Fiscal Sponsorship

[SkyCopeland]

I've been looking around at International Documentary Grants and I keep seeing these Fiscal Sponsorships a lot and they are the ones I qualify for the most... Wikipedia and Google can only tell me so much though... does anyone else have experience with these with Films?

 

[Clean Slate Films]

I've been looking around at International Documentary Grants and I keep seeing these Fiscal Sponsorships a lot and they are the ones I qualify for the most... Wikipedia and Google can only tell me so much though... does anyone else have experience with these with Films?

Fiscal Sponsorship is great, but it is not money in the bank. It makes your film tax deductible for donors.

When someone "fiscally sponsors" your film, they "loan" you their tax-exempt status. You still do the work to raise money, but it is a little easier since people are more likely to give when they can claim it on their taxes.

I have a film fiscally sponsored by From the Heart Productions. I recommend them. My donors make their check payable to them. When they get the check they take a small percentage for administering the donation, and then send me a check for the balance within a matter of days. I can spend it however I need to for the film. (But keep track of the money. They require a detailed list of where the money went at the end of each year.)

Watch out, though. Make sure that the company you deal with isn't taking a huge percentage off the top for themselves.