Funding Sources
911 Media Arts Center
www.911media.org
Offers access to media-making tools for artists at a low cost.
A.J. Muste Institute
339 Lafayette St.
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212)533-4335
Fax: (212) 228 6193
Email: ajmusteinst@igc.org
www.ajmuste.org
Funds for projects that promote social change.
Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences
8949 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90211-1972
Phone: (310) 247-3059
Fax: (310) 859-9351
Richard Miller’s Phone: (310) 247-3000
Email: ampas@oscars.org
www.oscars.org
Send legal-size SASE after January 1 to receive entry form for $2,000, $1,500
and $1,000 awards in dramatic, experimental, documentary, animation.
Agape Foundation Fund for Nonviolent Social Change
1095 Market St., Suite 304
San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: (415) 701-8707
Fax: (415) 701-8706
Email: info@agapefn.org
www.agapefn.org
Western states only, funds films/videos that promote the use of nonviolence, they support films/videos that are unable to secure funding from traditional sources.
American Film Institute
P. O. Box 27999
2021 N. Western Avenue
Los Angeles CA 90027
Phone: (213) 856-7691
Fax: (213) 476-4578
www.afi.com
Call, write or check website for application instructions.
Three-week training program for mid-career women in the media arts to learn about narrative directing and to apply for production grant positions.
America At a Crossroads
www.cpb.org/grants/
Promotes programs that inform and enrich dialogue on public affair issues. Focuses on Post 9/11 world and affects on political and social realities.
Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
Dr. Jonathan T. Howe, Executive Director
111 Riverside Ave., Ste. 130
Jacksonville, FL 32202-4921
Phone: (904) 359-0670
Email: arthurvining@msn.com
www.jvm.com/en
Provides partial support for major educational series assured of airing nationally by PBS. The Foundations prefer proposals for “capstone” grants which assure completion of production funding.
Artists’ Television Access
992 Valencia St.
San Francisco, CA 94110
Email: ata@atasite.org
www.atasite.org
Phone: (415) 824-3890
Fax: (415) 824-0526
They have equipment access available at subsidized rates to artists, community organizations, and people on limited incomes.
Barbara Deming Memorial Fund
P.O. Box 40-1043
Brooklyn, NY 11240-1043
www.demingfund.org
Offers up to $1,000 per grant, open to women whose projects speak for peace and social justice.
Bay Area Video Coalition
2727 Mariposa Street, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: (415) 861-4328
Fax: (415) 861-4316
Email: awards@bavc.org
www.bavc.org
San Francisco Bay Area only, with the exception of the Phelan Award, which is available to artists born in California, regardless of current residence.
Bogliasco Foundation
An American nonprofit with a program in Italy, the Bogliasco Foundation awards one-month Fellowships to individuals of all ages and nationalities who have made significant contributions in the arts and humanities. Fellows live and work in bucolic surroundings on the coast near Genoa, where natural beauty combines with an intimate group setting to encourage inquiry and transformative exchange across all disciplines.
California Arts Council
1300 I Street, Suite 930
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 322-6555
Fax: (916) 322-6575
www.cac.ca.gov
Offers grants & programs for film & media makers.
California Documentary Project
Los Angeles office: (213) 623-5993
San Francisco office: (415) 391-1474
San Diego office: (619) 232-4020
Email: info@calhum.org
www.calhum.org
It is designed to encourage documentarians of the new millennium to create enduring images and text of contemporary California.
Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Email: info@ceip.org
www.ceip.org
Private, nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cooperation between nations and promoting active international engagement by the United States. Founded in 1910, its work is nonpartisan and dedicated to achieving practical results.
Carole Fielding Student Production & Research Grants
Competitive awards presented annually to students whose research and production projects meet rigorous standards of academic scholarship. Up to $4,000 is available for film, video, or multimedia production and up to $1,000 is available for research projects in historical, critical, theoretical or experimental studies.
Center for Independent Documentary
1608 Beacon St.
Waban, MA 01268
Phone: (508) 528-7279
Email: info@documentaries.org
www.documentaries.org
Multiple Grant Programs. Also provides services on a sliding scale and may select one or two projects a year to receive services for free. Seeking proposals on an ongoing basis from independent producers for the production of documentaries on contemporary issues.
Change, Inc.
P. O. Box 54
Tapiva, FL 33924
Phone: (212) 473-3742
Fax: (212) 995-8022
www.changeinc.org
Emergency grants for artists in all disciplines needing help with rent, medical expenses, utility bills, fire damage, etc and grants up to $1000.
Charles and Lucille King Family Foundation
www.kingfoundation.org
Provides scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students in television and film production and postproduction Grants for outstanding MFA projects at the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Southern Ca.
