California Humanities is pleased to offer CDP NextGen, a funding opportunity through the California Documentary Project grant program in support of California’s next generation of documentary mediamakers age 18 and under.
Donor Name: California Humanities
State: California
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 03/01/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $15,000
Grant Duration: 1 year
Details:
CDP NextGen invites applications from California-based nonprofit organizations and public agencies, including schools and libraries, with established track records in youth media programming to provide training and support to emerging media makers in the creation of short, insightful nonfiction films and/or podcasts that tell original stories about life in California today.
CDP NextGen seeks compelling and accessible projects that reflect a broad cross-section of young Californians’ stories, bring new and previously unheard perspectives to light, and help to reveal the breadth and range of California’s cultures, peoples and histories.
Program Purpose
If California is at times seen as an indicator of where the United States is headed, then the state’s 9 million young people under the age of 18 will play an increasingly significant role in shaping who they are and the issues that they care about both regionally and nationally in coming years. CDP NextGen is designed to nurture California’s next generation of documentary media makers and help bring a broad range of young Californians’ perspectives to bear on the subjects and issues that both divide and unite us. CDP NextGen intends to support short documentary films or podcasts that shed light on not only the problems they face, but also on the solutions that youth are proposing and the futures they envision.
The focus of proposed projects may take many forms, though all should address subjects and issues relevant to the lives and experiences of young people in California today and should emerge from the interests, cares, concerns and inquiries of the participating youth mediamakers.
California Humanities is particularly interested in projects that, in addition to providing technical training in media production, actively support young Californians in thinking critically about media messages. Competitive proposals will also encourage reflection and deepened understanding of subjects and issues relevant to participants’ lives and communities.
Funding Information
- CDP NextGen Grants: up to $15,000
- The maximum grant period is one year (April 16, 2023 to April 15, 2024), though school-based projects may request an extension to align with academic calendars
Eligibility Criteria
- Only California-based non-profit organizations with tax-exempt status or state/municipal public agencies such as arts councils, schools, universities, tribal governments, or libraries may apply for the CDP NextGen grant. Individuals and organizations lacking tax exempt status may not apply directly for funding but can apply under the auspices of a fiscal sponsor. Eligible applicant organizations and project directors must:
- Be in good standing with California Humanities (e.g., without unfulfilled reporting requirements), if a previous grant recipient.
- Not have an open grant or application under consideration or submit more than one application per California Humanities deadline, unless acting as a California Humanities-approved, multi- application fiscal sponsor or a college, university, public library system, or arts council.
Project Requirements
All CDP NextGen projects should:
- Provide training and support to emerging media makers age 18 and under in the development and production of short nonfiction films and/or podcasts from concept to final edit
- Focus on subjects and issues chosen by participants as relevant and meaningful to their own lives and communities
- Involve an experienced media maker or media instructor as the project lead
- Actively involve at least one humanities advisor as an integral member of the project team
- Approach subject matter from a perspective informed by the humanities
- Hold a public community presentation of the produced projects designed to engage audiences in dialogue and discussion. Virtual and socially distanced events are eligible and currently encouraged in accordance with CDC and state guidelines.
- Seek additional exhibition and distribution opportunities where available.
For more information, visit California Humanities.
