Help the Overseas Press Club Help Freelancers

Freelance journalists around the world are suffering financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are stranded at home or abroad, because of travel restrictions and closed borders. Others have seen assignments dry up or have had payment for work underway or already completed reduced or canceled outright.

In May, the Overseas Press Club stepped in to help, awarding 27 grants of $750 each to freelance writers, photographers, and film and video reporters abroad and in the United States. A committee of OPC governors made the awards, working from nearly 50 applications.

A photographer covers the launch of a coronavirus testing facility for medical and emergency workers in Munich, Germany. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

The OPC grants were unrestricted, and recipients said they would use the money not just to fund future and ongoing reporting projects, but to pay rent, overdue bills, and even to purchase food.

Eric Reidy, a freelance OPC member based in Mumbai, said the grant “helped to calm my nerves, boost my confidence and turn my focus back to full-time journalism and my coverage of the virus.”

The OPC funded the May grants program with donations made during the club’s annual awards dinner. We are now soliciting donations for another round of grants. Please help!

For alternative payment options, please contact Executive Director Patricia Kranz at patricia@opcofamerica.org. We appreciate your support of freelance journalists during these difficult times.