THE BERTHA CHALLENGE
A Fellowship Program for Activists, Investigative Journalists, Filmmakers and Lawyers
Bertha Foundation is excited to announce the 2026 Bertha Challenge call for applications. This year we are opening our application process to filmmakers and lawyers alongside investigative journalists and activists to apply with a body of work speaking clearly to our question for 2026:
We acknowledge this as an era of emergency. The Bertha Challenge has always called for projects that investigate and expose the intersection between power, politics and profit and how that junction exacerbates the climate crisis. This year, we are extending the framework of our question beyond the climate crisis.
Around the world, we are watching a rapid dismantling of democracies that were already tenuous in their ability to be representative. This takes different forms of hybrid regimes, where there remain nods to democracy, however, the real power is shifting away from governments with checks and balances and towards the rhetoric and actions of ethno-nationalism and patriarchy. That power is being supported, sometimes in the shadows and sometimes overtly, by the wealthiest men and corporations on earth, whose goal is to protect their profit and not the people that governments are meant to serve. The playbook is to attack a free press, the rule of law and civil society’s ability to organize. The most brutal embodiment of this is the genocide against Palestinians, engendering increasing feelings of powerlessness from people who do not want this genocide enacted in their name but watch as their protests are criminalized and their governments continue to send arms and money enabling the killing of innocent civilians.
However, we are not powerless and we are not without agency. In this world order, we are looking for stories that expose the corruption and collusion between these hybrid regimes, oligarchs and corporations. We are interested in work that confronts the tech-firms, the new age robber barons, the military and authoritarian leaders who are creating a world in which data and surveillance are cementing a new feudal system. This is a call to those of you deeply rooted within communities who are organizing in defence of human rights, the rule of law and a free press.
We know that systemic change happens by disruption, that power is never ceded and that institutions can’t defend themselves - people have to defend them. We’ve seen from our Bertha Challenge Fellows over the years that a one year programme is often only a stepping stone towards your work having an impact beyond the Fellowship year. We know that one year can never be long enough except for doing the foundational work towards change. Our ideal applicants are journalists, activists, filmmakers and lawyers engaged in the long game of holding the line to do fact-based investigations that strengthen the communities and groups fighting back.
Our 2026 Bertha Challenge cohort will have some significant changes from previous years. These changes are in direct response to feedback we have received from our alumni network who remain deeply committed to the work of creating resilient, representative and accountable governments throughout the world. First, we are opening the question to look at the nexus between power, politics and profit to extend beyond the climate crisis - though we still welcome applications centering the climate crisis. Next, we are shifting the application emphasis to ask applicants to show how this one-year project will be part of a longer-term initiative. It is incredibly important, at the outset, that applicants see this work as part of a longer process and take into consideration the time to go into and out of the Fellowship, including how that may impact communities or organizations of which they are a part. Lastly, we are excited to extend the application to filmmakers and lawyers to bring new expertise and skill sets into the Bertha Challenge community.
Filmmakers working on a fact-based film project speaking directly to the 2026 Bertha Challenge question, that is substantively rooted in communities, should apply with a clear body of work to be created over the 12 month Fellowship period. The project could be in any stage of the creation process, from the research stage, shooting, scripting and editing to post production and roll-out. A demonstrated approach to non-extractive filmmaking in service to communit(ies) depicted in the film project is required.
Lawyers working at various stages in preparation of litigation and/ or strengthening of existing litigation; working in direct defense and support of communities and movements to map, gathering testimonies crucial for current and/or future legal proceedings and investigating projects aligning with the Bertha Challenge question, are invited to apply. This is a call for ground-breaking innovative legal work that speaks to Bertha Foundation’s deep belief in movement lawyering. Projects that include cross-border litigations separate from the jurisdiction where the abuse took place, are welcome. Legal projects substantively rooted within movements and organizations will be prioritized.
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The Fellowship
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What we offer:
The Bertha Challenge aims to support groundbreaking projects by providing time to work exclusively on a focused project, the spaces in which to connect with a diverse global cohort of Bertha Fellows and partners, and the resources to develop and deliver a body of work that speak directly to the Challenge question.
Our Fellowships offer:
- Income for each Bertha Challenge Fellow for one year, not exceeding USD 64,900 and commensurate with the applicant’s current or equivalent salary at the host organization.
- A Project Fund of up to USD 10,000 for each Bertha Challenge Fellow to produce a culminating body of work that responds to the Bertha Challenge question, and that is directed towards a specific audience.
