Nan Rubin

Community Media Services
Media Funding
Organizing money is critical to organizing a movement.  This is especially important for media funding, because it is difficult to find.  These materials might be helpful in successfully winning media funding for social change.


Media Funding for Social Change




In 2003, I produced this report to examine the question of Who Funds Social Change Media?  It was commissioned by the MediaWorks Project, a group of collaborative funder, to:


§         Explore the attitudes of funders, especially social change funders, toward media in general and the projects they support in particular.

 

§         Identify the types of media projects being supported, especially by social change funders.

 

§         Ascertain if funders thought media was having an impact on other issues being funded.

 

§         Assess the degree of interest in more education and support to increase media funding.


 

The Findings


Many of the findings were expected, but some were surprising.


§         At the time, only about 700 foundations make grants in the category of media and communications -- slightly more than 1% of all foundation.

 

§         The aggregate annual media and communications giving was roughly $ 4 billion +, in a context of general foundation grants totaling more than $ 30 billion. 

 

§         There was a VERY wide range of projects funded in this category -- everything from independent film production and policy research, to scholarships and journalism programs.  

 

§         The largest proportion of funding went to public radio and television, primarily to local stations.

 

§         Many foundations also supported strategic communications, p.r. and 'messaging' for grantee groups and issues, journalism programs, and development communications.

 

§         Most funding goes to producing content.  Technology, organizing, new media and policy issues have far fewer supporters.

 

§         By and large, alternative, progressive and independent media projects were not major beneficiaries.

 

§         Many foundations are funding media as part of other program areas or embedded in larger projects.  Projects ranging from training and educational videos to community newspapers are funded this way.  Funders do not consider this to be  "funding media."

 

§         Youth funding seems especially supportive of funding media, where it is seen as part of a core organizing strategy. 

 

§         Funders are generally satisfied with the media projects they are supporting, but there is little evaluation of most media projects.  Many foundations do not know how to assess their impact or effectiveness.

 

§         Funders do not always see their media projects fitting into their own strategic funding goals. Instead, media projects are considered 'stand alone' and not tied to other program goals.

 

§         Funders do not see media activism as a coherent 'sector.'  They don't know how to recognize which are key priorities, and they don't understand how the many disparate issues on the media agenda are connected.

 

§         There are a number of collaborative efforts that advocate for more funding, from established groups like G-FEM (Grantmakers in Film and Electronic Media) to new groups focusing on technology and media policy. 


 

Conclusions

 

Based on the overall picture that emerged, the study drew the following conclusions.

 

§         Whether or not their own institution supports media projects, respondents had nearly unanimous agreement that organizing around media issues right now is critical.

 

§         Even so, foundation funding is not catching up to the rapid changes in the current media environment.  Funders don't have the 'silos' for responding to the radical changes underway.

 

§         Funders want to be educated about the issues in the broader media landscape and learn about relevant projects.  They are looking for a handle to understand the 'big picture.'

 

§         By and large, foundations are not clear about political strategies that work through media, and those that work on media. They want to understand how various approaches work and what grantee groups are trying to accomplish.

 

§         The message from funders is that media support should function as "part of an overall social change strategy."

 

§         Funders would like tools to evaluate these projects.  They want help judging the effectiveness and impact of what they are supporting.  

 

While the media landscape is having a fast-growing impact on groups engaged in social change, funders have not kept up.  In addition, they have been slow to recognize the emergence of a number of media and communications issues as being important in and of themselves, especially in a globalized, interconnected world.


Helping the foundation community understand these critical developments would go a long way towards increasing support for media-related projects and strengthening groups grappling with the larger social justice issues effected by these changes.


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Who Funds Media for Social Change?
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There are some basic rules to follow when looking for money.  These are guidelines I developed for grassroots and foundation fundraising, to fund media and other projects.  Nothing original here, all fundraisers will tell you the same things!

NAN'S RULES FOR RAISING MONEY:  

EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW

ABOUT A$KING FOR MONEY BUT WERE AFRAID TO A$K

 

1.       Don't be afraid to ask. There is no secret to getting money -- all you have to do is ASK. It is the only way to get it. You will never know what you can get until you ask, and the worst thing that can happen is someone will say "no." Ah, but what a thrill when they say "yes"!


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2.       Do your homework. Take the time to research your target foundations and individuals, so you will know what they are really interested in supporting and who their board members are.


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3.   Make your intentions clear. In person and in writing, make sure your 'ask' is clear and specific. Don't ask "for whatever you can give"... Be concrete in your request and name your amount.


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4.   "NO" doesn't always mean no. It might mean "I can't do it now," or "I have to think about it," or "come back later." Don't be afraid to ask again.


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5.   Take the time to get to know donors and foundation staff. Many people ENJOY giving money, and welcome the opportunity. They will respond if there is a personal connection. But often, individuals and foundations need cultivating and attention before they are ready to give. Sometimes, they have other commitments and may not be able to give you support yet even if they want to. Often, just knowing who you are and what your project does will help differentiate you from the rest of the pack.


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6.   Follow instructions when writing grants and fill out forms properly. If foundations and funders give you instructions for writing a proposal, DO WHAT THEY TELL YOU. There is nothing that will turn them off faster than handing in a proposal that does not follow their instructions.

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7.   If you are confused or have questions, ASK. The job of a foundation is to give away money, and the role of the staff is to help you. Foundation staff will answer questions and give you guidance, and often a phone call will leave an impression with them that will help you later on. Sometimes it is worth making up a question just so you can chat or meet with a program officer. And do call them to ask when you get a rejection, too.


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8.   The name of the game in foundations is for them to know who you are. Foundations get dozens of proposals for each one they fund, so even if you fit their guidelines perfectly, don't expect a grant just because you have sent in a proposal. Most foundations want to develop personal relations with their grantees, and need confidence in them before the first dollar is spent. There is no substitute for having them know who you are.


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9.   When writing a proposal or case statement, tell a story. You have to capture them in the first few sentences, so don't  use jargon -- be concrete to explain the basics of what, why, how, when, who.

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10. Do not assume that the person reading your proposal knows anything about your issue. You have no idea who will wind up reading your proposal, so write it for someone who knows nothing. Include as much background, context and history as necessary to make sure the reader can understand what you are proposing to do and why.

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11. Money follows money. Sometimes getting that first commitment is the hardest, because donors and foundations are generally cautious and do not like to be first. But once you have primed the pump, you will find others happy to follow.


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Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Fundrising - Handout