The Fund for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) of Annandale, Virginia, in the United States gives grants of $500 to $3,000 to reporters "working outside the protection and backing of major news organizations." FIJ says the grants "are limited to journalists seeking help for investigative pieces involving corruption, malfeasance, incompetence and societal ills in general, as well as for media criticism." There is no application form. The applicant must write a letter outlining the story. The letter must be supported by resume, budget, writing samples, and a commitment from an editor or publisher to consider publishing or broadcasting the final product. The board meets in July and December, and applications should be submitted by the first of the previous month. For more information, contact executive director Peg Lotitio at FIJ, 5120 Kenwood Drive, Annandale, VA 22003 U.S.A. Tel.: (703) 750-3849. E-mail: fundfij@aol.com.