The International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) at the Poynter Institute, has awarded $2 million for the 2024 ENGAGE grant to 20 fact-checking organisations to reduce the harm of misinformation globally.
This was disclosed via a statement signed by the IFCN director, Angie Holan, on January 28, 2025. Each of the 20 fact-checking organisations will get a total sum of $100,000 each.
The initiative is a programme tailored for IFCN signatory organizations aiming to expand their operations, enhance audience engagement, and establish sustainable revenue sources outside of third-party fact-checking programmes.
The ENGAGE grant is part of the Global Fact Check Fund funded by Google and YouTube and administered by the IFCN. The mission of the Fund is to strengthen the operational and engagement capacities of local and regional media organizations to increase the impact of fact-checking journalism.
READ: IFCN awards 2024 GROW grants to 20 organisations
Holan noted that the selected projects were highlighted as innovative approaches by fact-checkers to address misinformation which includes using AI to enhance access to public datasets in India and launching a labeling service on Bluesky.
“The selected projects showcase creative ways fact-checkers are tackling misinformation, such as leveraging AI to improve access to public datasets in India and introducing a labeling service on Bluesky. These initiatives also explore multimedia formats, strengthen media literacy, and build regional networks.” Holan stated
The statement highlighted that recipients must share their outcomes and lessons learned with the global fact-checking community to inspire and inform similar initiatives worldwide.
Fact Space West Africa, a fact-checking organisation in Ghana will focus its project on expanding its WhatsApp chatbot to help Ghanaians verify information effectively, supported by radio ads and outreach efforts across all 16 regions.
The initiative prioritizes rural areas, comprising 40% of the population, by using bulk SMS and interactive voice response (IVR) systems to address internet connectivity challenges. Accessible audio content will be co-created for IVR users at no cost.
PolitiFact in the United States with its project PolitiFact B2B research would offer fact-checking services to companies, aiming to diversify revenue and reduce dependence on Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking initiative. Building on its early B2B successes, the project seeks to create a sustainable model for other fact-checkers, incorporating ethical guidelines, business plans, and marketing strategies.
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While in the United Kingdom, Full Fact would engage younger audiences with interesting contents and videos informed by research and insights, focusing on formats that resonate with younger audiences to counter misinformation.
The statement concluded with the announcement of the BUILD 2025 grant, that is set to open soon, which will offer up to $25,000 to help fact-checking organizations, both IFCN signatories and non-signatories, strengthen their operations and foster growth.
Below are the list of grant winners and their proposed projects:
- EFE Verifica – SpainProject: Fake News, Real Victims
- Factnameh – Iran (Canada)Project: Focus and Engage: Zooming in on What Matters to Gen Z in Iran
- Tempo – IndonesiaProject: Strengthening urban community to mitigate AI-manipulation risks
- The Quint – IndiaProject: Tackling financial scams through citizen reporting
- Lead Stories – United StatesProject: Bluesky tagging service based on fact-checking data
- AAP FactCheck – AustraliaProject: SocialPlus: Enhancing video capabilities to scale audience engagement
- Demagog.sk – SlovakiaProject: Bridging understanding
- Full Fact – United KingdomProject: Engaging a younger audience with fact checking
- Factly – IndiaProject: Dataful AI: simplified access to authentic data and analysis for fact-checking and journalism in a chat interface
- Annie Lab – Hong KongProject: Building Asia-Oceania alliance of fact-checkers for information integrity
- PolitiFact – United StatesProject: PolitiFact B2B research
- Raskrinkavanje.me – MontenegroProject: Expanding Raskrinkavanje.me’s impact: building bridges with audiences
- India Today – IndiaProject: Project Shield: Get ready to outsmart the scammers
- Fact Space West Africa – GhanaProject: FactWide Project
- APA – AustriaProject: Educate facts
- Istinomer – SerbiaProject: Engage with facts: platform-specific content for digital resilience
- Factchequeado – United StatesProject: Empowering Latino audiences through culturally relevant content and innovative AI tools
- The Healthy Indian Project (THIP) – IndiaProject: Empowering people with comorbidities against health misinformation using videos and online education
- Beam Reports – Sudan/ChadProject: Marsad Chad
- Teyit – TurkeyProject: Connected seniors
Seasoned fact-checker and researcher Fatimah Quadri has written numerous fact-checks, explainers, and media literacy pieces for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached at sunmibola_q on X or [email protected].