What is Fiscal Sponsorship?
Eligibility Requirements
Benefits of WMM Fiscal
Sponsorship
Types of Fiscal Sponsorship
Deadline and Notification
 Apply
for Fiscal Sponsorship
Frequently
Asked Questions
The
Workshop Series
Fiscal Sponsorship is the largest component of the
Production
Assistance Program. Fiscal Sponsorship is designed for women
filmmakers who are actively fundraising for their film or video
project and need 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt status.
What is Fiscal Sponsorship?
Fiscal Sponsorship allows your non-commercial project to apply
for funding from organizations that require non-profit status.
Non-profit tax-exempt status is required by many foundations,
corporations and government agencies in order to be eligible for
funding since many do no accept application proposals from individuals.
Additionally, 501(c)(3) status allows you to receive charitable
deductible contributions from individuals—a major incentive for
individuals considering making a donation to your project.
As your fiscal sponsor, Women Make Movies acts a non-profit tax-exempt
umbrella organization that accepts and administers contributions
made to your project. WMM is legally responsible for the funds
received on behalf of fiscally sponsored projects and must insure
that the funds are used for charitable activities, as agreed upon
between the donor and recipient, and that the donor reporting
requirements are met and in a timely fashion. It does not mean
that we are your producers, fundraisers, or in any way connected
to the content or actual production of your project. All artistic
and proprietary rights, title, interest in and to the completed
project will belong to the Project Director and may be copyrighted
in Project Director's name.
Fiscal sponsorship does not
provide grants or do research for individual project
funding. Fiscal Sponsorship with WMM is also not a guarantee of Distribution. If your project fits our mission (specifically, it is about women or women’s issues), you may certainly submit your film for Distribution consideration at the appropriate time. For further information, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.
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Eligibility Requirements
Projects are accepted into the Fiscal Sponsorship program only
after passing through a review process. In order to be eligible,
you must meet the following requirements:
- Your project must be a non-commercial film, video or multimedia
project.
- The project director must be a woman.
- You must be a U.S. citizen, have a Social Security or Federal
ID number.
The project proposal should reflect your ability to develop
a quality project proposal and your expertise in identifying
funding sources. Although your film may be on any topic, the
film must not reflect values that are racist or sexist.
If your project is eligible, you will need to submit an application
package by one of our quarterly deadlines. Details of what you
need to include in your application package can be found on
the
Fiscal Sponsorship Application.
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Types of Fiscal
Sponsorship
We offer two types of fiscal sponsorship: General and Pass-Through.
General Fiscal Sponsorship means that Women Make Movies
will serve as the exclusive fiscal sponsor for the duration
of your project. As a fiscally-sponsored filmmaker, you are
entitled to Benefits of WMM Sponsorship
(see below)
Once you are accepted into the Program, you have entered into
an on-going relationship with Women Make Movies. We will gladly
serve as the Fiscal Sponsor of your future projects, as long
as your current account is in good standing. Additionally, Sponsored
filmmakers need not wait for quarterly deadlines to submit new
project proposals.
Pass-Through Fiscal Sponsorship is appropriate if you
are in need of a fiscal sponsor for one grant from a single
funding source. In this arrangement, WMM serves as the project’s
fiscal sponsor on a one-time basis. Along with all reporting
requirements, WMM issues the Project Director a 1099 independent
contractor tax form at the end of the year for the entire amount
of the grant. It then becomes the responsibility of the Project
Director to account for the money as income and expenses for
all tax purposes. Filmmakers sponsored by WMM on a Pass-Through
basis do not receive additional Program Benefits.
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Benefits of WMM Fiscal
Sponsorship
In addition to providing an affiliation with a reputable organization
in the film/video industry, General Fiscal Sponsorship with
Women Make Movies offers the following benefits:
- Individualized Fundraising and on-going Project Consultations
- Online Resources Available through our password protected
website. Includes contact list of fundraising sources and
sample proposals, grant resource materials and production
information.
- Project Listing on Women Make Movies’ website offering
your donors the option of making online donations via our
secure server.
- Networking Opportunities with other women media makers
- Discounts with industry vendors
- Workshop Discounts
- Scheduled use of Women Make Movies’ Conference Room
- Access to in-house screening room for viewing WMM titles
and free distribution catalog
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Deadline and Notification
For general fiscal sponsorship, applications must be delivered
to our office by
6pm on the deadline date. Incomplete or late submissions will
be not accepted. Applications for general sponsorship cannot
be reviewed between deadline dates. If deadline date falls on a holiday or weekend, it will be due the next weekday.
Application Deadline Date
February 15
June 15
October 15
|
Approximate Notification Date
March 15
July 15
November 15
|
For Pass-Through fiscal sponsorship, we will review, on a case-by-case
basis, applications in-between deadline dates. You will be required
to submit to us the proposal package that you anticipate submitting
to the funder, a statement explaining your need for fiscal sponsorship
on an urgent basis and the funder’s deadline date to which you
wish to apply. Please be advised that not all requests are granted
and we need at least two weeks to make a decision. Please contact
the Production Assistance Program Administrator at fsprogram@wmm.com
or at 212/925-0606 x302.
Still have a question? Please visit our
Frequently
Asked Questions.
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