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International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM)

Type:

Media Grantmaking Organization
Formation:

2021
Board Chairs::

Maria Ressa and Mark Thompson

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The International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) is a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors that has received at least $19.2 million in funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to support independent journalism abroad, often focused on left-of-center issues like transgenderism, climate change, and the perceived threats of mis- and dis-information. IFPIM also receives funding from the governments of France, Denmark, Estonia, New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Taiwan as well as from major international corporations and left-of-center grantmaking organizations such as Microsoft, Google News Initiative, and Ford Foundation. 1  2  3  4  5

History and Activities

The International Fund for Public Interest Media is a grantmaking organization that supports independent media organizations in 40 countries in South America, Africa, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Colombia, and Paraguay.  2

IFPIM claims that the loss of public interest media, which it argues has occurred through economic disruption and political repression, threatens democracy and allows the spread of “mis- and dis-information.” IFPIM states the costs of such disinformation include issues like vaccination boycotts and inability to achieve “sustainable development goals.” 4

IFPIM was launched in 2021 with up to $30 million in seed funding from the Biden administration through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Then-President Joe Biden (D) announced the funding at the September 2021 Summit for Democracy. 2 6

In 2022, IFPIM incorporated as an independent French association following an agreement with the French government.  7

IFPIM provides grants to media organizations that it believes enact “strategies for engaging diverse audiences” and that engage in work beneficial to the public interest.  2

IFPIM opened its first call for grant applications in May 2022. It claims to have received over 200 grant applications. It chose 13 applicants across nine countries. Grant recipients included Bush Radio of South Africa to support broadcasts in Western Cape province; Naawaat, a community blogging platform in Tunisia; Mutante, which focuses on polarization “mental health, gender equity, and climate change” in Colombia; and El Surti, which uses memes to spread information about “climate change, disinformation issues, and gender-related concerns” in Paraguay.  2 3

In September 2024, IFPIM launched a $150 million campaign with the goal of funding 300 news outlets in 50 countries. 8

In early 2025, the second Trump administration froze foreign aid distributed through USAID, impacting IFPIM. 9

Leadership

The International Fund for Public Interest Media is governed by a board and a council. As of 2025, the board was co-chaired by Maria Ressa, the CEO and executive director of the social news network Rappler from the Philippines, and Mark Thompson, former president and CEO of the New York Times Company.  7 10

As of February 2026, IFPIM had not created its first council, though it intended to include leaders from the governments of partner nations and international media.  7

Financials

As of February 2025, the International Fund for Public Interest Media claimed to have secured nearly $50 million in financial support from the following governmental and nonprofit donors: Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Government Offices of Sweden, the Swiss Federation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Grow @ Annenberg, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Ford Foundation, Luminate,  MacArthur Foundation, NED, Google News Initiative, and Microsoft. 5

A plurality of IFPIM’s reported funding, amounting to between $20 to $30 million of the nearly $50 million the organization claims to have raised, came from the U.S. government as of 2025.  6  5 1

According to USASpending.gov, USAID committed $20 million to support IFPIM, not $30 million. Funding began on December 3, 2021. As of February 2025, $19.2 million of the $20 million commitment had been sent. USAID funding for IFPIM was funneled through Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, one of the nation’s largest philanthropic organizations that often promotes left-leaning social change missions including those related to race, the environment, and gender ideology.  1 11

References

  1. Project Grains FAIN 7200AA22GR00001.” USASpending.gov. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/award/ASST_NON_7200AA22GR00001_7200.
  2. “Our Work.” International Fund for Public Interest Media.” Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/our-work/.
  3. “Our Grantees.” International Fund for Public Interest Media.” Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/our-grantees/.
  4. “The issue.” International fund for Public Interest Media. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/the-issue/.
  5. “Support for the Fund.” International Fund for Public Interest Media.” Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/support-the-fund/.
  6. “President Biden announces ‘up to $30 million’ in US support for new global fund to bolster free press as ‘bedrock of democracy.’” International Fund for Public Interest Media.” September 12, 2021. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/resources/president-biden-announces-up-to-30-million-in-us-support-for-new-global-fund-to-bolster-free-press-as-bedrock-of-democracy/.
  7. “The fund.” International Fund for Public Interest Media. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://ifpim.org/the-fund/.
  8. “X Post on September 24, 2025.” @TheIntlFund. X. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://x.com/TheIntlFund/status/1839050391960330713.
  9. “USA: Trump’s foreign aid freeze throws journalism around the world into chaos.” Reporters Without Borders. February 3, 2025. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://rsf.org/en/usa-trump-s-foreign-aid-freeze-throws-journalism-around-world-chaos.
  10. “Maria Ressa.” LinkedIn. Accessed February 6, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-ressa-473166/.
  11. “Featured Projects.” Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Accessed
    February 6, 2025. https://www.rockpa.org/projects/issue-areas/
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