Funding for Change: The Role of Private US Foundations in Supporting Documentary Film for Social Change

Documentary films have long been used to shine a spotlight on social issues and have been linked to various social change efforts. The past twenty-five years have seen a boom in the number of films produced and released, audience size reached, and breadth of subject matter in documentary production and intensified expectations for documentary films to serve as tools for social change. Private independent US grantmaking foundations appear to have been increasingly influential in both responding to and shaping these intensified linkages between this art form and activism. Through key informant interviews, nonparticipant observation, and review of primary and secondary data, this research examines specific tactics, rationales, and the scope of investments of this set of actors, which have not been previously examined. This research fills essential gaps in understanding how foundations have exerted their influence not only through direct financial support, but also through wider field-building activities and agenda-setting functions, which have had profound effects on the documentary for social change field.