ASSISTANCE & SERVICES OFFERED
Environmental Media Fund has ceased operations and is no longer accepting applications for assistance.
It has been our privilege to serve the film making community for the past 12 years.
ASSISTANCE TO DONORS & INVESTORS: Environmental Media Fund provides Donor Advised Funds and Donor & Investor Advisory Services.
We select and present only those projects that have the greatest chance of succeeding on all levels. We offer professional due diligence to vet projects and monitor their progress, saving donors and socially conscious investors time and money and offering a level of professional oversight otherwise unavailable.
ASSISTANCE TO FILMMAKERS: Environmental Media Fund (EMF) sponsors filmmaking about environmental, human health, social justice and other issues of significant public interest. EMF assists with project development, proposal writing, budgeting, obtaining funding commitments, monitoring production and project completion, and, as needed, assists with distribution and the rights management. EMF works to match project proposals with the interests of funding sources and distributors on a project by project basis.
EMF may act as an executive producer to assist in project management, marketing, developing funding strategies and negotiating distribution commitments on a case by case basis. Environmental Media Fund only supports projects that evidence the highest professional quality and journalistic integrity, and have the greatest potential for broad-based distribution. Please see Project Grants: Project Selection Criteria for further information.
Story & Script Development Consulting: Everything starts with great storytelling. EMF offers documentary and independent feature filmmakers a full range of story and script development services. EMF's principals have decades of experience developing projects for all distribution venues and a track record of success identifying the elements of a great story. Contact Us for a free consultation.
FISCAL SPONSORSHIP: EMF provides a full range of fiscal sponsorship services for filmmakers and project producers.
Fiscal Sponsorship is when a nonprofit organization / foundation (usually one registered as a 501(c)(3) with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service) agrees to "sponsor" the activities of an individual, for-profit organization or corporation, foreign nonprofit, or any other type of organization, association, or group. Fiscal sponsorship allows donations to the sponsored individual or organization to be tax deductible. Fiscal sponsorship is often used by existing nonprofits to further their charitable or philanthropic public benefit purposes, or to incubate new nonprofit initiatives without the cost and time burden of registering a new nonprofit.
EMF's Fiscal Sponsorship Program:
EMF offers fiscal sponsorship to qualified not-for-profit organizations, for profit organization projects, partnerships and individual projects in order to advance the EMF's tax exempt purposes. Under a fiscal sponsorship arrangement EMF enters into a “pre-approved grant relationship” with an entity that is not a public charity in its own right. Donations to sponsored entities are then tax deductible.
By providing fiscal sponsorship services to these efforts, EMF helps in several ways. When sponsored by EMF, initiatives and projects that are start-ups or of limited duration can benefit from eliminating the costs of establishing and then dismantling independent corporate status and accompanying administrative functions. These entities also benefit from EMF’s ongoing involvement in the film and media community, and its expertise and the experience of its personnel. Independent efforts responding to unforeseeable crises and urgent situations can be located at EMF, supporting immediate commencement of a responsive project and receipt of charitable donations, without waiting for the completion of legal formation documents.
EMF’s general obligations as a fiscal sponsor of projects might include receiving funds, accounting for funds, reviewing or completing reports, disbursing funds, and contracting for any required services. EMF may also become the legal employer of staff if the level of support necessary for a project so requires. EMF charges sponsored projects for the cost of internal administration and management, through a reasonable administrative fee.
Guidelines:
The following guidelines will govern proposed sponsorship activities:
Eligibility: EMF will sponsor only to the following recipients:
- Organizations exempt from federal income tax under Sections 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(1), (2), or (3) of the Internal Revenue Code;
- Other corporate projects or organization organization projects engaged in activities, projects or initiatives that are exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes, as defined by the Code, who are selected on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, sex, religion, or national origin, and whose principals and officers are not related by blood or marriage to any officer or director of the EMF, with the EMF retaining discretion and control within the meaning of Rev. Rul. 68 489;
- Individuals or Partnerships engaged in activities, projects or initiatives that are exclusively for charitable, scientific, or educational purposes, as defined by the Code, who are selected on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, sex, religion, or national origin, and who are not related by blood or marriage to any officer or director of the Fund, with the Fund retaining discretion and control within the meaning of Rev. Rul. 56 304;
Criteria: The Board of Directors of EMF will select projects to sponsor whose proposed activities, in the sole judgment of the Board of Directors, will further its exempt purposes.
Applicants are required to submit the same information required for technical assistance or grants.
Administration Fees: An administration fee (“Administration Fee”) will be charged to the sponsored project based on the total donations funded through this fiscal sponsorship Agreement.
- Administrative Fees on funds raised through donors solicited by the Grantee shall be assessed at 5% of the value of all funds received.
- Administrative Fees on funds raised through any donors introduced to the sponsored project by EMF (“EMF Donors”) shall be assessed at 10% of the value of all funds received.
- In all instances electronic online donations through the producer’s web site (“Donate” button), contributions of stocks, bonds or other assets (not cash), or government grants programs may require charges of additional processing fees.
ASSISTANCE TO EDUCATORS: Environmental Media Fund works with educators in collaboration with media producers and curriculum planners to identify opportunities to create media-based teaching tools. We often see repurposing opportunities for previously produced materials that media producers have not considered. We encourage producers to form collaborative outreach partnerships with schools and educational organizations. Education outreach may include semi-theatrical distribution to colleges, universities and high schools.
ASSISTANCE TO DISTRIBUTORS: Environmental Media Fund helps distributors of documentaries and educational programming identify programs that are suitable for their target audience. Distribution venues include PBS, national and local broadcast television, cable and satellite television networks, theatrical markets, video and DVD rentals and direct sales, film festivals, semi-theatrical release, special events and the educational market, as well as high traffic internet websites for digital short films and targeted video content.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: EMF is not accepting requests for funding or fundraising assistance at this time. Requests for advisory and project development assistance are still considered.