Scripps Howard Fund Gave Out $8.7M To Community, Journalism Programs In 2023

The Scripps Howard Fund, a public charity established by The E.W. Scripps Co., awarded more than $8.7 million in charitable gifts during 2023, a nearly 7.5% increase from 2022.

The Fund supports communities where Scripps does business, while its journalism programs and funding reach people across the globe.

“By collaborating with dedicated partners — The E.W. Scripps Company, the Scripps and Howard families, Scripps viewers, advertisers, employees and allies — we’ve fueled the advancement of journalism education, childhood literacy and community causes across the nation,” said Liz Carter, president-CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund. “In this report, we illuminate the collective impact we’ve achieved and celebrate the power of collaboration. Our heartfelt thanks to all our donors, supporters and volunteers for standing with us. Together, we are not just giving light; we are changing lives and building a brighter tomorrow.”

The Scripps Howard Fund partners with Scripps’ local television stations in 40+ markets, national networks and entertainment brands, which reach nearly every American TV household over the air.

“At a time when trust in professional journalism is low, the Scripps Howard Fund remains dedicated to Scripps’ mission of informing and empowering those we serve with our news outlets,” said Adam Symson, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Fund. “From undergraduate internships to post-graduate fellowships, the Fund’s journalism programs provide the tools needed to produce impactful, objective work. Its partnership with Scripps’ national networks and local stations allows the Fund to support causes across the country, which helps to build thriving communities.”

The Fund’s 2023 giving included: 

$5.4 million to advance journalism

• The Fund’s Howard Centers for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland and Arizona State University arm college students with in-depth investigative reporting skills. With an annual investment of $2.5 million, the Centers honor the legacy of Roy W. Howard, former chairman of the Scripps Howard newspaper chain and a pioneering news reporter who helped lay the groundwork for modern journalism. In total, the Howard Centers have published 19 national investigations and nearly 200 stories, winning more than 40 professional and student awards over the past five years.
• Each year the Fund’s internship program opens doors for two dozen students from diverse backgrounds, providing hands-on experience. To ensure accessibility, the Fund offers grants covering relocation, travel and other expenses. The Fund has awarded seven diversity and inclusion in journalism grants, totaling $150,000. The grants went to universities and nonprofits.
• The 70th Scripps Howard Awards celebrated 2022’s most innovative storytelling and in-depth reporting with $170,000 in prize money. The Scripps Howard Awards judges – a panel of veteran journalists and media leaders – selected the winners from 780 entries across 15 categories.

$1 million to improve childhood literacy

• Donations from The E.W. Scripps Company, viewers, employees and family members provided more than 220,000 books to thousands of students in nearly 83 low-income schools across the United States during the 2022-2023 school year.
• In April 2023, the Fund celebrated distribution of its millionth book with students at a school in East Nashville, Tennessee.
• Inspired by its donors, author Dav Pilkey donated 25,000 copies of his latest book, “Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea,” to students in the Fund’s partner schools, and Scholastic donated 25,000 copies of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” to the schools.

$2.3 million to give back in communities served by The E.W. Scripps Co. 

• The Scripps Howard Fund partners with local Scripps-owned stations to support causes important to their communities.
• Examples of community giving include:
• In July 2023, WXYZ, the ABC-affiliated television station in Detroit, partnered with the Fund to highlight Forgotten Harvest and its mission to help its community. The local foodbank said its need for services had grown 20% as food insecurity increased. During the fundraiser, viewers donated nearly $92,000 to provide 400,000 meals for neighbors in need. This is the second year for the campaign, which in total has raised $172,000 and provided 800,000 individual meals.
• In August 2023, wildfires spread across Maui, Hawaii, killing at least 100 people and destroying communities in its path. Scripps News, along with local Scripps-owned stations across the country, rallied their audiences to donate to the Scripps Howard Fund’s Maui Wildfire Relief. More than 11,000 donors raised $84,200 to help those devastated by the fire.
• Through the Fund’s employee programs, Scripps employees can apply for up to $1,250 twice a year to support organizations where they give their time and money. For example, in 2023, Diane Duenez, a national special projects producer with Scripps News, received $2,500 in volunteer grants to support Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC), a cause important to her. Duenez has received more than $5,000 since 2021 to support causes important to her.

Click here to view the Scripps Howard Fund’s 2023 Impact Report.