Institutional Grants - Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Grant Name: Institutional Grants

Funding Organization: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Grant Cycle: October – December 15, 2011

Address:

Institutional Grants Program
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
1313 Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(310) 247-3031

Email: grants@oscars.org

Website: http://www.oscars.org/education-outreach/grants/institutional/index.html

How to Apply: Application Form is online

Application Template: In addition to the application form which must be filled-in on the Academy's website, a completed application packet will include the following:

1. Proposal – no longer than two pages.

Request statement – A single sentence describing the proposed project and the grant amount requested. (This statement should also appear on the application form.)

Proposal paragraphs – Should outline the program for which support is requested. While you are limited to two pages, the proposal should provide as much detail as possible. You should be specific as to what portion of the program would be funded by the Academy grant. You may present alternatives here, giving the committee an opportunity to select from among several possibilities.

Some details that should be included in the proposal paragraphs (as applicable):

• How much money are you requesting?
• How many people do you expect to attend/participate in the program?
• Is there a selection process for participants? If so, what is it?
• What topics or subjects will be covered by the program?
• Is this a recurring program or a first-time program? (If it’s recurring, describe the level of success achieved in previous years.)
• How many times will the program be repeated? (Is it a one-time program or will there be multiple programs over the course of a year?)
• What is the time frame for the program? (Two hours, a whole day, a weekend, a week?)
• Will filmmakers/professionals be involved? If so, who are they? (If you aren’t sure, tell us whom you hope to have involved or list those you’ve involved in the past.)
• What’s the length of stay for the filmmakers/professionals?
1. Organization Information – No longer than three pages.

Mission statement – One or several paragraphs broadly describing the goals of the organization as well as delineating how the proposed program serves or expands those goals.

Description of the organization – One or more paragraphs describing your organization and its history.  Please include a brief outline of the yearly film-related activities of the organization.

Executive profiles – Brief profiles of all the primary executives of the organization as well as any staff who will have a direct impact on the program being proposed for funding.

3. Acknowledgment Page – No longer than a page; a paragraph or list at the end of the proposal could suffice.

A brief description of the manner in which the Academy's grant will be acknowledged by the organization.

4. Budget – No longer than three pages.

This should include an overall budget for the organization as well as a budget for the proposed program to be supported, with a simple breakdown of anticipated costs.

5. Proof of the organization’s nonprofit status

All applying organizations must be non-profit. Fiscal sponsors may be acceptable for organizations not based in the U.S., but proof of the organizations non-profit status in its country of origin still must be provided.

AND (for those who received Institutional Grants funds the previous year)...

6. Report – No more than two pages.

Please see Final Report Guidelines for more information.

Background: The Institutional Grants Program assists in fostering educational activities between the public and the film industry while encouraging the appreciation of motion pictures as both an art form and a vocation.

In 2010 the program distributed $500,000 to a record 73 film-related nonprofit organizations, including universities, museums and career development programs.

Grants awarded by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences reflect fundamental goals of the Academy – to advance the art and science of motion pictures and to foster cooperation among the creative leaders of the motion picture industry for cultural, educational and technical progress.  The Academy Grants Committee considers all applications that represent programs that foster appreciation and excellence in filmmaking, within the following guidelines:

1. Grants are not awarded to cover the expenses of producing a film or films.
2. Grants are not awarded to support activities related to the completion of a doctoral dissertation or other academic advancement.
3. Grants are not awarded to commercial institutions or organizations, or to individuals pursuing activities related to their employment by profit-making organizations.
4. Grants are not awarded to film festivals. The Academy has a separate Festival Grants Program.
5. Grants are not awarded for internship programs. The Academy has a separate Internship Grants Program.
6. Grants are not awarded for support of administrative, equipment or overhead expenses.
7. Grants are not awarded to cover the expenses involved in television research and projects.
8. All grants are awarded with the understanding that the Academy has discretion over the type and degree of recognition it receives from the recipient of such grants or others.
9. Institutions or organizations may not receive a grant for more than three consecutive years.
10. The Academy reserves the right to amend the above policy guidelines to fit extenuating circumstances or other unusual situations.