Chiapas Media Project (CMP)
www.
A bi-national partnership that provides video equipment, computers and training, enabling marginalized indigenous and campesino communities in Southern Mexico the opportunity to create their own media.
Chicago Resource Center
104 S. Michigan Ave., Ste.1220
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: (312) 759-8700
Awards grants to nonprofits that serve the gay/lesbian community.
Chicago Underground Film Fund
3109 North Western Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: (773) 327-FILM
Fax: (773) 327-3464
Email: info@cuff.org
www.cuff.org
Promotes works that pushes the boundaries, defies commercial expectations and transcends the mainstream of independent filmmaking.
Chicken & Egg Pictures
NYC Office: 162 Fifth Ave., Suite 901, NYC, NY 10010
SFO Office: 39 Mesa St., Suite 209, San Francisco, CA 94129
Email: info@chickeneggpics.org
www.chickeneggpics.org
Email for more information and closing dates
Columbia Foundation
One Lombard St., Suite 305
San Francisco, CA 94111
Phone: (415) 986-5179
Email: carolyn@columbia.org
www.columbia.org/index.
The foundation gives priority to Bay Area film makers; to films or videos that will be used by Columbia Foundation-funded public-interest organizations to further their work in human rights and sustainable communities and economies; and to projects for which a grant of $5,000 to $25,000 makes a difference in getting the project started or completed.
Compton Foundation
www.comptonfoundation.
There are no cut-off dates for discretionary grants, they focus most of their grant-making in the areas of Peace & World Order, Population, and the Environment. Most of the Foundation’s grants for Culture & the Arts are discretionary grants ranging in size from $200 to $10,000.
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
901 E St. NW
Washington, DC 20004-2037
Phone: (202) 879-9734
Fax: (202) 783-1019
Email: askus@cpb.org
www.cpb.org
Accepting proposals for the Public Television Future Fund and are open to any project that addresses large-scale opportunities to increase non-federal revenues, create new operating efficiencies and improve the quality of service that stations provide to their communities.
Dance Film Association, Inc.
48 West 21st St., #907
New York, NY 10010
Phone/Fax: (212) 727-0764
www.dancefilmsassn.org
Postproduction grant up to $2,000 for films about dance.
Delaware Humanities Forum
100 West 10th St., Ste. 1009
Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 657-0650
Fax: (302) 657-0655
Email: dhfdirector@dhf.org
www.dhf.org
Supports humanities programs for the public sponsored by nonprofit organizations. Projects should foster an understanding of the humanities disciplines or apply the humanities to topics of public concern.
Empowerment Project
8218 Farrington Mill Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone: (919) 225-5449
Email: media@empowermentproject.org
www.empowermentproject.
Provides facilities, training and consultation for independent filmmakers, producers, artists, activists and organizations working in video and other electronic media; as well as produces and distributes its own documentary films. Academy Award-winning directors Barbara Trent and David Kasper are available for presentations and screenings.
Experimental Television Center
8218 Farrington Mill Rd.
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone (919) 928-0382
www.experimentaltvcenter.org
Finishing funds (up to $1,500) awarded to individual artists and has presentation funds (up to $1,000) to organizations. Media Arts Technical Assistance Funds (Up to $2,000) to organizations.
Ford Foundation
Director, Media Arts and Culture
320 E. 43rd St.
New York, NY 10017
www.fordfound.org
Supports public broadcasting and the independent production of film, video and radio programming, and supports efforts to engage diverse groups in work related to the media and to analyze the media’s effect on society.
Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP)
1761 N St. NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 835-3650
Fax: (202) 835-3651
Email: President: pcwilcox@fmep.org
Editor/Analyst: jeff@fmep.org
www.fmep.org
Committed to “informing Americans on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and assisting in a peaceful solution that brings security for both peoples.” The grant making program provides support for organizations and individuals working toward a solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Frameline
www.frameline.org
Supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, visibility through media arts.
Glaser Foundation
P. O. Box 91123
Seattle, WA 98111
Email: grants@glaserfoundation.org
www.gfcf.org
Focuses on three program areas: progress definition and measurement; animal advocacy; and socially conscious media. In each of these areas, the Foundation develops and pursues its own initiatives and also provides funding support to other nonprofit organizations.
Harvestworks
www.harvestworks.org
Contact Director Carol Parkinson for more information: (212) 431-1130 Deadlines vary. New Works Residencies deadlines November. Offers a Digital Media Arts Center to cultivate artistic talent using electronic technologies. Also offers various programs, production studios, grant opportunities, education, communal lab practice and distribution.
