MPI Fiscal Sponsorship Program
MPI offers fellowships, production and promotion grants, internships, and fiscal sponsorship to budding filmmakers. Our programs are designed to provide motivated individuals with the means to work on various aspects of film creation—from the business side of networking and meeting industry insiders to the creative side involving writing, editing, and producing. MPI does not award educational loans.
MPI supports promising young filmmakers committed to protecting and sustaining a free and virtuous society. Any legal resident of the United States is welcome to submit an application. Fiscal sponsorship will be provided to those who MPI believes have the potential to make a cultural contribution to America through film and to make measurable contributions to the American film industry. We only sponsor projects that accord with the priorities enumerated in our mission statement.
The Moving Picture Institute (MPI) has four requirements for fiscal sponsorship applications. First, MPI requires that a specific one-page Proposal Data Form be provided with all applications. Second, we require an Executive Summary, as described below, to facilitate our review process. Succinct descriptions are essential; summaries should be able to stand alone. Third, proposals submitted to MPI must also provide the Supplementary Materials listed below. Finally, applicants must complete an interview with MPI staff.
I. PROPOSAL DATA FORM:
This form must provide the information exactly as specified, whether you copy this form or retype it. Proposals submitted without this form will not be considered. MPI is required to collect tax information in order to provide the grantee with an IRS form 1099-MISC when necessary.Download the Proposal Data Form.
II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This should be limited to three pages and should summarize or outline the proposed project. We recognize that this will require a good bit of forethought, but our experience suggests that the best projects tend to be those where precisely that kind of analysis and planning has been applied from the outset. The executive summary should follow the format below:- a) Synopsis: A brief statement outlining not only the goals and objectives of the project but more particularly the larger purpose and benefits of the project. What specific problem, need, or concern does this proposal address? How does this project contribute to desired sociocultural change or understanding? If successful, what impact will it have? How does this project align with MPI's mission? Who is the intended audience and how will you reach the audience? What plans do you have for distribution?
- b) Action Plan: Explain what you are going to do, how much it will cost, how you will market and distribute your project, and what you hope to accomplish. If you have or intend to approach specific individuals, foundations, or businesses for support, please list their names and amounts requested/pledged. For all projects, the action plan should include a timeline, progress benchmarks, and a detailed budget. Because only non-commercial projects are eligible for fiscal sponsorship, you should specifically address how your project fits the definition of “non-commercial"
- c) Evaluation: Explain how the completed project will be evaluated, quantitatively and/or qualitatively, for effectiveness. In your progress reports, how will you demonstrate accountability for how the money was spent, what the project accomplished, and whether the results were worthwhile? Describe the impact you want your project to have, and explain how that impact can be measured in concrete, trackable terms; within that frame, please devote some space to outlining how your project aims to influence cultures, mindsets, or behaviors
- d) Applicant: Please provide a brief description of your organization’s mission and credentials of key personnel overseeing and executing the project. How does this project relate to other projects of yours in the past, present, or foreseeable future?
III. SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS:
For applications to be considered, you must include the following:- Current and projected annual budgets for the organization and this project
- The complete resume(s) of key personnel
- A sample of your work. This may be a rough cut of the proposed project, or, if your project is still in production, a sample of your previous film work. (Online clips are preferred, but you may mail physical DVDs if necessary)
We prefer that applicants submit their materials electronically by emailing to info at thempi dot org.
If you cannot submit electronically, please mail your application to:
Rob Pfaltzgraff,
Executive Director
Moving Picture Institute
Tribeca Film Center
375 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10013
For additional information, please refer to our Fiscal Sponsorship Q&A.