who we are

The Solutions Journalism Network is a nonpartisan organization committed to transparency and editorial independence. We do not support or advocate for any particular idea, model, organization, or agenda.

As a non-profit organization, we receive financial support from foundations and individual donors. All funding relationships are disclosed publicly on our website (see here for a complete list). Some of the funding we receive from foundations is used to support newsroom projects—typically reporting that focuses on responses to social problems. For example, our news partners have explored emerging approaches to improve healthcare and public education, as well as ways to reduce and prevent violence.

We recognize that there are potential conflicts of interest inherent in using philanthropic funding to support solutions-oriented journalism. The reality is that the ecosystems of philanthropy and social change are interconnected. It is, therefore, inevitable that some newsrooms and journalists we support will report on issues that involve our organization’s funders, some of which are large-scale foundations that have supported thousands of organizations in dozens of fields.

We believe that it would be a disservice to society to exclude critical reporting on social innovations funded by these sources. On the other hand, it is critically important that such relationships not conflict with the principles of independent journalism. SJN’s grant recipients, whether newsrooms or individual journalists, should adhere to the highest standards of conduct as set forth by bodies such as the Society of Professional Journalists.

We require that our grant recipients remain completely transparent about any potential conflicts of interest that could arise in the context of reporting on an issue of interest to a Solutions Journalism Network funder whose grants are supporting their work. Just as important, news organizations that receive support from the Solutions Journalism Network have full editorial control over their coverage.