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To apply to IDA's fiscal sponsorship program, please complete the following steps:

  • Become a Doc Maker member of IDA.
  • Carefully read all of the requirements below and follow the instructions for assembling a project proposal and budget.
  • Review the FAQ page first before emailing questions to sponsorship@documentary.org.
  • Complete the Fiscal Sponsorship Application linked at the bottom of this page, attach your completed proposal and budget, and pay the $75 application fee online.

Eligibility

  • The applicant (referred to as the project director) must be 18 years of age or older.
  • The applicant must be a current paid Doc Maker or above member of IDA.
  • The project must be a documentary film or media project related to the documentary genre and with a clear charitable purpose and public benefit compatible with IDA's mission to support the vital work of documentary storytellers and champion a thriving and inclusive documentary culture.
  • The project must not be able to be construed as propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation or supporting the participation in or intervention in (including the publication or distribution of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.
  • Narrative/fiction films or projects not directly related to the documentary genre or IDA's mission are ineligible. If you have questions about a specific project's eligibility, please contact us for clarification.
  • The applicant does not need to be a US citizen or resident to be eligible to apply. However, please be aware that funds released to non-US filmmakers may be subject to mandatory withholding by the US Government. Please contact us before you apply to discuss your specific situation. 
  • The project must be independent. Documentaries produced for hire or under the direction of a third party, such as a broadcast entity, university, foundation, or nonprofit organization, where another entity besides the applicant will own or have substantial editorial or other control over the finished work, are ineligible.
  • The applicant must be a primary producer and/or director of the submitted work, own the copyright of their work, and have artistic, budgetary, and editorial control of the project.
  • The project may be in any stage of development, production, post-production, or distribution as long as it is actively fundraising.
  • Student films being produced through a college or university are ineligible.

Review Criteria

IDA staff will review applications and accompanying materials and, in some cases, may call on outside reviewers to supplement staff input. Applications are evaluated with the following in mind:

  • Does the project fit the IDA’s mission of supporting documentaries and documentary filmmakers?  
  • Does the project have a compelling and achievable story?
  • Is the project ready for fiscal sponsorship?
  • Does the production team have the skills to achieve the goals? 
  • Does the filmmaker have a robust community care plan?
  • Is the project’s accessibility plan adequate?
  • Is the project timeline achievable and reasonable?
  • Does the project have a target audience and an educational distribution plan? 
  • Is the budget and fundraising plan realistic? 

For more information on the review criteria, click here.

Application

Please prepare a narrative proposal and line item budget as outlined in the application.  Our application requirements are compatible with the Non-Fiction Core Application Project. 

Please read the guidelines and application carefully and note which items are required and which are optional. Incomplete applications may be discarded, and if additions or revisions are requested, the review process will be delayed. 

Please contact us at sponsorship@documentary.org if you would like to apply for a non-film project. There is a separate application for non-film projects.

IDA FISCAL SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Application Review and Time-Line

Please budget adequate time for our review process timeline when considering grant application deadlines. Most applications will be reviewed within 4-6 weeks. However, this time frame is not guaranteed. 

If you would like to expedite your application, please read through our FAQ page for more information.

During the review process, reviewers may contact you directly with questions, feedback, or revision requests. When a decision has been reached about your application, we'll email you.

I have read and understood the guidelines and eligibility requirements

APPLY NOW!