Level Up Initiative
The Trans Journalists Association is offering stipends of $250 and $500 for journalists' professional development.
Accessing funding for professional development as a journalist is tough, especially if you, like many of our members, freelance or work in newsrooms with limited resources.
That’s where our Level Up Initiative comes in.
Want to attend an industry conference or enroll in a leadership program? Want to take training or get a career-enhancing certification?
If cost is a barrier, we can help.
For spring 2025, we have stipends specifically set aside for student journalists and early-career journalists who haven't attended a traditional journalism educational program. We also have general stipends for journalists who qualify as TJA members.
We want to facilitate whatever best-supports trans journalists and trans journalism. We trust that you know what you need!
Apply now, or read on for details.
About the program
What this program offers
Depending on the cost of your professional development opportunity, stipends in the amount of $250 and $500 are available. Selected awardees will also automatically become TJA members.
What we ask of you
Simply let us know about the opportunity you end up pursuing — tell us how it goes, tag us on social, or send us a photo! We’ll send you a short followup survey, and we will be happy to amplify your accomplishments, if you wish. We also hope you’ll help us by amplifying this program to colleagues who may benefit.
Who should apply
We don't want people to count themselves out; if you're not sure if you're eligible, reach out to us with questions. But, here are some general guidelines.
These stipends are for U.S.-based student or professional journalists with any career development goal that supports the TJA’s mission: to foster the careers of gender-expansive journalists and to improve the quality of coverage of trans communities.
For our inaugural stipends, we’re providing stipends to:
- students currently enrolled in journalism programs or actively producing journalistic work
- early-career professional journalists who also
- have less than 5 years of professional experience
- have not attended traditional journalism educational programs
- any journalist who qualifies as a TJA member
Some stipends are designated specifically for those student and early-career groups.
We’d love to see applications from TJA members and journalists from historically underrepresented communities in journalism and media including but not limited to trans and gender-expansive people of all genders, queer folks, disabled individuals, and people of color. We also prioritize professional development opportunities that allow them to contribute their skills, perspectives, or experiences to help sustain or foster diverse talent and leadership in the news industry, such as moderating and speaking on panels, leading journalism-related trainings, etc.
Journalists from local, regional, and under-resourced news organizations; students; and early-career professionals are strongly encouraged to apply, as are freelance and independent journalists. Applying is free.
Who is eligible
For our purposes, a journalist is defined as anyone who qualifies for one of the TJA’s memberships, whether that’s a student, journalist, or community membership.
In a nutshell, that means anyone whose work — either full-time, part-time, or on an independent/freelance basis — contributes to the creation of news and media products for an editorially independent publication. You can also apply if you are a student working towards becoming a journalist in some capacity. Our community members are also eligible to apply, though they should take some extra time to read the eligibility criteria for the opportunities.
Learn more about becoming a TJA member here. It’s free (with a donation encouraged) and open to journalists of all identities.
What happens after you apply
Once the application period closes, the Level Up Committee will review them all. Every applicant will receive a determination notification by the end of April.
About applying
Applicants will self-select the stipend amount ($250 or $500) for which they’re applying based on individual need. In addition to submitting work samples and Resume/CV (and/or college transcript for students), applicants must also, in less than 200 words:
- Tell us about what you do, your professional development goal(s), and the 2025 opportunity you’re asking us to support.
- Explain why you want to be there and how the experience might impact your work or career.
- Articulate how support of your participation in this opportunity aligns with TJA’s mission.
The application form is linked here. Applications will be accepted until 11:59pm PT on March 17, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of professional development opportunities can I apply for a stipend for?
The Level Up Initiative is intended for events, whether remote or in-person.
We want to help you pay for any opportunity that’ll allow you to develop new skills, improve your work and/or further chart the career of your dreams. Eligible opportunities can include but are not limited to: attending journalism conferences like NLGJA, NABJ, NICAR or ONA; applying and enrolling into a leadership development program; investing in career coaching or a resume review; or taking a training or workshop class.
We're also happy to help pay for out-of-pocket costs. For instance, if a newsroom is paying for your conference registration, but you'd have to pay for your own food and transport, you can use these stipends to cover part of an opportunity.
What kinds of things can't I apply for a stipend for?
These stipends require you to attend some sort of professional development experience, like an event or coaching session.
We aren't funding coverage. That means we won't directly fund your reporting trip, purchase of reporting equipment, or hiring of a freelancer to, for example, take photos for you. There are other programs for that kind of funding.
Generally, these stipends will also not be used to support professional opportunities outside the realms of journalism. But many of our community members do journalism education, industry trainings, and other work that may still be a great fit for this stipends program. So please don’t hesitate to apply — even if your opportunity might be nontraditional, it still qualifies if it supports our mission.
How do you decide who will receive a stipend?
The TJA Level Up Committee reviews all applications. We look for applications from journalists whose work and journalistic vocation exemplify the TJA mission.
We have a judging rubric that evaluates the candidates’ essays, the opportunity, and whether it aligns with a specific focus of the TJA’s work this year. Depending on the cycle, we may also have funding set aside for specific purposes: for instance, for attending a TJA event at a specific conference, or for students and early-career journalists.
When will I receive my stipend?
When we notify grantees, we’ll include information about how to receive funds. You’ll have to fill out a stipend contract and a form to gather your W-9 details, and then our administrators will process the payment. Please note that this may be taxable income. It may take a few weeks for processing.
What if I need an amount other than $250 or $500?
If the professional development opportunity you want to participate in costs less than the stipend amount, feel free to use the rest to cover your time spent participating.
Past recipients of TJA stipends have used the extra to cover registration costs, a dog-sitter, an extra hotel night, or childcare. Whatever they needed to get to their event.
For opportunities that cost more, you might be able to find additional support elsewhere. For example, many conferences and their corresponding professional organizations offer their own discounts, scholarships, and grants. You might also be able to volunteer to help cut down on costs.
How is this program funded?
These stipends, like many of our programs, are supported by sponsors, philanthropic grants, and individual donors. Learn more about our current and past sponsors. Our funders have no influence on the participant selection or judging process. Learn more about our independence and fundraising policies.
You can support this program by donating to us directly. If you’d like to sponsor current or future rounds of our Level Up Initiative, get in contact with us.
Questions?
If you have any additional questions that we didn’t cover here, please reach out!
Our sponsors
The Spring 2025 Level Up Initiative is made possible by:
This program and the rest of our work is also possible thanks to our supporters, including our philanthropic supporters like the MacArthur Foundation, and our giving community.
Learn more about opportunities to support the TJA's work through charitable sponsorships, donations, or paid advertising.
