
- Small (shorter) stories are OK too. For serious investigative reporting, we’ll be looking for proof that you know what you’re doing. If you’re new to journalism, a shorter feature might be more realistic.
- Be original. We aren’t interested in the same stories that we’ve all read a million times before. As veterans, we can provide depth and nuance on these stories. Use that experience to come up with unique angles.
- No PR. Non-profits do great work and they might be part of the story. But we want to see pitches that are more than a happy story about a non-profit providing a house to a homeless vet.
- Look for trends. We’re keen to fund stories that only veterans can tell. As vets, you are seeing what’s affecting vets, especially when it comes to healthcare and the VA. Use your networks to find a good story.
