The following offers general fundraising resources and information on the fundraising options available with non-profit status as a fiscally sponsored project of Women Make Movies—from foundation grants to individual charitable donations.

Proposal Guidelines
Types of Donations
Recommended Reading
Email Newsletters
IRS Form 990
Letter of Inquiry
Budgets
Funder Reports
Alternative Fundraising
Individual Donor Appeals

Proposal Guidelines
The Proposal Guidelines below outline the key elements to include in your proposal and ways to reformat or strengthen your current proposal. Keep in mind these ten points that Debra Zimmerman and Michelle Materre put together:

1. Get to the point. Make sure that your proposal is as brief and pithy as possible.
2. Make sure that your project is well thought out.
3. Make sure that your project is accurate, and that you can actually accomplish what you claim.
4. Spell out how your project breaks new ground, contributes to the field, and compares to other similar projects.
5. Be accountable. Documentation and evaluation are important to include.
6. Describe your intended audience as specifically as possible. Don't make sweeping generalizations.
7. Make sure that your project description is engaging, realistic and well written.
8. Make sure that you include a list of advisors or individuals or organizations that you have contact with and who are interested in your project.
9. Make sure to include a realistic timeline and production schedule. Remember, fundraising takes a long time.
10. Remember that funders are not all alike. You will more than likely have to tailor your proposal in one way or another for each application that you submit.

When soliciting funds from foundations with a specific mission convince them that by assisting your film/video they are increasing the awareness of their foundation's mission. In this scenario, it is crucial to include a detailed marketing and distribution plan that will ultimately promote the mission of your funder.

If you are a first-time filmmaker, bring appropriate consultants, experienced personnel or create an advisory board since funders may not be familiar with you. This way they might feel more comfortable donating money to reputable people they know or who have an accomplished filmmaking history.

The Do's

1. Research, research, research! Make sure that you're targeting the right donors.
2. Be as specific and succinct as possible in your proposal or letter of inquiry.
3. Be persistent. If you get rejected once, try, try again
4. Check your spelling and grammar and include all requested details.
5. Have an objective bystander read your proposal when it's completed.
6. Research and create a realistic budget.
7. Think outside the box. Brainstorm creative, new ways of raising money.

The Dont's

1. Don't assume readers know anything about filmmaking.
2. Don't submit your proposal before it's time. Make sure it's as complete as possible.
3. Don't overstate or understate your abilities and/or experiences.
4. Don't forget to include an engaging, creative visual treatment.
5. Don't forget to include what makes your project unique and why it's important to make.
6. Don't neglect to include your staff and crew.
7. Don’t even think about submitting a sloppy, handwritten proposal!

 
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Types of Donations

Once you have a clear fundraising plan and concise proposal, be creative when thinking about what types of support you are requesting. While cash donations are necessary, consider the following alternatives using your fiscal sponsorship status:

Donations of Stock/Bonds/Mutual Funds:
Gifts of stocks or bonds can be given to your project. Your donor's local broker, or legal expert, can help your donor conduct this simple transaction. Once the stock or bond is transferred to us, our broker immediately sells them and you receive the amount the stock is valued at when sold.

Matching Funds:
Thousands of companies, both small and large, have Matching Gift Programs that double or even triple individual, tax-deductible donations made by employees to eligible non-profit organizations. These programs are an easy way to maximize the benefit of your donor's generous donation. Be sure to ask if your donor's employer has a Matching Gift Program. Usually, the donor will need to fill out a form supplied by their employer and submit it with their check to you. We will then confirm the donation, sign the form and send it directly to their employer for the matching funds.

In-Kind Donations:
In-kind personnel donations made by any professional crew, cast members, caterers, editors and so forth who are donating their services without being fully compensated for their time are all in-kind donations. They might be willing to take a reduced salary or hourly rate, if you tell them we can provide a letter of acknowledgement for tax purposes for donations over $250. Another alternative is non-personnel contributions of frequent flyer miles, computer equipment, set decorations, and so forth.

We will acknowledge all in-kind donations valued over $250 for tax purposes. In order to document these donations, please use our In-Kind Donation Form.  For non-personnel contributions, the fair market value must be determined by the donor and a description of how the value was assessed must be listed on the form. If you have any questions, please contact the Program Staff at 212-925-0606 x302.