HBO America Undercover
Send proposal or tape to Greg Rhem, HBO
1100 Sixth Ave.
NY, NY 10036
Phone: (212) 512-1670
Fax: (212) 512-8051
Provides production funds for American indie docs; Cinemax Reel Life acquires completed docs or offers finishing funds for partially completed projects.
Hermes Foundation
13600 Shaker Blvd. #802
Cleveland, OH 44120
Phone: 216-751-1100
Email: senex@msn.com
They are especially interested in gay/lesbian issues. Grants up to $1,000.
IFP – Chicago Production Fund
Phone: (312) 435-1825
Fax: (312) 435-1828
Email: infoifpmw@aol.com
www.ifp.org
Win an in-kind donation of production equipment and services, valued at up to $85,000 for your next short film. Applicants must be IFP/Chicago members, and the film must be shot in the Midwest region.
IFP – Los Angeles Project
www.ifp.org
Mentoring and training program that provides young people with exposure, experience, and connections in the film industry. The program supports filmmakers from traditionally under-represented communities through mentorships, workshops, and screenings.
Illinois Humanities Council Media Grants
203 N. Wabash Ave., Ste. 2020
Chicago, IL 60601-2417
Phone: (312) 422-5580
Email: ihc@prairie.org
www.prairie.org
Funding for development (up to $4,000) or production (up to $10,000). Projects must relate centrally and unambiguously to the humanities, have clear potential for reaching a large public audience and be made by producers whose work demonstrates imagination and technical skill.
Impact Partners
Email: info@impactpartnersfilm.com
www.impactpartnersfilm.com
Seeking for documentary projects that address contemporary social issues. Through their general fund, they invest in 8-10 projects a year, and review projects year-round on a rolling basis.
Independent Television Service (ITVS)
51 Federal St., 1st Floor
San Francisco, CA 94107
Phone: (415) 356-8383
Fax: (415) 356-8391
Email: marlene_velasco@itvs.org
www.itvs.org
Various programs and support for video and filmmakers.
Institute of Noetic Sciences
475 Gate Fire Road, Suite 300
Sausalito, CA 94965
Phone: (415) 331-5650
Fax: (415) 331-5673
Email: ions@well.com
www.noetic.org
Deadline for applications is usually March 1 and they offer an annual Hartley Film Award of $10,000 for production of a film or video which addresses subjects of relevance to the Institute’s mission, including consciousness research, mind-body health, meditation, creative altruism, and other areas.
Jane Morrison Memorial Film Fund
P. O. Box 7380,
Portland, ME 04112
Phone: (207) 761-2440
www.mainecf.org
The annual submission deadline is May 15. Offers a fellowship and various support, including educational opportunities for filmmakers who are in the early stages of career development. Preference given but not restricted to those residing in Maine.
Jerome Foundation
400 Sibley St.
St. Paul, MN 55101-1928
Phone: (651) 224-9431
Fax: (651) 224-3439
www.jeromefdn.org
Grant program for individual media artists living and working in New York City serving primarily film and video artists.
John Simon Guggenheim Foundation
90 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10016
Phone: (212) 687-4470
Fax: (212) 697-3248
www.gf.org
Application deadline is October 1 for U.S. and Canadian citizens fellowship, December 1 for Latin American and Caribbean citizens fellowship. Fellowship competitions: one open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States and Canada, and the other open to citizens and permanent residents of Latin America and the Caribbean. Film and video makers are eligible to apply. The average grant is $28,000
Kentucky Foundation for Women, Inc.
1215 Heyburn Bldg., 332 W.
Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 562-0045
Fax: (502) 561-0420
Email: kfw@kfw.org
www.kfw.org
Grants to Kentucky feminist film/video artists.
KQED TV
Scott Dwyer
2601 Mariposa St.
San Francisco, CA 94110-1426
Phone: (415) 553-2147
Email: inview@kqed.org
www.kqed.org
They are interested in presenting challenging independent dramas and documentaries to the Bay Area, looking for works that are truly independent, unique and fulfill a personal vision and they encourage Independent Producers to approach the station with their projects in development.
Latino Public Broadcasting
Marlene Dermer, Executive Director
6777 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 500
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 466-7110
www.lpbp.org
Open call for proposals for programs to air on public television. The projects should center on themes and issues that are relevant to Latinos. LPB’s mission is to provide a voice for the Latino community throughout the United States with an equitable and accessible funding and distribution mechanism.
LEF Foundation
www.lef-foundation.org
Funds are given for projects, programs, and services that encourage “a positive interchange between the arts and the natural urban environment”, and may involve visual, media, performing and literary art.
Lucius & Eva Eastman Fund
P.O. Box 470
Westwood, MA 02090
Phone: (781) 329-2473
Contact: Lucius R. Eastman, Pres.
