FLEDGLING FUND ANNOUNCES CALL FOR PROPOSALS ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND HEALTH
As part of our Special Fund for Rapid Story Deployment, we are seeking proposals for short-form, nonfiction, visual stories that focus on the link between climate change and health. Climate change is an urgent issue with far-reaching impacts. And, while public awareness about climate change has increased, there is a need to do more to highlight the link between climate change and health, particularly the health impacts on already vulnerable populations.
Strong stories can help keep this issue at the forefront of the public conversation as critical decisions are being made by policymakers, businesses and communities about how to best protect against and mitigate climate change and its impacts. To that end, we are looking for projects that share information or provide a new perspective on the intersection of climate change and health, are journalistic in nature, and have a unique power to inspire, educate and mobilize diverse and sometimes overlooked audiences. Priority will be given to projects that have plans to distribute the work in ways that deepen awareness and engagement.
We will award 3 -5 grants that range from $5K to $10K. Projects will be reviewed and selected by The Fledgling Fund with input and advice from an interdisciplinary advisory board that includes expertise in documentary film, climate change and health, journalism and social change. Advisory board members include: Jade Begay (Filmmaker and Media Strategist), Will Jenkins (Communications Strategist), Anna Lee (Co-Director, Working Films), and David Sassoon (Founder and Publisher, InsideClimate News).
We are open to funding at all stages (production, post-production, distribution and outreach) but will give priority to projects that are well positioned to make an impact quickly. All applications should be submitted through our online system and are due by September 11th at 5pmEST. The online application can be accessed here.
Grant decisions will be made in early October and awards will be announced at the Double Exposure: Investigative Film Festival and Symposium in October 2017. Grantees will be invited to attend the festival and have an opportunity to share their goals and plans with one another and with other key stakeholders.
WHAT WE CONSIDER
- THE STORY We are looking for short-form (typically less than ten minutes), non-fiction, compelling, authentic, and timely stories that are journalistic in nature and highlight the link between climate change and health. Projects should have unique power to inspire, educate and mobilize diverse and sometimes overlooked audiences.
- ISSUE AREA We are interested in those projects that highlight the immediate and long-term health impacts of our changing climate. Climate change is an urgent issue and the health effects on individual and communities are wide ranging including increases in diseases related to poorer air and water quality, a greater number of heat related illnesses and deaths, increases in and changing patterns of vector-borne diseases, just to name a few. Many have not thought about or recognized these impacts. Successful projects will have the potential to engage audiences around climate change through the lens of public health.
- AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT AND DISTRIBUTION We are seeking projects that can be quickly deployed and are looking for thoughtful, ambitious and achievable ideas about using the content. Having nonprofit or other partnerships in place, unique plans to build viewership and timely calls to action will help a project stand out.
- BUDGET AND TIMELINE We are open to funding at all stages (production, post-production, distribution and outreach). We will give priority to projects that can be completed and distributed quickly within 6 months and can be deployed to influence the political and social conversation around climate change and the need for action. We will consider the overall budget and prioritize projects where our funding can play a key role in getting the project to the finish line.
- TEAM We will prioritize projects led by experienced teams with a track record of producing high-quality documentary films and other media and who are capable of repurposing existing footage and/or producing new material to be completed and distributed quickly. Collaborative projects that involve filmmakers and nonprofit partners are encouraged.
- ELIGIBILITY We welcome applications from individual filmmakers, media makers and/or from nonprofit organizations working in partnership with media makers. Student projects are not eligible. Before receiving a grant, all applicants must have a 501c3 fiscal sponsor based in the United States. This does NOT need to be in place for you to submit the application, but it must be in place for the funds to be disbursed.