How to Find Funding for your Media Startup

As a community-centered medium, you should consider funding from your community as a mainstay from the very beginning. Whether with or without crowdfunding, your readers' willingness to pay is a strong signal to external sponsors. It shows that your offering is in demand and provides real added value. In addition, the community's willingness to pay can be a valuable basis for covering the frequently required own contribution of at least 20 percent, as demanded by many foundations.

At the same time, you should bear in mind that foundation funding and public subsidies are not sustainable business models. Subsidies can be valuable support for project-related endeavors, but should not be the sole source of funding.

Instead, creative approaches are needed to tap into additional sources of income. It is crucial to remain authentic: adapting exclusively to the expectations of funding institutions often leads to a high investment of time and energy without any long-term benefits.

In short, foundation funding or public subsidies can be very helpful as start-up financing—they enable you to establish initial structures and get projects off the ground. After that, however, it is important to find viable ways to secure sustainable financing.

In this module, we provide an overview of realistic financing options on EU-level and give you an useful checklist for your funding strategy.

Which funding strategy is right for you?

There is no one right way to finance your project, but rather a mixture of grants, community support, and collaborations. It is important that you:

✅ Explore your financing options early on

✅ Use networks and funding platforms

✅ Tailor your application to the respective criteria

✅ Think strategically about which funding opportunities and financing options are right for your project.