We support organizations aligned with our core areas. We source the majority of our proposals through direct outreach and periodically, we do issue formal Requests for Proposals. We do not currently accept unsolicited grant proposals. Funding decisions are made by the board and staff throughout the year based on a variety of criteria, with the ultimate goal of advancing our strategies.

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• Jump down the page to view our financial filings, and for more information on our 2024 approach to giving, look here.
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• Partnership for Proven Programs: Arnold Ventures is working with public leaders to drive new funding for evidence-based programs and policymaking at the state and local levels. We look for partners eager to leverage research and data to identify, implement, and scale up the policies proven effective by a robust body of evidence. Together, we aim to achieve real results for American families, communities, and businesses through data-driven decision-making.

• January 30: The Whickers Film & TV Funding Award is accepting proposals for its 2026 round. Open to emerging documentary filmmakers worldwide, the award offers a main production grant of £120,000 to the winner and £25,000 to the runner-up. Shortlisted finalists will pitch their projects at Sheffield DocFest in June 2026. Apply here.
• January 30: Save Our Seas Foundation's Ocean Storytelling Film Grant is looking for early-career storytellers with fresh perspectives who can tell conservation stories about our oceans. Each winner will receive a $2,000 cash prize and a $50,000 budget to complete their film, as well as specialized mentorship and the chance to showcase their work. Learn more here.
• February 1: The Switchboard Shorts Grant is offering a $2500 cash grant to one filmmaker working on a short documentary. Alongside the grant, the filmmaker will also receive essential production services, including free music licenses, complimentary legal services, and professional color correction. Apply here.
• February 2: DokFest's all inclusive Documetnary Film Award, endowed with $5,000 awards, honors documentary film productions in which filmmakers with disabilities play a leading role. The prize is awarded for the inclusive team effort in the realization of the film. Submit here.
• February 4: Chicken & Egg Films’ 2026 Research & Development Grant, supported by Netflix, is open for applications. The Grant empowers filmmakers from around the world who have directed at least one feature-length documentary and are in the research & development stage of their next feature-length film. Apply here.
• February 12: The Sundance Institute and Adobe are teaming up to find the next 10 Sundance Institute Ignite x Adobe Fellows. Applicants will submit a one- to 15-minute short that shows their artistic vision and unique voice as a filmmaker. Fellows will receive a $5,000 grant, mentorship from a Sundance Institute alumnus, a complimentary 12-month Adobe Creative Cloud membership, and more! Submit here.
• March 1: The International Center of Photography’s Leica Scholarship aims to elevate and supports underrepresented voices in photography by providing opportunities and resources to increase their visibility and impact within the photography community. This scholarship will be awarded to one applicant of extraordinary achievement and includes tuition for the ICP’s One Year Certificate Program, an exhibition at the Leica store, and more. Apply here.
• March 1: The Alberto Contreras Scholarship from the International Center of Photography provides full tuition for the ICP’s Documentary Practice and Visual Journalism program. The Scholarship is open to Latin American Applicants currently residing in Latin America. More information here.
• Rolling: The Outrider AI + Nuclear Reporting Fund supports journalism and multimedia storytelling projects that explain the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence and nuclear weapons. Journalists may receive up to $10,000 for projects, supporting expenses such as travel, research, multimedia production, and more. Deadline is rolling, submit your project here.
• Rolling: The Pulitzer Center’s Global Reporting Grant supports in-depth, high-impact nonfiction projects that push boundaries and spotlight underreported stories. The Grant is open to journalists, filmmakers, and visual storytellers worldwide, and the typical award amount is $5,000-$10,000. Apply here.
• Rolling: The Adobe Creative Residency Community Fund provides support to creators during times of extraordinary hardship, empowering creators of all backgrounds to have access to the tools and inspiration they need. The Community Fund aims to respond to global events that directly impact the wellbeing of creators. Adobe is currently focusing their Community Fund efforts on providing support to creators who have been directly impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Learn more.
• Rolling: Panavision’s New Filmmaker Grant Program offers grants for camera equipment and post-production services. The equipment grant provides use of Panavision digital or film camera packages, while the post-production grant works with Light Iron to provide new filmmakers with access to final color and finishing services. Only available in the US. Apply here.
• Rolling: The British Council Travel Grant Fund is helping filmmakers bring their work to the global stage. Whether your short or feature is screening at an eligible festival, lab, or co-production forum, you may qualify for support. Learn more here.
• Rolling: International Women’s Media Foundation has launched the 2025 Ukraine Reporting Grant. This program supports journalists from local and regional outlets in the U.S., France, and Germany in producing in-depth projects or underreported stories from Ukraine that will resonate with their respective home communities. The IWMF will approve fifteen to twenty reporting grants (average size of $8,000). Apply here.

Winter/Spring Workshops:

• DCTV, based in downtown Manhattan, is offering 30+ hands-on workshops focused on the skills filmmakers need now, from ethical AI workflows and story structure, to grant writing, advancing camera and editing techniques, and more. Led by experienced filmmakers, each workshop emphasizes practical application, small group learning, and tools you can put to work immediately. Even better, use early bird discount code RDYTOLRN26 when booking (until Jan 20)! Find out more here.

