Resources from Funding Media, Strengthening Democracy: A Funder Briefing with Peter B. Kaufman
Funding Media, Strengthening Democracy: A Funder Briefing with Peter B. Kaufman
Overview:
The report, Funding Media, Strengthening Democracy: Grantmaking for the 21st Century, was conceived as a start to a broader conversation about the state of media funding in the United States. The purpose was to address both current, self-described media funders, and those who don’t self-identify as media funders. At its core, the report aims to highlight the need for all funders to see the critical and dynamic role media plays in their grantmaking.
The field itself is in its nascent phase – it’s measured in decades and still lacks a formal taxonomy, system for classifying grants, database of media grantmaking or agreed upon metrics for measuring impact.
The report was written to help shed light on the work that needs to be done, and offers 10 concrete suggestions to help move the field of media funding forward as a whole.
Methodology:
To conduct the research the authors Peter B. Kaufman and Mary Albon:
- Created common terminology to assess public information
- Scoured IRS-990 forms, publicly available nonprofit grant information on websites, databases and annual reports
- Created a 15-question survey for current media funders
- Hosted roundtable discussions
- Conducted phone and face-to-face interviews
Recommendations:
While all 10 recommendations are critical to the future of the field, the call focused on two areas and four recommendations specifically.
Area 1: Acknowledgement
Recommendation #1: Acknowledge the prevalence and impact of media; Recommendation #8: The pervasiveness of media funding must be acknowledged; and Recommendation #10 Funders should recognize that media reinforces their missions.
These three recommendations hit on the overarching theme of the report. Funders across all fields and disciplines must better understand the impact and extraordinary importance of media in their work – regardless of organizational mission and funding priorities. There cannot be a separation between healthcare or environmental grants and media. Media – from websites and videos to films and print journalism – are fundamentally embedded in every aspect of grantmaking now. By not identifying the media components of grants, or not thinking about those areas as critical to the success of an investment, funders are missing key opportunities to use some of the most powerful and pervasive tools in our society.
Given the entirely inescapable nature of media today, funders must come to terms with the need to openly utilize and evaluate media elements in their grantmaking.
Area 2: Data sharing
Recommendation #7: Collaborate to create a comprehensive platform for information sharing.
Just as funders can’t support worthwhile projects and initiatives if they don’t know about the need or problem, funders can’t make the most informed and effective decisions if they don’t know what is happening in the field, what is being supported and where there are gaps in funding.
As a field, media grantmaking needs to embrace the opportunities that the digital age offers in terms of tagging, searching and data storage. Searchable databases, undergirded by agreed-upon media grantmaking taxonomy, will advance funders’ abilities to collaborate, learn from peers and utilize the enormous networks of like-minded individuals and organizations that are working to address some of our most entrenched societal problems. Without accurate and accessible data, funders run the risk of operating in isolation thereby reducing the impact of their finite resources.
Conclusion:
GFEM continues to distribute the report, Funding Media, Strengthening Democracy: Grantmaking for the 21st Century, which is also available for download and we encourage you to share the report widely with colleagues, particularly those who do not consider themselves media funders.
