Thank you for your interest in Southern Documentary Fund's Fiscal Sponsorship Program. Please be sure to review eligibility requirements and review criteria prior to submitting your application. A non-refundable application fee of $45 is required at the time of submission. We will be unable to review your application if the fee has not been received. There is also a $65 Membership fee. If accepted, you have 14 days to complete the required paperwork associated with fiscal sponsorship. Membership is for the calendar year and must be renewed each January. We will review your application and contact you with a decision within 14 days of receiving your proposal. Please note that, due to our annual Convening, application processing time will be longer in May and June.
Eligibility requirements:
- Project Director is based in the American South and/or telling stories about or related to the American South. SDF currently serves the following Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
- Proposal is for a documentary media project. This includes: short & feature film, television, docu-series, web-series, podcast, photography, experimental and immersive media.
- Project falls within the scope of SDF's mission and values. The Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) is a nonprofit that supports documentary media made in or about the South and prioritizes underrepresented voices, particularly those with long connections to the region, in order to empower Southern creators to tell their own stories. Through our sponsored projects, we aim to bring injustice to light and reveal truths, large and small, about the world around us. To learn more about our mission and values, please visit our website.
NOTE: If your project has special circumstances regarding eligibility, please feel free to reach out to our Artistic Director: chris@southerndocumentaryfund.org Review Criteria:
- Subject matter of project is relevant to the mission of SDF.
- Primary team members have a strong connection to the story.
- Proposal is well-researched and clearly presented.
- Project has a feasible budget and fundraising plan.
- Project Director and collaborators posses the skills necessary to successfully complete the project.
- The applicant shows an understanding of their intended audience and how to reach them.
For more information regarding Fiscal Sponsorship, please visit: southerndocumentaryfund.org/programs/fiscal-sponsorship
As a fiscally sponsored project of SDF you are entitled to make one disbursement request per month. Those funds will be disbursed electronically to your account within 14 days of this request. In order to disburse funds, you must have submitted a W9 and completed your bill.com account.
Please prepare a report of anticipated expenses and/or expenses paid.
Anticipated Expenses – submit an outline of what disbursed funds will be used for.
Expenses Paid – submit documentation for funds spent for which you are requesting a disbursement for.
NOTE:
- We do not pay vendors directly.
- You are responsible for maintaining good bookkeeping for all project expenses. You must retain all invoices, receipts, and other financial records for auditing purposes and make those items available to SDF upon request.
If you have any questions, please email: fiscal@southerndocumentaryfund.org
Southern Documentary Fund (SDF) cultivates documentaries made in or about the American South. This grant is for Southern makers of documentary film projects in production. Grants are awarded for $15,000 each to seven projects. The grant opens on July 13, 2026 at 12:00am EST and closes on August 14, 2026 at 11:59pm EST. This grant is made possible thanks to the generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. McArthur Foundation, JustFilms | Ford Foundation and Wyncote Foundation.
ACCESSIBILITY: We understand that Submittable may not be accessible for all applicants. If you require assistance applying, or an alternative method (i.e. video or audio application), please contact us at info@southerndocumentaryfund.org.
WHAT WE FUND: This program is for Southern makers. We will fund:
- Nonfiction documentary films (shorts, features, docuseries, and experimental).
- The story must be in one of the following Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
- Projects must be in production. Proposals for research, development, post-production, distribution or engagement/impact funding are not eligible to apply for this grant.
We seek to bring visibility to Southern makers and communities who are oftentimes overlooked. We will award up to seven makers with grants of $15,000 each to assist them in production.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY: Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for our grant:
- Project Directors should reside or have deep roots in one of the following Southern states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia.
- This grant prioritizes stories made in or about the American South.
- Applicants must have a U.S. social security number or U.S. federal tax ID number.
- Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
- Applicants must not be enrolled in a film school and/or seeking funds for a student project.
If your project has special circumstances regarding eligibility, please feel free to reach out to our Artistic Director: chris@southerndocumentaryfund.org.
INELIGIBLE PROJECTS: The following projects are ineligible for funding and will NOT be considered:
- The applicant and project do not meet the above listed eligibility requirements.
- Non-documentary film projects.
- Projects that meet our criteria, but have an incomplete application and/or are missing support materials.
- Projects submitted after the submission deadline.
- Projects that have already received production funds from SDF.
SELECTION CRITERIA: Projects will be chosen based upon the following:
- Project falls within the scope of SDF's mission and values.
- Primary team members have a strong connection to the story.
- Proposal is well-researched and clearly presented.
- Project has a feasible budget and fundraising plan.
- Project Director and collaborators possess the skills necessary to successfully complete the project.
- The applicant shows an understanding of their intended audience and how to reach them.
- A completed application and all requested documents.
- A fulfillment of eligibility requirements.
Information sessions will take place on Monday, July 20, 1pm EST and Monday, August 10, 1pm EST. You will need to complete Zoom registration.
For questions regarding the application process, email: chris@southerndocumentaryfund.org