Fellowships, Labs, and Pitches:

• January 15: The Cucalorus Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab is a weeklong residency running from April 1-7 in Wilmington, NC, designed to support social justice documentaries focused on Black storytelling. This year, Cucalorus is teaming up with the Documentary Accountability Working Group to provide filmmakers with trainings, workshops, and community engagement screenings. Apply here.
• January 19: The Latino Film Institute’s Future XR: 360 Video Lab is a 5-month immersive program designed to train storytellers in the art and technology of 360° filmmaking. Fellows will receive hands-on training in the use of 360° cameras and shooting, spatial sound, and immersive editing workshops. Learn more here.
• January 28: Sheffield DocFest’s MeetMarket is one of the world’s premier documentary pitching forums, connecting selected projects with 150+ international funders, broadcasters, distributors, and festival programmers. It welcomes feature-length or episodic documentaries at early development, production, or rough-cut stage from both new and veteran filmmakers worldwide. Read more here.
• January 30: Start your new year off right by applying to the ITVS Incubator Fund! ITVS will provide up to $10k in early-stage funding, mentorship, and creative support to strengthen storytellers’ project materials and refine their vision. Apply here.
• January 31: Are you developing a film project with a science topic and looking for a chance to meet experienced international mentors? Apply to Camp 4Science, the training and networking event for filmmakers. Taking place during AFO Festival in Olomouc, Czech Republic from April 27-May 2, the Camp gives filmmakers the opportunity to meet experienced international mentors. The best pitch wins the Sandbox Films Best Pitch Award. Apply here.
• February 1: IDFA Project Space is a talent development lab for first- or second-time documentary directors looking to develop their projects under the guidance of renowned filmmakers and industry mentors. The program runs from June to September 2026, combining online workshops with a week-long, in-person residency in Amsterdam. Submit here.
• February 1: Institute of Documentary Film and Millennium Docs Against Gravity are looking for short docs (up to 25 minutes) from Central and Eastern Europe in development for their Short Pitch Program. Seven selected filmmakers will receive online pitch training and present their projects in Warsaw to industry leaders with a chance to compete for the Silver Eye Award, which includes a year-long festival distribution service. Learn more about the opportunity here.
• February 3: The Berlin Artist-in-Residency offers selected Berlin-Brandenburg filmmakers the opportunity to gain international experience and forge industry contacts. Applicants have the opportunity to apply for residencies in Mexico, India, France, and Greece. Apply here.
• February 19: Grierson Trust, organizer of the British Documentary Awards, is seeking UK-based applicants aged 18-25 who are passionate about documentary filmmaking for the Grierson DocLab: New Entrants training program. The initiative takes place over one year and aims to equip 12 successful trainees with the skills and connections to pursue a career in documentary television in the UK. Submit here.
• March 2: CPH:DOX International Documentary Film Festival is looking for applicants for their emerging talents program, INTRO:DOX. Designed to welcome filmmakers and producers who are working on their first or second nonfiction feature and wish to attend CPH:FORUM, the program will include access to all industry activities, a discounted price for the forum, and two full days of interactive sessions providing essential tools. Apply here.
• Rolling: Submit your documentary for Educational Distribution with GOOD DOCS! If your latest doc is based on education and engaging with students about rarely heard stories then this is where your next application should be. Find out more here.
• Rolling: More to Her Story is always looking for pitches from women in journalism. They believe in solutions journalism and its power to drive real-world change. In a world where women’s rights are increasingly under threat, they champion the voices of female journalists and use their stories as catalysts to drive lasting change. Pitch here. 

Upcoming Festival Submission Deadlines:

• February 2: Jackson Wild is accepting submissions for their World Wildlife Day 2026 Film Showcase, with this year’s theme being Medicinal & Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage, and Livelihoods. It’s free to submit, and selected films will receive global recognition through educational screenings throughout 2026. Learn more here.
• February 9: Presented by the California Film Institute, DOCLANDS 10th Documentary Film Festival will take place April 30-May 3 in Marin County, CA. The Festival emphasizes new works in documentary features and shorts. Apply here.
• February 10: The American Black Film Festival is taking place from May 27-31 in Miami Beach. Submissions are now open for narrative features, documentary features, series, voices of culture, African stories (deadline Dec 31st), AI & XR storytelling showcase, and the HBO Short Film Award. Submit here.
• February 13: DC/DOX is accepting films for consideration for its fourth edition, running June 11-14 in Washington D.C. The festival accepts feature documentaries and short documentaries, and gives preference to films that have not yet premiered in Washington D.C. DC/DOX provides abundant networking opportunities and social events, as well as a series of panels, master classes, and workshops. Submit here.
• February 13: Celebrate 30 years of indie film at Rooftop Films’ Summer Series in NYC! Summer Series is open for submissions of shorts and features of all genres. Every filmmaker who submits will receive two free tickets to a Rooftop screening, and selected films will be screened throughout summer 2026. Learn more.
• February 25: If you have a short or mid-length documentary from anywhere in the world, submit it to the second edition of LimaDocs! The film festival will take place May 14-23, and keep an eye on their social media for information on prizes sponsored by partner organizations. Apply here.
• April 1: MAKEDOX aims to promote creative documentary film production in North Macedonia and support documentary storytelling in general. MAKEDOX focuses on creating a stimulating environment for the exchange of experience and knowledge of documentary creation. The Festival will be held from August 20-27 in Skopje, North Macedonia. Submit your film here.
• May 11: Points North is seeking submissions for the 22nd edition of the Camden International Film Festival, taking place in Midcoast Maine September 17-20. Submit to any of the four deadlines between now and May 11. VC members can use the code CIFF50VIDCON for 50% off their submission. Learn more here.