Fiscal Sponsorship & Grants
We help independent documentaries get funded!
Fiscal Sponsorship Program
For almost 30 years IDA's fiscal sponsorship program has been helping independent documentary projects of all types get funded, finished and seen. Last year we administered over 7 million dollars in donations and grants to our sponsored projects.
The fiscal sponsorship program is open to independent filmmakers and documentarians, regardless of education, background or previous credits. Whether this is your first film or you've been making documentaries as long as we've been sponsoring them, if you have an idea and a plan to see it through, we can help.
Grants
IDA Open Call
You can apply for IDA's Enterprise Documentary Fund and other funds open to apply in the same place, meaning that they will not require a nomination to apply.
Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund
The Pare Lorentz Documentary Fund supports full-length documentary films that reflect the spirit and nature of legendary documentary filmmaker Pare Lorentz's work.
The Fund provides annual grants totaling $95,000 to be used in the creation of original, independent documentary films that illuminate pressing issues in the United States and focus on one of Pare Lorentz's central concerns—the appropriate use of the natural environment, justice for all or the illumination of pressing social problems.
IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund
The IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund in-depth explorations of original, contemporary stories that integrate journalistic practice into the filmmaking process. In addition to funds, grantees will receive additional resources and expertise tailored to the needs of the project.
IDA Field-Building Fund
Started in 2020, the Field Building Fund is organized and administered to support organizations/initiatives with low to no operating budgets and independent nonfiction media makers working with limited means. The fund includes our Organizational Field-Building Grant, which directly supports organizations/initiatives, and our IDA Supported Artist Award, which we distribute in partnership with regional festivals. The Field-Building Fund is administered through a rolling nomination process.
Logan Elevate Grant
Logan Elevate Grant provides funds to emerging women filmmakers of color directing feature-length journalistic documentary films. Each year, IDA invites organizations in the documentary field from all over the country to nominate potential candidates for this award.
IDA has also included a few new updates to the Logan Elevate Grant. The grant amount has been increased to $30,000, and will now select three grantees. The grant will also include and consider non-binary filmmakers of color. These changes are made possible by the Jonathan Logan Family Foundation.
Nonfiction Access Initiative
The Nonfiction Access Initiative (NAI) is made possible through the generous support of the Ford Foundation with the goal of creating a scalable regrant fund for nonfiction storytellers and media makers from the disability community.
Projects
The Documentary Core Application Project
The Documentary Core Application is a collaborative effort by grantors who regularly fund documentary projects to standardize application requirements, with the aim of fostering greater access and a more equitable and sustainable documentary field.
Grants and Fellowship Directory
Looking for funding, fellowship or workshop opportunities for your documentary? IDA has a comprehensive database for filmmakers around the world.
Inactive Grants
IDA+XRM Media Incubator
The IDA+XRM Media Incubator supports short vérité documentary films from around the globe, with an emphasis on emerging filmmakers and new perspectives. Both a fund and a mentorship program, the Incubator provides production and post-production grants and mentorship from Academy and Emmy award-nominated directors to filmmakers crafting character-driven observational shorts.
IDA Netflix Global Emerging Filmmaker Award
The Award provides a $25,000 grant to an emerging documentary maker from four countries. IDA solicits nominations for the grant from partner organizations in each of the countries.
IDA Sarowitz Project Completion Fund
The Award provides a $25,000 grant to an emerging documentary maker from four countries. IDA solicits nominations for the grant from partner organizations in each of the countries.