The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism | How to Apply (Up to $5,000)
The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has opened applications for the 2025 Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism, a grant opportunity that honors one of journalism’s most passionate champions of human-centered storytelling. With awards of up to $5,000, this fund supports narrative journalism that combines the poetry of fiction with the rigor of truth.
Who Was Kari Howard?
Kari Howard was an editor who made stories sing—literally. Known for her musical ear, she believed the best journalism should throb with rhythm and breathe like lived experience. Whether editing for the Los Angeles Times or curating the Nieman Storyboard, she sought stories full of “gut-busting humor, heartbreak, and absurdity”—but always, always stories with a heartbeat.
Kari’s notes were known to include lines like “sob!” when a piece touched her deeply, or debates about whether a sentence should read da-DA-da or da-da-DA. To elicit her rat-a-tat laugh was, for many writers, the highest compliment.
Even more than rhythm, she prized truth, especially when it came from the quiet corners of life—an elderly couple in love, a child navigating grief, a street vendor with pride and poise.
About the Fund
The Kari Howard Fund for Narrative Journalism offers grants to women and nonbinary print journalists (freelance or staff), or teams led by such journalists, to support projects published in English anywhere in the world. The grant is for narrative print journalism, though digital publishing is eligible.
- Grant Size: Up to $5,000
- Deadline: July 13, 2025 (11:59 p.m. EST)
- Publication Timeline: Must publish within 6 months of award
- Decision Notifications: Early September 2025
Eligibility Requirements for the Kari Howard Fund
Eligible applicants must:
- Identify as women or nonbinary journalists
- Have at least three years of professional experience
- Demonstrate either editorial interest or a track record of publication
- Submit and publish in English
If you’re looking to sharpen your credentials or boost your literary résumé before applying, consider this guide on how to creatively write a resume for your dream job—especially useful if you’re highlighting narrative or longform work.
Why Apply?
Kari believed in journalism with soul—the kind that doesn’t just inform, but transforms. Her legacy reminds us that the smallest stories often hold the largest truths. If your reporting centers on overlooked lives, slow-burn journeys, or places made vivid through rich, sensory prose, this grant is for you.
Need help refining your storytelling, editing your pitch, or strengthening your publishing acumen? Here are 5 good reasons to take a publishing course—especially valuable for freelance journalists navigating submissions, contracts, and editor relationships.
Apply for the Kari Howard Fund Today
Writers have until July 13, 2025 to submit their proposals. Reporting must be completed and published within six months of receiving the grant. Projects that highlight the complexity and beauty of everyday life—across borders and identities—are especially encouraged.
Apply on Submittable via IWMF before the deadline
For accessibility support, contact info@iwmf.org
