SPJ Oregon’s Public Records Small Grants Program reimburses journalists or their news organizations up to $500 for public records fees charged by government agencies.

Records requests must be crafted and submitted prior to applying for grant funds. You can secure a grant before paying a government agency, but SPJ Oregon won’t release funds until you have paid the public records fee. Stories that have been published within the current calendar year may also be considered for reimbursement.

If you need help writing a public records request, a fee waiver request, or have any other questions about public records, feel free to email the SPJ Oregon board.

Oregon Territory SPJ understands the competitive nature of journalism and its board pledges to keep requests confidential.

HOW TO APPLY

The first step is to fill out an application.

After that, one of the SPJ Oregon board members will ask for documentation related to your request, including the request itself and any responses and fee estimates. We’ll want to know when you plan on publishing your work .

Oregon SPJ board meets monthly and will approve or deny any pending requests at the earliest possible opportunity. Grant applications must be received before December 1 for consideration in that year’s allocations. Any applications received after December 1 will be considered for January reimbursement.