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Where to get grants for your podcast

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You’re probably all too aware that corporate money is flooding into the podcast space - but it can be really difficult for independent producers to get funding for their work. So here’s a list of grants and funding opportunities for podcasts and audio projects.

💵 The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Media Projects program “supports the development, production, and distribution of radio programs, podcasts, long-form documentary films, and documentary film series that engage general audiences with humanities ideas in creative and appealing ways”. The grant is open to organisations, with a maximum award amount of $75,000 for development, and $700,000 for production.

💵 The Brooklyn Arts Council’s Brooklyn Arts Fund supports “arts and culture projects with a public, community engagement component in all disciplines and styles, in all districts, across the borough”. So if you live in Brooklyn, your podcast or audio project might be eligible. The deadline’s 17 September. 

💵 The California Documentary Project supports the R&D and production stages of film, audio and digital media projects that “seek to document California in all its complexity”. Funding is available in three categories: CDP NextGen Grants up to $15,000 (deadline 1st November); Research and Development Grants up to $10,000  (deadline 1st November); Production Grants up to $50,000 (deadline March 2022). 

💵 The Black and Brown Podcasters Collective currently has three grant programs: Black Women, the Experience Podcast Grant; Podcasters of Color Grant; Podcasters of Color Seed Grant — and there are more opportunities coming in the autumn. Creators must be a member of the collective to apply; you can join for free. 

💵 The National Endowment for the Arts has a Grants for Arts Projects program - which includes independent artists exploring storytelling in audio (among many other mediums). The second round of funding for 2021 just closed - so keep an eye on the program for next year. 

💵 LWC Studios launched The Podcasting Seriously Awards Fund to support independent BIPOC, Queer and Trans audio producers in submitting high-quality work to media/journalism awards. With AIR, Pacific Content and Acast as Fund Partners, the fund covers award submission fees. The fund accepts reimbursement applications on a rolling basis, and you can submit up to $200 in awards reimbursements per calendar year. Apply here.

💵 The Awesome Foundation supports ‘awesome’ projects through $1,000 micro-grants, spanning arts, technology, community development and more. There are examples of previously funded ideas here, and you can apply here. 

💵 Now for a wild card… you could try your luck at the Super Patron fund, which Patreon CEO and co-founder Jack Conte launched to fund a single $50,000-per-year grant for artists. Keep an eye on their socials for announcements about this year’s fund. 

💵 And finally - this isn’t a grant, but it’s funding you should know about. In exchange for a share of revenue, PodFund invests between $25,000 - $150,000 to podcast studios and high-potential creators based on stage, track record, evidence of traction, revenue, and intended use of the funds”. Applications are reviewed continually, and the fund is available to podcasters outside the US too. 

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What I’m listening to 

🎧 I’ve been listening to a couple of Lemonada Media podcasts: Good Sex and Good Grief. They’re both short-form, non-narrated shows with rich sound design: I’m enjoying the formats a lot.

🎧 I’ve also been comfort-listening to a couple of older gems: You’re Wrong About (specifically the Yoko Ono episode) and Mystery Show - as good as ever.

Thanks for reading, audio storytellers! If you enjoyed it, share with a friend or coworker. (They can sign up here.) As always, hit me up on Twitter or email with what you’re making or listening to.