Public Media Fund

Vision Maker Media is seeking public media film and television programs that authentically represent the cultures, experiences, and perspectives of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. This grant program is designed to support the development and production of projects suitable for Public Media Television Broadcasting, including Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) digital and streaming platforms. Vision Maker Media's mission is to empower and engage Native people to share their stories, and this grant directly aligns with that mission by fostering content that promotes Native American and Alaska Native voices and narratives to a broad public audience. The foundation's strategic priority is to ensure these diverse stories reach beyond traditional public television broadcasts through effective outreach and community engagement activities, thereby broadening understanding and appreciation of Native cultures. The target beneficiaries of this grant are independent and Public Television producers, film, and digital makers who are U.S. citizens aged 21 or older and can demonstrate significant Native American involvement in their programs. The primary impact goal is to increase the visibility and understanding of Native American and Alaska Native cultures, experiences, and perspectives within public media. Expected outcomes include the creation of high-quality film and television programs that meet PBS technical specifications, are appealing to a broad audience, and are cleared for broadcast, digital, and streaming rights for a minimum of four years. The grant also aims for effective community outreach plans that demonstrate engagement through distribution ideas, social media, and website creation. The grant prioritizes proposals across three categories: Research and Development, Production, and Post-Production. Research and Development grants, ranging from $5,000 to $25,000, are for fully developing documentary, animation, or episodic programs, covering activities like script development, preliminary filming, and rights clearance. Production grants, up to $150,000, support the filming, recording, and production to complete principal photography, develop program websites, and conduct post-production. For episodic programming, a minimum of four episodes with specific broadcast run times (26:46, 56:46, or 86:46) are expected. Post-Production grants, up to $30,000, are for completing programs where principal photography is already achieved, covering editing, completion, rights clearance, and website development, with a requirement to meet PBS technical guidelines. Vision Maker Media's theory of change posits that by funding and distributing authentic Native American and Alaska Native stories, they can foster greater cultural understanding, challenge stereotypes, and promote a more inclusive public media landscape. The grant focuses on programs that hold artistic, budgetary, and editorial control by the applicants and own the copyright. Ineligible programs include commercial, industrial, promotional, or student productions, as well as those solely for theatrical release, foreign-based, or partially funded by a government entity featured in the content. This meticulous selection process ensures that funded projects genuinely serve the public media's mission and Vision Maker Media's commitment to empowering Native voices.