Frequently Asked Questions
Find all the answers to our most frequently asked questions in one place
Fiscal Sponsorship
Documentary Australia offers fiscal sponsorship to quality, approved documentary projects that align with our charitable purposes. Approved projects gain visibility through a page on the Documentary Australia website, and can raise philanthropic funding by offering a tax deduction to donors through Documentary Australia’s Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
Documentary Australia also offers resources, masterclasses and workshops to help documentary practitioners achieve their goals and maximise their social impact.
Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status is an endorsement by the Australian Taxation Office that allows not-for-profit organisations to receive tax-deductible donations.
Documentary Australia has DGR status, which means that approved documentary projects can offer tax-deductible donations to donors.
Many philanthropic supporters and grantmakers require a tax deduction to consider supporting your project, so this is a valuable benefit for documentary projects without DGR status.
No. Documentary Australia does not directly fund projects.
Our role is to provide fiscal sponsorship, enabling approved projects to raise funds through philanthropic grants and tax-deductible donations from individuals and organisations. Documentary Australia receives and administers these funds on behalf of documentary projects.
No. Documentary Australia does not actively search for funding or grants on behalf of individual projects unless you are selected for one of our programs. Filmmakers are responsible for researching and identifying potential grant opportunities.
For grant applications where DGR status is required, Documentary Australia can, in some cases, apply on a project’s behalf as your fiscal sponsor. Read about our grant request process for approved projects.
Yes. Fiscal sponsorship does not affect ownership of your documentary.
Documentary Australia is not involved in the creative development or production of your documentary. All creative control, artistic and proprietary rights, title and intellectual remain with the producer or production company.
Visit our How to Apply page for more information, including our application guidelines and assessment process.
There is a $150 + GST non-refundable application fee for each new documentary when you apply.
For approved projects, we retain 5% of donations to cover the costs of fiscal sponsorship, such as administrative, legal, accounting, website and compliance costs. For a donation greater than $250,001, a 2.5% retention applies.
In certain circumstances when Documentary Australia has sourced a grant or donation, managed the donor relationship or Executive Produced the project, the retention fee is 15%. Read more in our Terms and Conditions.
Running a fiscal sponsorship program and fundraising website involves significant administrative, legal, accounting, website, staff and compliance costs. The retention fee contributes to these expenses, which allows us to offer this valuable program to filmmakers.
Our retention rate is extremely competitive with other comparable fiscal sponsorship programs with similar offerings and resources.
Funds raised through Documentary Australia must be used for the development, production, post-production, outreach or impact campaign of the approved documentary project. They cannot be used for another project that has not been submitted for assessment by the Applications Committee and ratified by the Board.
Approved projects are required to enter into a grant agreement with Documentary Australia as the fiscal sponsor, and to ensure funds are used for their intended purpose.
No. Under Australian tax law and our Terms and Conditions, Documentary Australia is only able to accept donations that are unconditional, i.e. made without any goods (DVDs, Merchandise), content, benefit or privilege in return, as part of our obligations as a DGR-endorsed charity.
This means that you cannot offer tiered rewards or benefits to supporters as you might on a crowdfunding site, as these platforms do not offer a tax deduction. With Documentary Australia your donors receive a tax deduction, which means they cannot receive goods or services in exchange for their donation, which would be considered a sale. However, you can still thank your donors in the film credits or gift them tickets to a screening once the project is complete.
Unconditional corporate donations are allowed under Documentary Australia’s obligations, however corporate sponsorship or donations in exchange for benefits are not. They are not tax deductible and therefore cannot be allowed through the Documentary Australia page, however filmmakers can enter into sponsorship arrangements independently of Documentary Australia.
No. Donations from relatives are not tax deductible.
Documentary Australia is unable to provide tax advice. For guidance specific to your situation, please consult your accountant or refer to the ATO website.
Documentary Australia issues official tax receipts to donors as the party receiving and administering the tax-deductible donation.
To access tax receipts, donors can set up an account and log in here. They can also follow documentary projects for updates on their activity.
Applications
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement we enter into with quality, approved documentary projects that enables filmmakers to raise philanthropic funding for their project through Documentary Australia.
Our Fiscal Sponsorship program is open to documentary projects that are consistent with our charitable purposes. Projects may be at any stage — from development through post-production, impact and outreach — from emerging and established filmmakers alike.
Projects can apply for our Fiscal Sponsorship program at any stage, including development, production, post-production, outreach or impact.
We are happy to accept projects in early development and understand that plans might be evolving, but we do still assess the story being proposed – even if it is an early statement of intent. If story elements are unconfirmed, you should indicate the direction you expect the story might take in your application. We understand that things often change.
For projects that are still a concept, theme or issue, without key characters or a proposed narrative arc or structure, we recommend waiting to apply until your story is more fleshed out.
Yes. However, the project must have an applicant with an Australian Business Number (ABN) and Australian bank account, with the right to carry out the project that is the subject of the application. The applicant will be required to enter into a grant agreement with Documentary Australia.
