Fundraising
Consulting for grants, fundraising trailers, decks, and crowdfunding campaigns.
New Doc Editing now offers editorial help to create dynamic fundraising tools.
For traditional film grants, we help filmmakers refine boilerplate essentials used in the Documentary Core Application. Developed by the Sundance Institute and IDA, this core proposal is the basis for many funding applications, such as the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, the Catapult Film Fund, and Chicken & Egg Accelerator Lab.
Our fee is $275/hour with a four hour ($1100) minimum. Pre-payment is required. You must already have a draft of the proposal.
We can also edit a dynamic fundraising trailer or longer Sample Reel. Check out our Editing Services. At the bottom of the page you will find my 90-minute webinar on ways to use these different length cuts to generate film income from non-traditional funders.
We can help with the editorial aspects of your proposal, such as:
- - Log line: Writing a catchy log line takes precision, experience and wit.
- - Narrative Synopsis: We’ll help you paint a vivid description of your film’s characters and narrative arc.
- - Topic Summary: Grantors want to know why people should watch your film. What ideas are you adding to the conversation that haven’t been treated in a previous documentary? Why is your topic timely today?
- - Artistic Approach (not required by ITVS): Let us help you express the signature look and sound of your film, as well as suggest creative ways to approach your subject that arrest grantors’ attention.
- - Filmmaking Practice: Some funders such as ITVS want to know why you are the best filmmakers for this topic. Includes access and ethics.
- - Audience description: Proposals for US public television require a description of your target audience, and, if applicable, a compelling argument as to how your project addresses the needs of underserved audiences.
“We hired Karen Everett as a story consultant for our documentary. Her insight and guidance helped refine our film into a more compelling character-driven story, which helped us receive a $50,000 grant from the California Council of Humanities!”
Karen is a master of story structure. She helped me translate amorphous ideas into specific plot points for my grant proposal. Her staff-writer offered brought a sense of dramatic tension and urgency to my writing. I would definitely work with the two of them again.
After a myriad of 'Thank you for applying, but…' rejection letters I accepted Karen's help with the ITVS proposal. While the proverbial jury is still out, her writer was able to glean from my notes exactly what my film is about and translate that into a grant proposal. If you’ve reached your frustration boiling point in grant writing, give Karen a call. I don’t think you’ll regret it.