Independent local media in the Eastern Cape are the direct beneficiaries of the ECCF. The organisation has about forty members from local print media and twenty licensed community radio stations as well as CSOs. Primarily members from disadvantaged communities are involved in capacity building interventions offered by ECCF. Citizens in the province benefit indirectly from the ECCF as they receive more reliable information that assists them to actively participate in democratic processes.

Students of the Department of Media Studies also benefit from ECCF projects.