No. Applicants are not required to provide visual materials as part of their application. However, if visual materials such as a teaser or pitch trailer are available, we recommend including them as they can strengthen your application and help communicate your vision and creative approach.
No. However, the Applications Committee does consider the project’s pathway to audience, whether that be traditional distribution or non-traditional, grassroots or direct approaches to reaching audiences.
We accept applications from first-time filmmakers, however we do assess the strength of the materials and feasibility of the proposal, which in some cases includes the creative team.
We cannot match-make people who have ideas for projects with filmmakers who can make them, and are unable to provide suggestions or referrals. We recommend researching potential collaborators on the Screen Australia and Documentary Australia websites.
We also cannot provide advice on how to make documentaries, however we recommend exploring the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s courses.
Unfortunately, we cannot offer phone calls, take meetings or offer advice on pitch or application materials. The best thing is to read these application guidelines thoroughly, and take the time to research and prepare your materials.
We also cannot consider email attachments, unless they have been specifically requested by the Applications Committee.
Unlike other organisations you might apply to, we publish a project page for approved documentary projects on the Documentary Australia website, so we assess the written and visual materials provided with that in mind.
A strong application will propose a compelling story with a clear creative vision, underpinned by a well-researched summary of the social issue or need, and a clear vision of the project’s intended impact.
The proposal will be realistic and achievable, built on a feasible fundraising proposal where the budget, format, finance plan, fundraising goal, fundraising strategy and experience or skills of the creative team all align.
Any statements or claims made in the written and visual materials should be evidence-based and fact-checked to appear on our public-facing website, should the project be approved.
We are proud to support documentary practitioners at all stages of their careers, from emerging to established.
For ambitious projects, such as a feature documentary or series for television or streaming platforms, we may consider the experience of the team in executing a project of this scale as a factor in assessing the feasibility of the applicant’s proposal.
For first-time filmmakers with ambitious projects, we recommend working with an experienced producer who can help navigate the production and distribution process – for instance, supporting production budgeting, financing, contracting and legals, and charting a realistic pathway to your audience.
For projects based on a filmmaker’s lived experience, we recommend working with an experienced producer who can help develop and implement a duty of care plan to provide support.
We cannot provide suggestions or referrals, but recommend researching potential collaborators on the Screen Australia and Documentary Australia websites.
We may also consider the connection of the creative team to any communities being depicted in the project, and look favourably on applications from teams that feature key creatives (director, writer or producer) from those communities.
It’s important to make sure you nominate the right person in your team as the administrator. The ‘administrator’ is considered the applicant for your project, and will become the main point of contact for all communications regarding the project.
The administrator is often the producer, or the team member providing the ABN and corresponding bank account details. They must have the right to carry out the project that is the subject of the application, including any relevant copyright and appropriate clearances from participants, and are typically the contracting party with Documentary Australia.
Please identify when you realistically expect to finish each stage. It is OK to approximate and to deviate from this timeline, as plans inevitably change. If your project is approved, you will have the ability to update this on your project page on the Documentary Australia website.
No. Our applications portal doesn’t allow changes to be made to projects that have been submitted but not yet been assessed, and we cannot consider email attachments.
However, you should email any major changes in circumstances including your project’s key creatives (writer, director, producer), access to key participants or funders to [email protected].
Approved projects will have the chance to edit their written materials before their project page is published on the Documentary Australia website.
We take conflict of interest seriously. All members of the Applications Committee disclose any conflicts or connections to a project before it is discussed, and do not participate in project assessment or deliberations about the project outcome.
Applicants are informed of the outcome of their application approximately 6 weeks after each application round’s deadline.
You will receive an email to the email address you provided as the ‘administrator’ when submitting your application.
Keep an eye out for an email from [email protected] as these occasionally go to people’s junk folder.
Grants Requests
Filmmakers are responsible for researching and identifying grant opportunities. Documentary Australia does not actively search for grants on behalf of individual projects unless you are selected for one of our programs. We do offer workshops, resources, and guidance to help strengthen your fundraising and grant strategy.
We can support eligible grants open to not-for-profit applicants, that align with our charitable purposes and your project’s objectives. Each grant is assessed individually to confirm eligibility and alignment before we agree to submit.
Some grants may be ineligible due to:
- Exclusion criteria in the grant guidelines
- Geographic restrictions
- Grants that do not accept unsolicited applications
- Activities that fall outside our charitable purposes
We recommend reviewing the individual grant’s guidelines carefully before contacting us.
Yes. For projects approved through our Fiscal Sponsorship program, Documentary Australia can act as the legal applicant for eligible grant opportunities. This allows filmmakers to access funding that is typically only available to not-for-profit organisations.
No. Filmmakers must not submit grant applications using Documentary Australia’s name, address, or financial information. Only Documentary Australia can complete and submit applications where we are the applicant.
No. The film team is responsible for writing the grant application. Documentary Australia can complete organisational information, review the final application, and submit where required.
