Mission
Best of the West runs its annual contest on a tight budget and uses volunteers for judging and other contest duties in order to provide as much money as possible each year for grants to media hotlines in the West that provide free or low-cost legal advice to journalists seeking access to public records and government meetings.
More than $260,000 in First Amendment Grants have been awarded to organizations in Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Washington and Wyoming since 1988. Best of the West grants were instrumental in getting the organizations in Montana, New Mexico and Utah up and running.
Send inquiries about grants by e-mail to: info@bestofthewestcontest.org
Past Grants
2022: Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, $3,000, and New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $3,000.
2020: Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, $1,000.
2017: Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, $500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $500; Idahoans for Open Government, $500; and Washington Coalition for Open Government, $500.
2015: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $1,500; Idahoans for Open Government, $500; and Washington Coalition for Open Government, $500.
2014: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,000; Colorado First Amendment Council, $500; Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas, $500.
2013: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,500; and Colorado First Amendment Council, $1,000.
2012: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $3,500; and Washington Coalition for Open Government, $2,000.
2011: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $1,000; and Washington Coalition for Open Government, $1,000.
2010: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $3,000; Washington Coalition for Open Government, $1,000; and California First Amendment Coaltion, $1,000.
2009: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $1,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $1,000; and Washington Coalition for Open Government, $1,000.
2008: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $3,000; Washington Coalition for Open Government, $1,000.
2007: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $3,000.
2006: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $5,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $5,000.
2005: New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $5,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,500.
2004: California First Amendment Coalition, $3,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,500; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,500.
2003: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $4,500; California First Amendment Coalition, $3,000.
2002: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,500; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $4,000; California First Amendment Coalition, $2,500.
2001: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $4,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $4,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $4,000; California First Amendment Coalition, $3,000.
2000: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $5,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $5,000; California First Amendment Coalition, $5,000.
1999: California First Amendment Coalition, $3,750; Montana, $3,750; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $3,750; Utah Foundation for Open Government, $3,750.
1998: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $3,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $3,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000.
1997: California First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Utah Foundation for Open Government, $2,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,000; Wyoming Press Association, $2,000.
1996: Utah Foundation for Open Government, $3,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $3,000; California First Amendment Coalition, $2,500; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,500.
1995: Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, $2,000; California First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,000.
1994: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,500; Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, $2,500; California Frist Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000.
1993: Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,500; Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, $1,500; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,500; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $1,500; California First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000.
1992: Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,000; New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, $2,000; Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, $2,000; Wyoming Press Association, $2,000; Montana Freedom of Information Hotline, $2,000.
1991: California First Amendment Coalition, $2,500; Arizona Frist Amendment Coalition, $2,500; Montana $1,000
1990: California First Amendment Coalition, $2,500; Arizona First Amendment Coalition, $2,500
1989: Utah Headliners Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, $1,000; and California First Amendment Coalition, $1,000
Links
• Arizona First Amendment Coalition
• First Amendment Coalition of California
• Colorado Freedom of Information Council
• Montana Freedom of Information Hotline
• New Mexico Foundation for Open Government
• Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas
• Washington Coalition for Open Government
• National Freedom of Information Coalition