MIAMI – Want to know if your idea for a grant has merit or your organization qualifies for funding from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation?  It’s simple: send a letter of inquiry via our new online service.

Applicants can expect a quicker response from Knight Foundation’s staff to such letters of inquiry – the important first step that starts the conversation. If the letter leads to an invitation from Knight to submit a full proposal, it typically takes three to six months to develop and approve a grant.

All nonprofit organizations interested in that first step should visit www.knightfdn.org and click on “Apply” (at the top of the page). They’ll find instructions and a self-guided web form. There’s also a helpful, optional quiz that verifies eligibility and describes Knight’s funding priorities and geographic coverage.  

Knight’s program officers see completed inquiries almost immediately after they are submitted.

“We want to increase the speed of our response, and we want to help applicants learn quickly whether their project will be invited for a full proposal,” said Michael Maidenberg, Knight’s vice president and chief program officer.

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U.S. communities.