Writing

but what kind of help are you looking for?

I mean Indymedia, Mobile Broadcast News, Storify are good for getting your investigations out there.

Issuelab, despite being designed for NPOs, is a nearly bottomless resource-base of research that has been done on any number of subjects in the public interest. It's also handy in identifying experts and learned contacts on most subjects...as the people that originally wrote the research or studies you might be citing they have both a vested interest in your success (as it draws attention to their work) and a shared interest in your area of concern.

In terms of connections and sharing ideas, that's usually most easily done in an interest group or community corresponding to what you want to expose: if you're concerned about fracking, there are anti-fracking groups. Groundwater contamination...usually the same groups. Corruption in local politics...shit, you can't swing a stick in most towns without finding both corruption and the people vocally-opposing that corruption.

Writing groups? That one I don't know.

If you're talking financial resources...that's the million dollar question. You're probably out of pocket or seeing if you can get a potentially-interested publication to cover your expenses as a stringer or freelancer...but you're probably out of pocket and getting recouped at publication.