Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to questions about grant awards, award notifications, and next steps in the program.
These FAQs will be updated regularly.
1. About the Program
+ What is the California Civic Media Program?
A public grant program established by the State of California, with support from Google, to sustain original, fact-based local journalism across California. Its lead administrator is the James B. McClatchy Foundation, with support from Google administrator Journalism Funding Partners, and guidance from the Civic Media Program Advisory Board.
+ How much funding was awarded?
$18.75 million to 214 news organizations in this first round. Awards range from $20,000 to $250,000.
+ Who was eligible to apply?
California-based news organizations that have operated for at least three years, produce original fact-based reporting on California state or local matters as the majority of their work, maintain a public ethics and corrections policy and a public ownership or board disclosure, and are not primarily broadcast or owned by a lobbying firm, political action committee, 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6). The full requirements are available in the 2026 Program & Application Guide.
+ How were awards determined?
Two parts. A headcount formula set each base award at $20,000 per full-time-equivalent California journalist for the first five and $10,000 for the sixth through twentieth, up to $250,000. Organizations could also apply for an optional needs-based adjustment of up to double their base award; newsrooms with fewer than one full-time-equivalent journalist were eligible for $20,000 to $40,000 through this path. Eligible applications were scored by an independent review committee against a published rubric evaluating coverage of disinvested audiences, planned use of funds, and organizational viability, then funded in score order until the funds were exhausted.
+ How does the regional approach work?
Awards were organized around the 13 California Jobs First regions, with a minimum of $250,000 guaranteed to each region. Each region cleared that minimum with its own applicants; the smallest regional total was $415,000, and the largest was $5.7M.
+ Can the state of Google influence coverage?
No. Grant funds are unrestricted for journalism. Grantees decide what to cover, how to cover it, and what to publish. The terms and conditions contain no editorial conditions, no review of content before or after publication, and no reporting on coverage. Neither GO-Biz, Google, or Program administrators have any role in a grantee’s newsroom, and nothing in the program prevents a grantee from reporting on the State of California, Google, or the third party administrators.
2. Information for Awardees
+ My award is "conditional." What does that mean?
Every award was announced as conditional, pending pro rata verification, confirmation of media liability insurance, and grant agreements. It becomes final when the steps below are complete.
+ What do awardees need to do next?
The California Civic Media Program team will host an awardee informational webinar, which you can sign up for here. Three steps in the grant portal: (1) award verification: confirm your California-based journalist staffing and media liability insurance; (2) review and execute the grant agreement, including its terms and conditions; (3) complete banking and payment documentation. Grant agreements are due December 4 for payment before the end of the year.
+ Could my award amount change?
Yes. The final amount is subject to pro rata verification and may be adjusted based on your organization’s confirmation of the information originally submitted.
+ When will I be paid?
Payments are processed upon completion of all required documentation, unless additional questions or documents are needed to verify eligibility. The payment cycle for this round closes on December 21. All awardees who miss the Dec 4th deadline for documents will be processed in January 2027.
+ Can I announce my award?
Yes. As of November 2, 2026, awards are public upon announcement, and you’re welcome to share that your organization was selected.
Because the award amount is conditional and may change through verification, the safest approach is to wait until your grant agreement is signed before announcing a dollar figure. Until then, “selected for a California Civic Media Program grant” is accurate; a specific amount may not be.
+ Where do I get help with the grant portal?
Email grants@cacivicmedia.org, join the technical assistance call on November 9 at 10 AM PT, attend or watch the recording of the grantee webinar, or leave a comment in the portal and a team member will respond.
3. Applicants Not Selected
+ Why wasn’t my organization selected?
If your application was eligible, it advanced to independent review and was scored against the rubric. Applications were funded in score order until available funds ran out. Not every eligible applicant could be funded in this cycle.
+ Why was my application found inelible?
Applications that did not meet one or more of the program’s eligibility requirements did not advance to scoring. The most common reasons: the organization could not be verified as primarily operating in California; the required California business registration was not established; the three-year operating requirement was not met; original fact-based reporting on California matters could not be confirmed as the majority of operations; no publicly accessible ethics and corrections policy was found; no public ownership or board disclosure was provided; the organization’s primary distribution is broadcast; or the organization is owned or controlled by a lobbying firm, PAC, 501(c)(4), or 501(c)(6).
+ Can I find out my score or the reason I was ineligible?
Yes. Email grants@cacivicmedia.org by the end of the day on November 30 with your organization name and the proposal title you applied under.
+ Can I appeal?
There is no appeal process for scores or award amounts.
+ Can I apply again?
Yes. The next round is expected in summer 2027. Guidelines will be published in advance, and we encourage every eligible organization to apply.
4. What’s Next
+ Where is the list of awarded newsrooms?
The list of grantees is available on the Civic Media Program website. Award amounts will be added once all grant agreements are in place.
+ Will there be another round?
Yes, expected in summer 2027.
+ How will the program report on results?
Grantees will report on outcomes over the coming year, which will inform a full program report sometime in 2027. That report is where the program will publish its fuller analysis of who was funded and what the funding did.