Acknowledgment Guidelines: If there is an appropriate venue for an acknowledgment of the Academy’s financial support of your program, the Academy requires the acknowledgment be made.

Additionally, as the Academy places specific restrictions on the use and representation of its name and marks, the Academy must approve in advance any mention or representation of “Academy Foundation”, “Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences”, or the grant itself.

As appropriate, please provide the following:

• prominent acknowledgment on material printed for a sponsored program;
• mention in press releases regarding sponsored programs;
• mention on Web site, with a link to the Academy’s Web site;
• prominent acknowledgment on any trailer or on-screen slide produced specifically for a sponsored screening program;
• opportunity to run an Academy-produced trailer at a screening program.

In lieu of or in addition to the placement of an Academy logo, the following acknowledgment line may be used:

Special support provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Please note: If the Academy grant is supporting a production training workshop, films produced in that workshop should not be connected to the Academy in any way. No acknowledgment of the Academy grant should be placed in any individual films or in materials connected to those films.

Applicants can only apply to the Insitutional Grants program for a program or project that falls within one of the following funding focuses.

Screening Programs – eligible screening programs must be primarily focused on documentary films, films directed by women and people of color, and/or international films. 

Visiting Artist Programs – funding will be focused on programs seeking to invite artist from the following crafts: directing, cinematography, editing, screenwriting and visual effects.

Filmmaker Education – Focused on programs where filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike are learning about the art and craft of film production.  These programs include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Craft Workshops and Conferences, in which college students and/or adults are trained in one or more of the various craft fields of film production (e.g., directing, cinematography, screenwriting, editing, production design, etc.).
• Seminar Programs, in which film professionals discuss their work and/or particular aspects of the creation and distribution of films.
• Training/Bridge Programs, in which college students and/or adults are trained for and then placed in film industry jobs.  This includes mentoring programs.

Access – Focused on programs and projects that increase access to films, filmmakers and film history, with an emphasis on digital access, outreach and low-cost admissions.  Requests under this category should be focused excusively on the access element of the program or project.

Please note: All applying organizations/institutions must be nonprofit. Grants are not awarded to individuals or to for-profit companies or organizations.

With few exceptions, the Institutional Grants Committee will not fund the following:

• The development or production of films (under no circumstances).
• Film festivals or programs taking place within a film festival (under no circumstances).
• The preservation of individual films.
• Programs directed at teens and children, 18 years old and younger.
• Programs that focus primarily on social issues.
• Programs teaching media literacy that do not focus primarily on film.
• Programs focusing on any aspect of television.
• Administration, overhead and permanent staffing costs.
• Equipment purchases.
• Capital campaigns.

Recipient Information: A final report is required for all organizations that receive a grant. If the program that is being funded is not completed by December 1 of the grant year and you wish to re-apply for funding, an interim report is also required. Final reports are due after the program has been completed; interim reports are due on the same date that new proposals are due – for the 2012-2013 cycle that will be December 15, 2011.

The report itself should be one to two pages in length.  The budget breakdown can be submitted as a separate page.

When composing your report, please use the following template.  (For interim reports, cover only as much as is relevant to that point.  Then discuss what is known about the remainder of the program.)

1. Identify the program and how much funding was received.  Describe the program and its components, and specify how the Academy funds were used.
2. Was the program well received?  What effect(s) did it have on the participants?  How many people participated or attended?
3. How did the grant impact the program?
4. Are there any improvements you’d like to make to the program?
5. Describe how the Academy was acknowledged.
6. Include a final budget breakdown for the program.
7. Include copies of any program literature and other materials in which the Academy’s logo or “special support” statement appear.
8. Include a sampling of any photos taken of the funded program, or in which the Academy’s name or logo appears.  Photos that include the name of your organization or the name of the funded program are especially welcome as we often try to use some photos on the Academy’s website to highlight programs we’ve supported.