Fiscal Sponsorship Program (Film Independent)

Fiscal Sponsorship Program (Film Independent) is sponsored by Film Independent. This program allows individuals and projects, including film festivals, to apply for grants and solicit tax-deductible donations without having 501(c)(3) status themselves. Film Independent acts as the non-profit umbrella.

Fiscal Sponsorship - Film Independent Access funding that will carry your project through every stage of its life cycle. Ready to apply? Get your Fiscal Sponsorship application started right here .

Want to learn more? Visit our FAQ page . What is Fiscal Sponsorship?

Fiscal sponsorship is an arrangement between an existing 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and an individual or entity lacking the legal status needed to receive grants from foundations, individual donors and government agencies.

The fiscal sponsor agrees to provide administrative services and oversight to, and assume limited legal and financial responsibility for, the activities of groups or individuals engaged in work that furthers the fiscal sponsor’s mission, in this case, to champion creative independence in visual storytelling and support a community of artists who embody diversity, innovation and uniqueness of vision.

The clearest, though not the only, benefit to participating in fiscal sponsorship is that individuals are able to access charitable funding for their project while forgoing the time consuming and expensive process of creating and running a 501(c)(3) organization themselves. This especially applies to independent filmmakers for whom setting up a nonprofit for a particular project is rarely necessary.

We’re proud to feature a diverse slate of fiscally sponsored projects . Check back often for the unveiling of more exciting films… maybe even your own!

Apply for grants and solicit tax deductible donations without becoming a 501(c)(3) Access to Film Independent’s Membership offerings, including filmmaker networking events, continuing education opportunities, online filmmaking resources, Film Independent Spirit Awards voting privileges and a host of one-of-a-kind cinematic experiences Sustained support throughout the lifecycle of your project Access to full-time staff with years of collective experience in fiscal sponsorship and independent film Offer your donors a variety of ways to give to your project by check, online, credit card, crowdfunding campaigns and even matching gifts from employers Promote your project via your individualized online donation page Offer a tax incentive to your crowdfunding campaign donors Apply to specialized state and federal government grants like the National Endowment of the Humanities Film Independent collects a competitive 7% administrative fee from contributions made to projects You must be a current Film Independent Member to apply for fiscal sponsorship.

Your membership must retain current for the entire time your fiscal sponsorship account is active. The program is open to independent narrative and documentary projects of any length and at any stage of development. Film Independent supports other types of projects and like-minded organizations that further our mission and are in the process of obtaining their 501(c)(3) status; including interactive media, film festivals and more.

Non-US applicants are welcome to apply.

Applicants must submit the following materials for consideration: Project Description (logline, story summary/synopsis, topic summary, artistic approach, project stage and timeline) Audience and Distribution (distribution and marketing strategy, intended audience) Key Creative Personnel (bios for each creative team member, list of attached advisers or consultants) Fundraising Strategy (overall fundraising strategy, funding to date) Work Sample (director’s prior work or current work sample) A non-refundable application fee of $45* * All applicants to the Fiscal Sponsorship program are required to be current Film Independent Members.

Application fee waived for Filmmaker Pro Members . Film Independent is looking for unique projects from talented filmmakers ranging from first-time directors to those more firmly established in the indie film community. The project’s viability, both financial and artistic, will be considered by our review committee, as will the team’s collective expertise and the overall proposal presentation.

Our ultimate goal is to work with you to get your film funded, finished and seen. Your written proposal and budget should show us how you plan to make that happen. Film Independent’s mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms and to foster a culture of inclusion.

We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody four pillars: Diversity, Innovation, Curiosity, Uniqueness of Vision. Applicants must articulate in their application how their project embodies or furthers our mission.

The following addtional criteria must be met for projects to be eligible for the Film Independent Fiscal Sponsorship Program: Your project must be a short or longform, fiction or non-fiction, film or video. Your project must be a single independent production not paid for or produced by a studio or streamer. A slate of projects will not be eligible.

Educational programs are not eligible. Projects must be seeking to raise over $10,000. 00 USD through fiscal sponsorship.

Click the link below to get your application started, or learn more by visiting our FAQ page . For more information, please send us an email at fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent. org .