Funding
Grants & Sponsorship for Filmmakers
Grants and sponsorship are the funding sources most independent filmmakers overlook — and they can be transformative, because grant money is money you don't have to pay back. This course covers where to find grants, how to write a winning proposal, fiscal sponsorship, brand sponsorship, and building a real funding strategy.
What you'll learn
✓What film grants are and where to find the right ones for your film
✓How to judge eligibility and write a proposal that wins
✓How fiscal sponsorship unlocks grants and tax-deductible donations
✓How to land brand sponsorship and build a funding strategy
Pairs with this tool
Funding Strategy
Funding Strategy helps you map where your film's money will come from — grants, sponsorship, crowdfunding, and investors — and where each piece fits, so grants and sponsorship are part of a plan, not a long shot.
Open Funding Strategy →Course chapters
Module 1 — Foundations
I8 min
What film grants are and why they're money you don't repay
What Film Grants Are
II8 min
Grants vs. sponsorship vs. other funding — and how they differ
Grants vs. Sponsorship vs. Other Funding
III8 min
The main types of film grants and who gives them
Types of Film Grants
IV8 min
Where to find grants your film is actually eligible for
Where to Find Grants
Module 2 — Core Craft
V9 min
Judging eligibility and fit before you spend time applying
Are You Eligible? Fit & Focus
VI9 min
Writing a grant proposal that tells a story funders back
Writing a Grant Proposal
VII9 min
The budget and materials that complete a grant application
Budgets & Application Materials
VIII9 min
How fiscal sponsorship unlocks grants and tax-deductible gifts
Fiscal Sponsorship
Module 3 — Putting It to Work
IX8 min
Corporate and brand sponsorship — how it works for films
Corporate & Brand Sponsorship
X8 min
Building a sponsorship pitch that gives brands a reason to say yes
Building a Sponsorship Pitch
XI8 min
Follow-up, handling rejection, and reapplying smarter
After You Apply
XII9 min
Bringing grants and sponsorship into a real funding strategy
Your Funding Strategy