If you would like Documentary Australia to submit a grant application, you must submit a grant request form at least four weeks before the grant deadline. This allows time for us to do eligibility checks, complete organisational information, and review the application prior to submission.
When you identify a grant opportunity, please begin by completing our grant request form. It is important you review the grant readiness checklist before completing the form. If you wish to proceed, you will be asked high-level information about your film project and the grant opportunity, including the funder, eligibility criteria, and timelines. We will then assess whether the grant is suitable and whether Documentary Australia can support the application.
At this stage, you do not need to submit a fully written grant application. We will determine eligibility and alignment before you invest time in preparing a full application.
Once we receive your grant request form, Documentary Australia will review the information to confirm eligibility and alignment with our charitable purposes, whether we can act as the applicant for the grant, and whether there is sufficient time for review and submission. If we agree for you to proceed, we will invite you to submit the full written grant application for our review. If we are unable to support the application, we will let you know as early as possible.
Yes. All grants are subject to Documentary Australia’s standard 5% retention rate, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions clause 7. This contributes to the administration and compliance costs of managing grants and donations.
If a grant is successful, Documentary Australia will receive the funds and administer them in line with the grant agreement. Funds are then allocated to your project and reported in accordance with our standard processes and obligations.
Donations
Not everyone. A person may not donate (and receive the tax-deduction) if they stand to financially gain from your project. They cannot be in an equity position as an owner of the film (ie this is not investment, it is a gift with no promise of financial return). Family members are seen by the tax office as receiving a mutual benefit so they are also prevented from claiming a tax deduction on a donation. You, yourself (as the filmmaker) also cannot receive a tax deduction for a donation to your own film. For more information, please see our Terms + Conditions.
No. We are not like other crowd funding sites that offer different products as incentives to donate. Because all donations are tax-deductible, no goods or services can be given in exchange for the donation. At Documentary Australia, the tax-deductibility is what your donors receive, and your donor cannot “buy” a t-shirt or a DVD as an incentive. You can of course thank your donors with a mention in the film’s credits, or gift them a complimentary DVD once the project is complete. For more information, please see our Terms + Conditions.
The easiest way to donate is via your campaign page on the Documentary Australia website. The online donation requires a credit card (we accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express). We also accept donations via cheque or bank transfer. If your donor prefers to donate this way, give them the donor form (found in Resources) to fill out and send back to us.
Once your project has been approved you will receive an invite from EFTSure ([email protected]) asking you to register as a supplier for Documentary Australia. You will be asked to input your ABN, Trading name Bank account details (BSB, Account number, Account name), and remittance contact details. Once these have been received EFTSure will do a call back to confirm the details provided.
Once Documentary Australia receives notice of the verification we can add you to our payment system. Until this process, we cannot make payments to you. Please note if you need to make changes in the future you will be required to go through a process with EFTSure again.
We process and send out donations on a weekly basis. This means that you, as the filmmaker, get access to donation money just days after it was given, rather than at the end of the campaign. Furthermore, your funds are not withheld from you if you do not reach your target (as with other online fundraising platforms). The filmmaker will be asked to provide Documentary Australia with an Australian bank account for the project in order to transfer donations.
Apart from the application fee at the commencement, we retain 5% of all donations. This is to cover administrative costs of grant processing and receipting. Make sure that you account for this when setting your fundraising your budget.
Further, if we source a donor, manage the reporting process and relationship, or come on board as Executive Producer, the retention fee is 15% (or capped at an agreed fee).
Yes, just log on to your account dashboard and click the ‘Export Donors’ button. However, names of donors that have chosen not to share their details during the donation process or have elected to remain anonymous will not be visible.
Website
You can continue to update your project while it is still in draft, and also after it has been approved. You cannot update your project after you have submitted it for approval, until your project has been approved.
To continue to update/edit your project:
• Login here
• Go to ‘Manage Projects’ (select ‘Draft Films’ if you haven’t made your submission yet)
• Click the three dots on the right-hand side of the project line and select ‘Edit Project’
If you make changes to a tab make sure you click update on that tab before moving to the next or you may lose your work.
Your video’s privacy settings may be restricting our website from embedding your video. You will need to set the video for ‘anyone’ to be able to view it and that you either allow it to be embedded ‘anywhere’ or you can add our URL: https://documentaryaustralia.com.au/
More info here:
https://vimeo.com/blog/post/video-privacy-explained/
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177
If you would like your video to remain private and just share it with Documentary Australia staff, you can add the link and password into the ‘screener’ field in the media tab of your application.
The end date of your campaign is controlled by the ‘fundraising date’ field in your proposed timeline. This can be found under the ‘Project Information’ tab in your application.
You can also set your ‘end method’ under the ‘Fundraising Strategy’ tab. You can choose an end date, end $ goal, both, or no end.
The funding goal or target is populated in the ‘fundraising strategy’ tab in the field “How much (total) are you aiming to raise through grants and donations?”