Frequently Asked Questions

If you are interested in applying for a Fledgling Fund grant, please read through the following frequently asked questions:

I am based outside of the United States.  Am I allowed to apply?
Yes.  The Fledgling Fund welcomes applicants and projects based outside of the United States if the projects fits our application criteria.  However, before receiving a grant, applicants must have a United States-based fiscal sponsor.
  
Do I need to have my fiscal sponsor secured before submitting a letter of inquiry?
No.  However, if you do not have a United States-based fiscal sponsor secured before applying to The Fledgling Fund, you may want to think about beginning the process so that you are prepared should The Fledgling Fund offer a grant to your project.

Can I submit a letter of inquiry for more than one project in a single round?
Yes.  If you are involved with more than one project that fits The Fledgling Fund's guidelines, you are welcome to submit a separate letter of inquiry for each.

What is The Fledgling Fund's average grant size?
Typically, The Fledgling Fund's grant size ranges from $10,000 - $35,000.

Does The Fledgling Fund support narrative films?
The Fledgling Fund focuses the majority of its resources on outreach and audience engagement for documentary films that have the potential to lead to social change.  While we have not funded narrative projects in the past, we are open to considering support for them if they have strong social change potential.   
 
I am unsure if my project is a good fit for The Fledgling Fund.  Can I schedule a phone call with a Fledgling Fund staff member to discuss?
The letter of inquiry is the process we use to assess whether a project is a good fit.  Given the number of applicants in each round, it is difficult to schedule phone conversations with potential applicants.  We recommend that you read our guidelines for more information.  If you are unsure whether your project is a good fit or not, please submit a letter of inquiry so that our staff can review the project.  The letter is brief but provides an opportunity to share the project's overall goals, a short project summary and other key information that allows us to determine whether a full application for funding makes sense.

The Fledgling Fund online letter of inquiry is not available right now.  Could The Fledgling Fund send me the questions so I can prepare for when it is available online?
Please wait until the letter of inquiry is available online.  We often make changes to the letter of inquiry between cycles so do not send out the questions to prospective applicants before the letter becomes available online.