InvestigateWest has been awarded a $450,000 unrestricted, multi-year grant from the Inatai Foundation, marking one of the largest institutional grants in the nonprofit newsroom’s history. The funding represents a major investment in collaborative investigative journalism that serves communities across Washington state.
The grant, provided through Inatai’s Narrative & News Fund, will support InvestigateWest’s investigative reporting with a focus on community-centered storytelling, partnerships, and accountability journalism. The funding aims to amplify the experiences of those most affected by systemic injustice and strengthen reporting that holds institutions accountable.
InvestigateWest collaborates with local, regional, and national media partners to ensure its reporting reaches broad and diverse audiences, particularly in communities historically undercovered or misrepresented. The newsroom shares its work freely with partner outlets, expanding the reach of its investigations while supporting the region’s shrinking local news ecosystem.
Nichole June Maher, president and CEO of the Inatai Foundation, emphasized the importance of investigative journalism for accountability and a multiracial democracy, highlighting that support for InvestigateWest helps amplify the voices of those affected by systemic power structures.
Founded in 2009, InvestigateWest has built a model centered on collaboration and accountability-driven reporting. Its journalists work with numerous outlets across Washington to expose systemic failures in government, industry, and public institutions, often prioritizing the perspectives of workers, families, rural residents, and communities of color. The grant will enable the newsroom to pursue deeper community engagement, develop investigative projects rooted in Washington communities, and use diverse storytelling formats to make complex reporting more accessible.
Jacob Fries, executive director of InvestigateWest, said the grant reinforces the newsroom’s commitment to producing investigative journalism grounded in community needs. The support will allow InvestigateWest to strengthen partnerships and produce reporting that reflects lived experiences, exposes harm, and empowers communities.