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Why Fund Media: Stories from the Field Report [http://www.fundfilm.org/for_grant/for_grant_ov.htm]
Highly recommended for anyone seeking foundation funding and who needs to make the case for funding their project. The website includes the complete report on how to fund media projects from the funders' perspective, including case studies of successful grants made to media projects. The Council on Foundations published this report to teach other foundations how to effectively fund media and is especially geared to those foundations who do not have a specific media program. On the website they also list additional fundraising information. For instance, the following advice is offered to mediamakers:

Joan Shigekawa of The Rockefeller Foundation offers this advice to makers: "I know it sounds rudimentary. Working really hard on your work sample is key. Making sure that you've really thought about having a work sample that speaks to your work and is a first-generation dub, a high-quality representation of your work." She also emphasizes having a clear project description and articulating your passion for the work.

Cynthia Gehrig of the Jerome Foundation recommends that you make sure that your budget is understandable. She also advises that makers "do really good research on the grantmakers that you're contacting. If you're going to certain foundations that have strong arts programs and have the ability to respond to you as an artist/maker, then you write your proposal from that point of view. However, there are lots and lots of foundations that would not offer the maker the opportunity to come in through the arts program and therefore the appeal has to be the content, and then media becomes simply a vibrant way of communicating information that speaks to the interests of a certain foundation."

How to Read a Budget
Media Grantseekers' Do's and Don'ts
Media Proposal Checklist

Additional Resources:

Major Components of a Proposal Package
Basic Elements of Grant Writing
Elements of a Perfect Proposal Package
General Proposal Tips
Questions to Address for a Successful Grant Proposal
Key Elements of a Film/Video Treatment
Key Elements of a Proposal Narrative

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Email Newsletters
Along with our monthly email newsletter News You Can Use, there are a number of other emails that various organizations send out on a monthly basis which list upcoming funding deadlines. They can be an effective tool when you are trying to identify additional funding sources. We would suggest subscribing to the following email lists if you are trying to keep an eye out for additional opportunities:

Foundation Center: RFP Bulletin
[http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/info/subscribe.jhtml]
The bulletin is published every Friday afternoon. Each RFP listing provides a brief overview of a current funding opportunity offered by a foundation or other grantmaking organization. Interested applicants should read the full RFP at the grantmaker's Web site or contact the grantmaker directly for complete program guidelines and eligibility requirements before submitting a proposal to that grantmaker.

NYFA Current
[www.nyfa.org/login.asp?id=8]
Since 1992, NYFA Current (previously known as Arts Wire Current) has provided the national arts community with news and analysis of the important issues of the day. The topics covered include art news, jobs, opportunities for artists and organizations.

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IRS Form 990

Once you have your project proposal ready to send out to foundations and you've identified a few funders that you think might have an interest in your project, the next step is learning their funding history. This is particularly important for foundations without a formal application or for those who don't clearly articulate the types of projects they fund or what size grants they award. (For the consistent supporters of film and video projects fiscally sponsored by Women Make Movies, see the Funder Information section.

If you can't find their funding history on their website, either through their annual reports, press releases or list of recently supported films you will need to do your own research. By looking at a foundation's IRS Form 990, you can find out the following useful information:

• The mailing address, staff and board members of the foundation.
• How much income the foundation receives yearly and its net assets.
• What kinds of projects they fund and how much they award yearly.

Afterwards, you'll have a better idea what types of projects they fund and what size grant to request. A particular foundation's most recent Form 990 can be downloaded at either the Foundation Center or through Guidestar by searching for the foundation name. Typically, the list of grants is at the very end of the form. Extremely detailed information on how to read Form 990 can be found below.

How to Read the Form 990

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Letter of Inquiry

A Letter of Inquiry is designed to pitch your project to your potential funders in just a few brief pages so they can decide if they wish to see a full proposal. A letter of inquiry can also be a useful way to get feedback on your project before a formal submission, if a formal application and guidelines are not provided by a funder.

Major Components in a Letter of Inquiry
Letter of Inquiry Template
The Funding Exchange Letter of Inquiry Guidelines
 

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Budgets

Below are examples of how to determine your budget, blank budget forms, and samples of budgets of all sizes. However, keep in mind the only way to put together a budget is to do your own research! A budget should act as a roadmap for your project and is highly individualized. Taking the time at the beginning of your project to prepare an accurate budget saves you time and money in the long haul. Finally, don't use these prices as industry standards. Some of these budgets can be up to ten years old, so pick up the phone and start calling around for quotes. Who knows what discounts you can negotiate?

How to Determine Your Budget
How Do I Find Standard Rates of Pay for?

Small Samples 100-150K
Small Sample 1
Small Sample 2

Moderate Samples 250-500K
Moderate Sample 1
Moderate Sample 2

Large Samples 500K and over
Large Sample 1

Distribution Costs Budget Sample
Distribution Cost Sample 1

Additional Budget Forms and Samples
Cost Report Sample
Blank Budget Form 1