One person twirls another by the hand at the intersection of 5th Street and Lehigh Avenue

Community Voices Fund

Applications are closed. Grant recipients will be announced in November. 

About the Fund

Independence Public Media Foundation's (IPMF) Community Voices Fund supports creative, community-centered media and media-making across Greater Philadelphia.

Who is Eligible and How to Apply

Eligibility 

Your project must fit at least one of the following focus areas:

This is an open call for 501(c)3 nonprofits or fiscally-sponsored* organizations/projects based in:

  • Pennsylvania: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Philadelphia, Montgomery counties. 
  • New Jersey: Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties. 
  • Delaware: New Castle County.

Organization or Project Guidelines: 

  • All applicants must be a 501(c)3 or an organization with a fiscal sponsor. If you don’t have a fiscal sponsor, you may still apply as long as you secure a fiscal sponsor before funds are disbursed. We are unable to make grants to applicants without a fiscal sponsor.
  • Organizations must have annual operating budgets under $1 million.
  • Previous Community Voices grantees are welcome to apply.
  • We will accept only one proposal per organization.
  • We accept both new and established projects. 

*this grant cycle is for 501(c)3 and fiscally-sponsored organizations/projects. we ask individual filmmakers to apply through our filmmaker fund in 2025.

Grant Awards

The Community Voices Fund will award one-year project grants within the range of $10,000 to $50,000. 

We will award a total of $800,000 in grants. These are non-renewable one-year project grants. The Community Voices Fund does not award general operating grants.

How to Apply/Application Materials:

We aim to keep the process for applying as simple as we can. To apply, you will fill out an online application which includes contact information, a demographic survey of your organization and project leader(s), a brief narrative about your project, and a project timeline and budget. You will receive confirmation when your application has been received.

Our Review Process and Timeline

Timeline (subject to change)

  • August 13 — Application opens
  • August 28 — Office hours, 5-6pm
  • September 4 — Office hours, 12-1pm
  • September 13 — Application closes at 12pm EST
  • Late October — All applicants notified of decisions**
  • Mid-November — Grants announced

**if possible, we will let applicants know earlier on if their proposal will not be funded.

The Review Process

A panel of nine community members will review applications and select proposals to fund. Proposals will be reviewed at the same time—after the application deadline has passed. Preference will be given to proposals that meet one or more of the following criteria: 

  • Organizations and projects led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, women, people who are LGBTQIA+, Two-Spirit, Trans, genderqueer, gender nonconforming, nonbinary, and/or queer. Those who are disabled, immigrants, people directly impacted by mass incarceration, or have other lived experiences that are historically excluded from journalism and media making.
  • Support increased agency, civic engagement, and a mutual aid approach within communities
  • Compensate community members directly for their stories and contributions 
  • Amplify the stories and needs of communities excluded from media-making, in partnership with those communities
  • Seek to build lasting community connections through media and media making
  • Feature collaboration between multiple partners 

Furthermore, the Community Voices fund will center voices and leadership from communities targeted by white supremacy and state-sanctioned violence.

Application Support and FAQs

Office Hours

IPMF staff will host two virtual office hours in August and September to answer any questions about the application process. Multiple people are welcome to join and ask questions.  Click below to register and attend.

  • August 28 — Office hours, 5-6pm 
  • September 4 — Office hours, 12-1pm

FAQs

My organization is not a 501(c)3 but we don't have a fiscal-sponsor either, can we apply?

All applicants must be a 501(c)3 or an organization with a fiscal sponsor. If you don’t have a fiscal sponsor at the time of application, you may still apply as long as you secure a fiscal sponsor before funds are disbursed. We are unable to make grants to applicants without a fiscal sponsor.

I'm a filmmaker seeking support for my film, can I apply to Community Voices? 

We are not accepting individual filmmaker applications through Community Voices. This grant cycle is aimed toward organizations and organization-led projects. We invite filmmakers to apply through our film nominations process in 2025.

Can I apply if I received a grant through a previous Community Voices open call?

Previous Community Voices grantees are welcome to apply.

Can current IPMF grantees apply to the Community Voices Fund?

If IPMF invited you to apply for a grant this year, this funding cycle is not for you. As we strive to be accessible, the Community Voices Fund prioritizes organizations or projects that are new to IPMF and those who are not receiving funds through an invited process. That said, applicants that plan to partner with current grantees will not be penalized. Current grantees can visit our How to Apply Page for other opportunities.

How many times can I apply?

We will not accept more than one proposal per organization/project for the Community Voices Fund.

 

About IPMF
Formerly known as WYBE Channel 35, Independence Public Media Foundation was founded in 2018 when WYBE sold its broadcast license as part of the Federal Communications Commission’s Broadcast Incentive Auction and received a one-time payment of $131.5 million. With these funds, IPMF is moving resources within the Philadelphia region toward community-owned media and internet, and catalyzing movements for justice through narratives that educate, inspire, and encourage action toward a more liberatory future.

How to Apply

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