Learn about Angel Funding. Find Angel Investors.
angelinvestorinfo.com/Funding
Raise film funding from investors with a Regulation D Offering
www.regdresources.com
Get $20,000+ In Free Grants. Read This Report Before Its Too Late!
www.GrantMoneyAdvisor.com/Grants
50,000 In Free Gov Grants Billions Available. Never Repay!
Grants.iGrantCash.com
Get connected with investors Raise Capital - Get funded
Go4Funding.com/Startup-Funding
Get Matched to Online Universities Offering Grant Assistance.
www.EducationConnection.com/Grants
The worlds largest archive of free documentaries. Get more info here!
www.factualTV.com
Beware Of Government Grant Scams Read This Today Before Its Too Late
www.Scammer-Alert.com
Duke Universitys' Center for Documentary Studies offers the Lange-Taylor Prize and the John Hope Franklin Documentary Award to encourage collaborative documentary work in the tradition of photographer Dorothea Lange and writer Paul Taylor.
www-cds.aas.duke.edu
CPB Grants. major source of funding for public television and radio stations and programming.
www.cpb.org
Corporation for Public Broadcasting online information offering basic elements of grant writing.
www.cpb.org
National Endowment for the Arts online resource of Federal funding available for arts initiatives throught national, state and local funding programs.
arts.endow.gov
Government division offering endowment news, cultural funding and Federal Opportunities, information on NEA partnerships, guidelines for applications and NEA publications available Online.
arts.endow.gov
The mission of the Foundation Center is to foster public understanding of the foundation field by collecting, organizing, analyzing and disseminating information on foundations, corporate giving and related subjects to grant seekers, grant maker...
fdncenter.org
Based in San Francisco, California, ITVS provides funding, production and promotion of independent filmmaking for public television documentaries, narratives, interstitial and children's programming.
www.itvs.org
Developed in 1996 with a lead grant of $650,000 from the Righteous Persons Foundation, established by Steven Spielberg. The Fund is designed to support the creation of original documentary films and videos that promote thoughtful consideration o...
www.jewishculture.org
Producers' funding resources from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
www.neh.fed.us
Find out about upcoming deadlines for NEH grants and download application guidelines and materials.
www.neh.fed.us
State funding agency that provides support for activities of nonprofit arts and cultural organizations in New York State and helps to bring artistic programs of high quality to the citizens of the state.
www.nysca.org
Grant guidelines for the six program areas of culture, education, environment, health & human services, public policy, and religion.
www.pewtrusts.com
Learn about Angel Funding. Find Angel Investors.
angelinvestorinfo.com/Funding
Guide to Documentary Film Funding and Grants
How to find documentary funding and then get itWhen trying to find funding sources for documentary films, it is extremely important to concentrate your efforts in the places most likely to support your project. Plenty of research and preparation in advance can greatly increase the chances of success.
Before beginning the process to seek funding for documentaries, it helps to:
- Find the target audience. The ones most likely to be interested in seeing the film will most likely be interested in contributing to documentary funding.
- Determine whether this documentary is a profit or non-profit film.
- Begin as much of the process for filming as possible; investors want to see commitment.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find grants for documentaries through your state humanities department
There are are many national government programs, but they are commonly known and often overflowed with applicants. Apply with the state for less competition.
I recommend:
Visit your state’s website for application deadlines and requirements, or see them listed at the International Documentary Association’s website. Also check out the grants page at the Independent Feature Project's website.
Apply for major independent documentary film grants
Many organizations fund profects. Apply for the grants that may be in line with your subject matter.
I recommend:
Try the Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media and the Playboy Foundation.
Write very good documentary grants proposals
It is very important that you write in a very professional way that represents your filmmaking abilities and the passion for your documentary when applying for film grants.
I recommend:
Have a look at the Foundation Center’s reference guide for proposal writing. Also visit the National Science Foundation's Guide to Proposal Writing.
Create a business plan and budget for funding documentaries
When trying to sell the idea of your documentary to potential investors, show them a plan of exactly where there money is going.
I recommend:
Get help with a business plan at Master Plans, or see sample business plans at BulletProof Business Plans.
Try internet marketing to attract documentary filmmaking grants
The web is the best way to gain access to a lot of viewers for a small price.
I recommend:
Visit Fundable. It allows you to build a page on their website about your project and collect secure online donations from anonymous donors for any amount. Advertise on Craigslist, promising credits at the end of the film.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide- Don't overlook small grants. You can use them in addition to other documentary film funding, or use multiple small grants which don't have nearly the amount of applicants to compete with.
- Network, network, network. Meet everyone that you can in every way that you can, and talk about your project as much as possible to spread word of mouth.
- Don't forget to include your own income when applying for documentary film grants and funding if you are looking for investors interested in financial return. They want to see a project finished fast, and that won't be accomplished when the filmmaker is working a full-time job.