- Access to a Connect Fund of up to USD 5,000 specifically designed to encourage collaboration between Fellows.
- Peer and mentor support in the form of regular virtual check-ins with Bertha staff and a community of Bertha Challenge Fellows and alumni.
- Network development through the global cohort of Bertha Challenge Fellows.
- A global convening of Bertha Challenge Fellows at the start of the Fellowship year.
The Bertha Challenge will launch in January 2026, with an opening convening scheduled for early in the Fellowship year at one of Bertha's partnered global retreat spaces, where Bertha Fellows will:
- Meet other Fellows in the 2026 Bertha Challenge cohort, spend dedicated time getting to know one another and get the opportunity to introduce individual work and perspectives.
- Find opportunities to refine the design of each Fellow’s project work for the year within a supportive framework.
- Discuss and frame possibilities for collaboration across the cohort.
- Debate current developments around the Bertha Challenge question.
Fellowship Requirements
Bertha Fellows will spend their time working in their home countries and are required to:
- Work full-time for one year to deliver their Bertha Challenge project.
- Attend an in-person global convening that will take place towards the beginning of the Fellowship.
- Develop and deliver a culminating body of work that responds to the Bertha Challenge question.
- Participate in two virtual meetings per month, and occasionally facilitate these meetings.
Bertha Challenge Culminating Work
The centerpiece of the Bertha Challenge program is the Fellowship project. Each Fellow will produce and deliver a body of work that speaks to the Bertha Challenge question and which demonstrates a participatory framework with a community(ies). Examples of previous projects can be found on the Bertha Challenge alumni profiles here.
We want Fellows to learn from each other's work and experience. In addition to delivering the final work to the target audience, all work must be presented to the rest of the cohort. Projects presented must be publicly and freely available upon completion, and in English. Translation costs can be included in Fellow’s project budget.
Fellows invited to interview will be asked to deliver a short presentation on their proposed project.
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Application Information
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Application Requirements
All applicants must submit:
- A completed online application form.
- A brief resume/ CV in English of no more than two pages.
- A list of 2-4 referees including name, relationship to applicant and contact details.
- A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) from the prospective host organization – including commensurate salary and health and pension benefits provided.
- Examples of previous work.
Host Organizations
Fellowship applicants are required to secure a host organization to receive and administer the Fellowship award, Project Funds and Connect Funds. Host organizations must be legally structured to receive grant funding and be able to process payroll. Host organizations must share a commitment to the Bertha Challenge objectives and commit to publishing/ distributing the Fellow's work optimally throughout the year.
Bertha Challenge Fellow salaries must not exceed USD 64,900 annually and must be commensurate with the current or equivalent salary of the applicant at the host organization. This is to avoid creating disparity at the host organization. If offered a Fellowship, Bertha Foundation will ask the applicant for proof of last income. The host organization will be expected to make arrangements regarding healthcare and pension benefits, the cost of which will be allocated from within the Fellowship award. Bertha will make a contribution of 15% of the Fellowship award to the host organization to cover administrative costs. A table is provided within the MoU to assist applicants in calculating the Fellowship award.
Bertha Foundation will not interfere with the autonomy of the host organization during the course of the Bertha Challenge.
Selection Criteria
Bertha endeavors to select an inclusive and representative cohort of Bertha Fellows that celebrates diversity.
Bertha Challenge Fellows will be selected on individual merit but also on their complementary skills to the cohort, their existing and/ or proposed networks and prospects for the long-term impact of their work.
Applicants may come from and work in any country, but to ensure that this cohort of Bertha Challenge Fellows is able to be fully participatory, we require all applicants to be proficient in spoken and written English and able to deliver their final work in English.
Potential applicants and host organizations are invited to join one of our upcoming online information sessions. Participants will hear from the Bertha Challenge team along with previous Fellows and host organizations. There will be an opportunity to ask questions about the Fellowship and the application process.
Click the buttons below for more information about each session and how to register:
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Application questions can be viewed here. This document is for reference only. To submit your application, please use the button above.
Contact Us
If you have questions about the application process, please have a look at the FAQs page.
For any further enquiries, email berthachallenge@berthafoundation.org
About Bertha Foundation
Bertha Foundation supports social, environmental and economic justice activism. We create programs and provide funding to support individuals and organizations working to address some of the most pressing social justice issues of our time.
The Bertha Challenge creates opportunities for activists and investigative journalists to amplify and accelerate their work in support of climate justice. Fellows are integral to the Bertha network and the selected activists and investigative journalists will act as bridges across regions to strengthen and embolden this important work.
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