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Established to promote, support and fund research, investigative journalism, publications, videos and related initiatives, the TRACE Foundation advances commercial transparency and anti-bribery education. Through scholarships, prizes and grants awarded to individuals and organizations, it helps deepen understanding of the causes of corruption and the most effective ways to address it.
Funded by TRACE International, the Foundation operates under the guidance of an independent board with sole authority over project selection, execution and the distribution of funds—together, these efforts help drive meaningful progress in the global fight against corruption.
Given the extraordinary pressure on investigative journalism in the U.S. and many autocratic countries, the TRACE Foundation will shift its focus in 2026 from recognizing and rewarding past journalism to supporting future efforts with grants.
Zorayda Gallegos Valle, a freelance journalist writing for El País in Mexico, won the TRACE Prize for her investigation that uncovered the Mexican Army’s scheme to divert at least $156 million of public resources through hundreds of shell companies contracted to complete infrastructure projects.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, BuzzFeed News and more than 100 media partners won the TRACE Prize for their 16-month long FinCEN Files investigation. They reviewed thousands of financial intelligence documents and uncovered a flawed oversight process that allowed global banks to profit from suspect transactions. Their reporting has resulted in new reforms and investigations in multiple countries.
ICIJ also earned an honorable mention, along with the rest of the Luanda Leaks team, which includes FRONTLINE, the New York Times and 34 other media partners for their work exposing the kleptocracy of Isabel dos Santos, daughter of Angola’s former president. They revealed how Western professionals play a vital, little-examined role in the blighting of lives of countless Angolans.
Ferdinand Ayite of L’Alternative magazine in Togo earned an honorable mention for his Pétrolegate investigation, which found serious financial malpractice among Togolese government officials in charge of importing and pricing petroleum products.
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