2025 Annual Report

Financials

FY25 Financial Highlights

Total FY25 revenue for the Nieman Foundation decreased approximately 9.0% from FY24. Several factors contributed to the decline:

  • The final payment of a three-year grant from Schmidt Futures to fund the Schmidt Futures Nieman Fellowship for China Coverage was received in FY24.
  • The third payment of a gift to the Nieman Journalism Lab to fund two new staff writer positions — one covering local news in the United States and the other reporting on the intersection of journalism and generative AI — was received in early FY26.
  • Ticket income from the 85th Anniversary Reunion in October 2023 was included in FY24.

The value of the Nieman Foundation’s investments increased approximately 7.2% from FY24 to FY25 and there was an increase of 2.5% in the Treasurer’s distribution in FY25. Our balance sheet remains strong, with over $177,000,000 in long-term investments.

Development Report

We are grateful to the many individuals, foundations, journalism organizations, and other groups that support our programs each year. These donors help fund the Nieman Foundation’s fellowships, publications, journalism awards, conferences and other projects that help educate journalists on campus and around the world. These gifts help advance Nieman’s long-term goals and mission to promote and elevate the standards of journalism and educate individuals deemed specially qualified for the profession.

Those who wish to make a gift to the Nieman Foundation may make a donation online or send a check to the Nieman Foundation. All correspondence should be mailed to:

Development Office
The Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard
One Francis Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

To learn more about planned gifts and bequests, visit Harvard University’s Planned Giving website.

Questions about making a planned gift or other contributions may be sent to niemandevelopment@harvard.edu.

Balance Sheet

Revenue and Expenses

Gifts and Grants to the Foundation

Income received during FY25 and in FY26 prior to December 21, 2025.

Foundations and organizations that provided grants to support Nieman programs and fellowships:

Gifts and Grants to the Foundation

Income received during FY24 and in FY25 prior to December 11, 2024

Foundations and organizations that provided grants to support Nieman programs and fellowships:

Grants to Support Nieman Fellowships in the Class of 2025

  • The Carroll Binder Endowment: one fellow from France
  • The Barry Bingham Jr. Endowment: one fellow from Kenya
  • The Atsuko Chiba Endowment: one fellow from India
  • The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation: one fellow from Colombia (support for the Knight Latin American Nieman Fellowship)
  • The Murrey and Frances Marder Endowment: one fellow from Georgia and one from the United States (the Murrey Marder Nieman Fellowships in Watchdog Journalism)
  • The William Montalbano Endowment: one fellow from Russia
  • The Ruth Cowan Nash Endowment: one fellow from Syria and one fellow from Bulgaria
  • The Robert Waldo Ruhl Endowment: one fellow from Ukraine
  • Schmidt Futures: one fellow from China (the Schmidt Futures Nieman Fellowship for China Coverage)
  • The Louis Stark Endowment: one fellow from the United States (labor reporting fellowship)

Grants to Support Nieman Fellowships in the Class of 2024

  • The Carroll Binder Endowment: one fellow from Austria
  • The Barry Bingham Jr. Endowment: one fellow from Ghana
  • The Atsuko Chiba Endowment: one fellow from South Korea
  • The Martin Wise Goodman Trust: one fellow from Canada
  • The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation: one fellow with Panamanian roots and another from Colombia (support for the Knight Latin American Nieman Fellowship)
  • The Murrey and Frances Marder Endowment: two fellows from the United States (the Murrey Marder Nieman Fellowships in Watchdog Journalism)
  • The William Montalbano Endowment: one fellow from South Africa
  • The Ruth Cowan Nash Endowment: one fellow from Ukraine
  • The Robert Waldo Ruhl Endowment: one fellow from Russia
  • Schmidt Futures: one fellow from China (Schmidt Futures Nieman Fellowship for China Coverage)
  • The Louis Stark Endowment: one fellow from the United States (labor reporting fellowship)

Other Donors through December 21, 2025

  • Olushola Bukola Adebayo (NF ’21) and Sewedo Nupowaku
  • Fernando Berguido, NF ’11
  • Christopher E. Bogan (NF ’82) and Mary Jo Barnett
  • Henry S. (NF ’69) and Monica P. Bradsher
  • The Roxanne and Henry Brandt Foundation
  • Helen Branswell, NF ’11
  • Jasmine Brown, NF ’20
  • Denise Schrier Cetta (NF ’24) and Michael Cetta
  • Dr. Stephanie Y. Chan
  • Ira H. Chinoy
  • Henry Chu (NF ’15) and James Baer
  • Paul Colford
  • Selymar Colon, NF ’20
  • Nancy W. Cook
  • Alfredo Corchado, NF ’09
  • George de Lama, NF ’92
  • James Edwards, NF ’26
  • Michael Fitzgerald, NF ’11
  • Robert Frederick (NF ’21) and Donna Scheidt
  • Steve Geimann
  • Ellen H. Goodman, NF ’74
  • Google
  • Anita Harris, NF ’82
  • John Harwood, NF ’90
  • Karl Idsvoog, NF ’83
  • Alex Jones, NF ’82 – In memory of James Thomson
  • Gerald Jordan, NF ’82– In memory of the deceased members of class of 1982
  • Caroline Kagan and Max Lerner
  • Renee Kaplan, NF ’23
  • Dolores J. Katz
  • John F. Kelly, NF ’99
  • Kathryn Kross, NF ’95
  • Lisa Lerer (NF ’18) and Marc Bleyer
  • Paul Lieberman, NF ’80
  • Michel Alexander Lind, in honor of Maria Ressa
  • Albert Lindler, NF ’84
  • Ann Marie Lipinski, NF ’90 and Steve Kagan
  • William (NF ’83) and Diane Marimow
  • David Mazie, NF ’64
  • Molly K. McCartney, NF ’78
  • Cameron McWhirter, NF ’07
  • Morton A. Mintz, NF ’64
  • Dr. Richard Mora
  • Khinlei Myint-U
  • Nieman Class of 2024
  • Caroline Newman
  • News Corp Foundation
  • Nina Nowak and David Schairer
  • John R. Osborn
  • Takashi Oshima, NF ’06
  • Deb Pastner, NF ’22
  • Grzegorz Piechota, NF ’16
  • Rachel Pulfer, NF ’24
  • Lori Rayner-Grossi
  • Joseph H. Rodriguez, NF ’98
  • Michael Ruane, NF ’92
  • Nancy Ruhling
  • Sarah Scott Scire
  • Mary Beth Sheridan, NF ’13
  • Rachel Emma Silverman (NF ’14) and Alexander Robinson
  • Molly Sinclair McCartney, NF ’78
  • Judith Stoia, NF ’80
  • Akiko Sugaya (NF ’12) and Hiroshi Ishii
  • Wendi C. Thomas, NF ’16
  • Akshat Tripathi
  • Liliana Urrutia
  • Sarah Varney, NF ’24
  • Walt Disney Company Foundation
  • Walter Watson, NF ’08
  • David Welna (NF ’98) and Kathleen Wheaton
  • Jack White
  • Julie Whittingham
  • Jakob Lindström Wranne

NF = Nieman Fellow