Since its inception, Rest of World has been funded by the generous philanthropic support of founder Sophie Schmidt, who founded the publication in 2019.
Additional support
Rest of World Members
Our membership program brings together a global community of individual donors who care about sustaining and growing Rest of World’s coverage well into the future. Members enjoy benefits like a special edition Impact Report and invitations to virtual events. Become a member today.
Ford Foundation
In March 2023, Rest of World received a $200,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to expand its mission of covering the impact of tech by highlighting the experiences of everyday people. The grant, which is made available through the Ford Foundation’s Future of Work(ers) program, funds a one-year reporting fellowship at Rest of World designed to support the publication as it deepens its coverage of tech’s relationship with labor, and report on the influence tech has on both the nature of work and the state of workers. Rest of World is entirely responsible for selecting and hiring the reporting fellows under this fellowship.
In August 2024, Rest of World was awarded a $500,000 follow-on grant from the Ford Foundation to support stories focused on tech innovation and labor and their effect on workers and communities. The grant expands on a labor x tech reporting fellowship previously funded by the Ford Foundation by enabling coverage in more regions of the non-Western world. Labor stories abroad have long been a longstanding issue area for Rest of World, so we are grateful for additional resources to publish more human-centered, data-driven, and visually appealing stories.
Henry Luce Foundation
In November 2023, Rest of World received a $100,000 grant from the Henry Luce Foundation to support our coverage of religion and technology. The grant funds a feature series and an interactive project. You can read more about the grant here.
Luminate
Rest of World received a $200,000 sponsorship from Luminate to support its coverage of global elections and the ways tech platforms and AI are affecting them. You can read more about the sponsorship here.
How to get involved
Charitable Gifts
As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt private operating foundation, Rest of World welcomes grants and charitable gifts from individuals and institutions. Our editorial judgment is made independently and is not influenced by funding organizations or donors.
Your gift can support:
- General support for our newsroom and organization
- More in-depth coverage of an existing beat
- Reporting fellowships aimed at amplifying marginalized voices
- A fixed-term partnership with a regional outlet
- Resources to support investigative journalism
Click here to see our policy on the acceptance of charitable gifts. If you are interested in making a charitable donation to Rest of World, please get in touch by sending us an email at development@restofworld.org.