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Who Pays For PolitiFact?

(Last updated: March 2023)

PolitiFact is a nonpartisan fact-checking website to sort out the truth in American politics. PolitiFact was created by the Tampa Bay Times, a Florida newspaper, in 2007. In 2018, PolitiFact was acquired by the Poynter Institute, a nonprofit school for journalists.

You can view The Poynter Institute’s 990 and major donor list here.

While PolitiFact relies on administrative support from the Poynter Institute, it is otherwise financially self-sustaining. It receives funding from online advertisements placed on the website. PolitiFact also receives compensation for selling its content to media publishers and companies. Organizations that contributed more than 5 percent of total PolitiFact revenues in the previous calendar year will be listed here:

• Facebook

• TikTok

PolitiFact also accepts grants, which are listed by calendar year below.

In 2017, PolitiFact launched a membership campaign called the Truth Squad to allow individual donations.

Accepting financial support does not mean PolitiFact endorses the products, services or opinions of its donors. Donors have no say in the ratings PolitiFact issues. PolitiFact does not give donors the right to review or edit content.

As part of PolitiFact’s mission to remain transparent and independent, PolitiFact will disclose on this page any individual donation in excess of $1,000. PolitiFact does not accept donations from anonymous sources, political parties, elected officials or candidates seeking public office, or any other source with a conflict of interest as determined by PolitiFact’s executive director.



2022

See PolitiFact’s 2022 annual report.

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $435,228.18

Truth Squad members: 3,155

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 13

John Rogers $5,000

Edward Arens $3,000

Christie Cadwell $2,000

Kevin Laughlin $2,000

Romelle Castle $2,000

Kevin D Murphy $1,200

Michael Bennett $1,224

Rita Tamerius $1,200

Jeff Swift $1,200

Carol Hall $1,120

Evalyn Milman $1,100

Rory Litwin $1,025

Brent Noorda $1,011

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $117,000

Catena Foundation: $50,000 (for coverage of immigration issues)

Common Cause: $25,000 (for Spanish language fact-checking)

International Fact Checking Network: $35,000 (for coverage of climate change issues)

Joyce Foundation: $122,000: (for coverage of voting and democracy issues)

YouTube: $25,000 (for sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Loud Hound Partner Fund: $20,000 (for matching individual donations to PolitiFact)



2021

See PolitiFact’s 2021 annual report.

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $484,733 

Truth Squad members: 2,125

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 7

Kristina McNeff: $3,000

Kevin Laughlin: $1,500

Ethan Koenig: $8,000

Brent Noorda: $1,025

Romelle Castle: $2,500

Edward Arens: $2,000

Craig Zabel: $2,100

Microsoft: $20,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Facebook: $25,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

SmartNews: $5,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

TikTok: $25,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

AmeriHealth Caritas: $25,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Google News Initiative: $25,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Craig Newmark Philanthropies: $25,000 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Trust Project: $2,500 (For sponsorship of United Facts of America)

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $50,000

Facebook: $85,000 (NABJ fact-checking fellowship)

Facebook: $10,000 (Facebook business accelerator)

Friends of the Earth: $13,000 (Support fact-checking claims about the environment and climate change)

Common Cause: $5,000 (Support fact-checking claims about Virginia election)



2020

See PolitiFact’s 2020 annual report.

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $585,069 

Truth Squad members: 4,207

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 8

Bessie Rattner Foundation: $5,000

Community Foundation of New Jersey: $5,000

The Stelter Foundation: $2,000

Grounds for Promotion LLC: $1,150

Pryor, Jack: $2,500

Arens, Edward: $2,000

Beason, William: $1,500

Koenig, Ethan: $1,500

Democracy Fund: $75,000 (For general operating support)

Craig Newmark Philanthropies: $100,000 (Misinformation coverage around COVID-19)

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $73,000

Google​: $50,000 (fact-checking of coronavirus misinformation)

International Fact Checking Network​: $39,319 (video fact-checking on coronavirus)

Common Cause: $20,000 (Support fact-checking claims about the 2020 election)



2019

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $235,930.23 

Truth Squad members: $1,650

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 3

Dume Wolverine Foundation: $20,000

Bessie Rattner Foundation: $5,000

Lovestrand, Jennifer: $2,300

Democracy Fund: $200,000 (To expand fact-checking into new states and grow PolitiFact)

Craig Newmark Philanthropies: $99,500 A previous version listed $99,5000 in error.

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $25,000



2018

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $242,454.66 

Truth Squad members: 1,628

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 3

Hamilton, Mary J.: $1,000

Chinn, Donna: $1,000

Bessie Rattner Foundation: $5,000

Democracy Fund: $200,000 (To expand fact-checking into new states and grow PolitiFact)

The Craig Newmark Foundation: $5,000 (Truth Squad matching donation)

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $69,000



2017

Individual donations to the Truth Squad: $206,143

Truth Squad members: 1,612

Truth Squad donations in excess of $1,000: 5

Wagner, Bill: $1,600

Kuzyk, Mark: $2,400

Collie, James: $1,500

Hutton, Marilyn: $1,100

Mahaffey, R. Ernest: $1,200

Reynolds Journalism Institute: $10,000 (To develop a new promise tracking tool)

Democracy Fund: $125,000 (To expand fact-checking into new states and grow PolitiFact)

Knight Foundation: $50,000 (To reach new audiences and address the spread of misinformation)

The Craig Newmark Foundation: $50,000 (General support)

Newton & Rochelle Becker Charitable Trust​: $20,000



2016

Democracy Fund: $250,000 (To expand fact-checking into new states and grow PolitiFact)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $126,650 (To fact-check claims about global health and development in partnership with Africa Check)

Reynolds Journalism Institute: $10,000 (To develop a new promise tracking tool)



2015

Democracy Fund: $125,000 (To expand fact-checking into new states and grow PolitiFact)

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: $70,000 (To fact-check claims about global health and development in partnership with Africa Check)

The Knight Foundation: $167,500 (To fact-check claims on Medium; support the creation of new technologies to assist fact-checking)



2014

Democracy Fund: $162,500 (To develop PunditFact)

Ford Foundation: $150,000 (To develop PunditFact)



2013

Democracy Fund: $162,500 (To develop PunditFact)

Ford Foundation: $150,000 (To develop PunditFact)



2012

The Knight Foundation: $125,000 (To develop the Settle It! app)

craigconnects: $10,000 (Seed money to develop PunditFact)



2010

The Knight Foundation: $200,000 (To train Florida news organizations how to use PolitiFact)

Collins Center for Public Policy: $15,000 (To fact-check proposed Florida constitutional amendments)

Craigslist Charitable Fund: Funding for the creation of PolitiFact Florida