WHAT IS FISCAL SPONSORSHIP?

Fiscal sponsorship is the largest component of the Production Assistance Program. It’s designed for women filmmakers who are actively fundraising for their film and need 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt 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 not 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. 

 

HOW DOES IT WORK?

As your fiscal sponsor, Women Make Movies acts as 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 ensure that the funds are used for charitable activities, as agreed upon between the donor and recipient, and that the donor reporting requirements are met 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, and interest in and to the completed project will belong to the Project Director and may be copyrighted in the Project Director’s name.

Fiscal sponsorship does not provide grants or conduct 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.

 

FEES

$35 Annual Fee

WMM serves as the project’s exclusive fiscal sponsor throughout the production of the project. The amount of funds to be raised is a minimum of $50,000 (If you end up not being able to raise that amount, you are not penalized). We will sponsor the distribution and outreach life of a project provided you submit a proposal detailing your plans for this phase when you get to that point.

Administrative Fees

  • Regular Contributions: 6%
  • National Endowment for the Humanities: 7%
  • National Endowment for Arts, State Humanities Councils or other types of government grants: 7%
    • Except New York State Council of the Arts (NYSCA): 5%
  • Credit Cards: 6% regular WMM fee + 3% fee imposed by credit cards
  • When cumulative donations for a single project reach $350,000: 4%

LEARN MORE AND APPLY NOW

 

New Sponsored Projects

 

 

FAQs

 

Am I eligible for WMM’s Production Assistance Program if I’m fiscally sponsored by another organization?

No, you are not eligible for the Production Assistance Program if you are fiscally sponsored by another organization.

Does fiscal sponsorship provide grants or loans to my project?

No. Fiscal sponsorship does not award grants or provide loans to your project. (Women Make Movies does not offer any cash grants, loans, or advances to projects.) However, fiscal sponsorship does allow you to apply for funds that, as an individual, you would be ineligible to receive. In other words, fiscal sponsorship opens up available sources of funding for your project since many foundations, corporations, and government agencies can only award grants to non-profit organizations.

Is Women Make Movies a grant funding organization?

No. Women Make Movies does not award grants or other financial support.

At what stage of production can you apply for fiscal sponsorship?

You can be a part of fiscally sponsored projects in WMM’s Production Assistance Program as long as you are in pre-production, production, or post-production. Many participants have also used WMM as a sponsor for distribution grants or to accept donations to do outreach and related community engagement projects.   

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TESTIMONIAL

“I would like to thank you for all your support. I was very lucky to work with WMM and I am sure without your support I could not make this film.”

– Sahra Mosawi

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