New findings on U.S. audience behavior highlight a path forward for funders of international public interest media
News executives have long wed themselves to the narrative that there is a lack of U.S. audience appetite for international news. But is that true?
After 3 years, MIF reconvenes film funders to discuss the state of the field, priorities for the work ahead
The Media Impact Funders team was pleased to be able to return to Park City, Utah, to attend the Sundance Film Festival this month, viewing powerful documentary films and reconnecting with film funders who have not had a chance to convene in person since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was exhilarating to […]
A call to action: Recommendations for documentary impact funders
Since 2020, Perspective Fund has been gathering current and recent grantees whose work serves as the backbone of the documentary impact field. These grantees, all focused on strengthening and innovating different aspects of the documentary impact ecosystem, participated in these gatherings not only to build community but to participate in a two-way channel of conversation […]
Member spotlight: Catapult Film Fund
With a fresh Oscar nod and a Sundance Film Festival Audience Award, 2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for Catapult Film Fund. A longtime partner and stakeholder in MIF’s efforts to convene a robust network of documentary film funders, and a member of MIF since 2022, Catapult has gained a reputation for […]
WATCH: How to leverage philanthropic capital to transform the media landscape
This members briefing was organized in partnership with New Media Ventures and co-sponsored with Philanthropy New York. All members and supporters of Media Impact Funders have the opportunity to initiate and produce issue-related programming for their peers. Learn more about member briefings. This week, experts from industry leaders New Media Ventures and Accelerate Change joined […]
Member spotlight: Heising-Simons Foundation
The Heising-Simons Foundation, a member of MIF since 2016, is a family foundation based in Los Altos and San Francisco, Calif. Awarding more than $900 million since making its first grant in 2007, the foundation focuses on five program areas—Education, Climate & Clean Energy, Human Rights, Science, and Community and Opportunity. With a history of […]
Watch JFunders 22: The annual gathering of journalism funders
The power of community was on full display last week at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, where MIF hosted JFunders22, the annual gathering of journalism funders. This network, which has not gathered in person since 2019, celebrated 20 years of journalism funders in community and connection. At the start of our two-day gathering, attendees […]
Member spotlight: Lumina Foundation
Lumina Foundation, a member of MIF since 2011, is a private foundation in Indianapolis committed to learning after high school that prepares people for informed citizenship and success in a global economy. For 14 years, Lumina has focused on ensuring that, by 2025, 60 percent of adults in the United States have college degrees or other credentials of […]
Philanthropy can help expose the truth about racial inequality in America through support of documentary films
Across America, there is a battle being fought in state houses and school boards over the future of our society, and whether we will continue to build on progress to be a diverse and inclusive nation or if we will allow ourselves to revert to being a society that discriminates on the base of race […]
Member spotlight: The Joyce Foundation
The Joyce Foundation, a member of MIF since 2016, is a Chicago-based private foundation that focuses on evidence-based public policy solutions to some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. Since 1993, Joyce has been a leader among philanthropies in supporting efforts to prevent gun violence. (Research the foundation has supported informed key provisions of the […]
The 2022 Media Impact Forum: Stories for Justice
The 2022 Media Impact Forum: Stories for Justice, held at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., showcased media and dialogue about the ways in which funders can support storytelling as a powerful lever in the fight for equal justice. Below, you’ll find recordings of each session, links to resources, and transcripts for each session […]
Listen, Learn, Connect: Cultural Organizations and Digital Strategy in the COVID-19 Era
Media Impact Funders and Grantmakers in the Arts hosted a panel discussion celebrating the release of a new report commissioned by the Wyncote Foundation looking at pandemic-era shifts to digital programming among arts and cultural organizations. The virtual conversation provided a chance to hear from three leaders expanding their work in the digital realm. Listen, […]