5926 Fiddletown Pl.
San Jose, CA 95120
Phone: (408) 268-2083
Supports film/video on social issues.
Lyn Blumenthal Memorial Fund for Independent Video
P. O. Box 3514
Church St. Station
New York, NY 10007
Awards grants for criticism and production.
Maryland Humanities Council
Executive Plaza One, Ste. 503
11350 McCormick Rd.
Hunt Valley, MD 21031-1002
Phone: (410) 771-0650
Fax: (410) 771-0655
Email: pweber@mdhc.org
www.mdhc.org
Any nonprofit organization may apply for a grant. The council does not fund individuals or for-profit organizations. The project must be a public program, the disciplines of the humanities must be central to the project, humanities scholars must be involved in the project, and funding must support projects that would not normally occur without council support.
Massachusetts Foundation for the Humanities
66 Bridge St.
Northampton, MA 01060
Phone: (413) 584-8440
Fax: (413) 584-8454
www.mfh.org
Deadline: October 1. Makes major grants each year to support radio programs, films and videos that explore humanities themes. Media grants are available in three categories: pre-production, production and distribution, in amounts over $5,000 and up to $15,000.
Media Alliance
c/o WNET
356 W. 58th St.
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 560-2919
Assists NYC artists and nonprofit organizations in using state-of-the-art equipment and post-production facilities at reduced rates.
Moving Image Fund
P. O. Box 382866
Cambridge, MA 02238-2866
Phone: (617) 492-5333
Email: kathryn@lef-foundation.org
www.lef-foundation.org
Support for New England filmmakers.
National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC)
www.namac.org
A nonprofit association composed of diverse member organizations who are dedicated to encouraging film, video, audio and on-line/multimedia arts, and to promoting the cultural contributions of individual media artists.
National Endowment for the Arts
1100 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20506-0001
Phone: (202) 682-5742
Email: webmgr@arts.endow.gov
www.arts.gov
NEH is an independent grant-making agency of the U.S. government, dedicated to enriching American cultural life by promoting knowledge of human history, thought and culture. Priorities include subjects of national significance, projects geared to diversified audiences, collaboration with other cultural organizations, and the use of multiple formats or interactive media technology. implementation and production.
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)
1100 Pennsylvania Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20506
Phone: 1-800-NEH-1121
Fax: (202) 606-8400
TDD: (202) 606-8282
Email: info@neh.gov
www.neh.gov
Offers grants for independent filmmakers and digital media producers whose work addresses significant subjects in the humanities; reaches broad public audiences; grows out of sound scholarship; and uses imaginative, engaging formats.
National Science Foundation
4201 Wilson Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22230
Phone: (703) 292-5090
Email: info@nsf.gov
www.nsf.gov
Supports media projects designed to deepen the appreciation of science and technology and the understanding of the impact science and technology has on today’s society. Projects generally develop materials and programs that reach large audiences and have the potential for significant regional or national impact.
National Video Resources
73 Spring Street, Suite 403
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 274-8080
Fax: (212) 274-8081
Email: nvrinfo@nvr.org
www.nvr.org
This fund is to assist in increasing the public’s awareness of and access to independently produced media & film and video as well as motion media delivered through new digital technologies. Commissions and publishes research on issues of concern to independent media makers, distributors, educators, activists and individuals.
Native American Public Telecommunications
1800 N. 33rd St.
Lincoln, NE 68583
Email: native@unl.edu
www.nativetelecom.org
They supports program ideas that bring new perspectives on Native American cultures to public television audiences, increasing the quality and quantity of Native American television programming on a national and international scale.
New Filmmaker Equipment Grant Program
Oppenheimer Camera
666 S. Plummer St.
Seattle, WA 98134
Phone: (206) 467-8666
Fax: (206) 467-9165
Email: filmgrant@oppenheimercamera.
http://oppenheimercamera.com/
Oppenheimer supports new filmmakers in producing their first serious film project. The grant awards the use of their Grant Program Arriflex 16SR camera package to senior and graduate thesis students and to independent filmmakers for a scheduled period of time. Proposed projects may be of any non-commercial nature: dramatic, narrative, documentary, experimental, etc.
Next Wave Films
Phone: (310) 392-1720
www.nextwavefilms.com
Company of the Independent Film Channel, provides finishing funds and serves as a producer’s rep helping filmmakers implement festival and press strategies and secure distribution and has expanded its focus to include documentaries.
The Whicker Awards
www.whickerawards.com
The Whicker Film and TV Funding Award is awarded annually to an emerging filmmaker from anywhere in the world with the most promising pitch for a director-led documentary
