Help Fund Filming Florida

As I prepare to start full production in January, I wanted to take a few minutes to answer one of the most common questions I get about the project. Who is paying for the production of Filming Florida? Quite simply, the answer is nobody, but also lots of people.

Confused? This is what I mean. Filming Florida is anything but conventional, and I have specifically chosen to be an independent project. It means I can tell the stories that I believe are the most important, and I can dedicate the next several years to the project. If there was a large team of us, it would be very difficult to operate over the long term due to the expense of paying all the salaries. With just me, I can not only keep the expenses down, but I can also have a much smaller environmental footprint.

However, as result of choosing to be independent, it also means I don’t have a studio, tv channel, or large production company providing the financial backing for the project. I must do all of my own fundraising to make the project happen. To be brutally honest, it is my least favorite aspect of the project, yet it is absolutely essential to making Filming Florida a reality. I am exploring three primary avenues for funding: grants, corporate sponsorship, and individual contributions. I have spent much of the last few months writing and submitting grant applications. As I announced a few weeks ago, I have received a major grant from the Clive Foundation. I still have a few more to submit in November and will submit another round in the spring, but it may be several months before I hear back on them all. In the meantime, I am also talking with companies about providing support through in-kind product donations or cash and hope to make some announcements with respect to this in the coming weeks.

Today, I am turning too you, my audience, to ask for your support. If you have enjoyed the last 10 months of Daily Species, the first four films in the Nature Profiles series, the blog posts, or are excited about what is to come, I ask that you consider making a donation to support the project.

There are two ways to donate. First, you can donate directly to the project, which is not tax deductible, or you can make a tax-deductible donation through my fiscal agent, the Florida Wildlife Corridor (formerly the Legacy Institute of Nature and Culture). Both options accept a check or credit card and are secure and easy to do. All the instructions for both options are below or found on the Support page. Even if you are unable to make a donation, please pass this post and the website along to your friends and family that might be interested in the project.

This has been an incredible year of planning and working to make Filming Florida a reality. Now that I am set to begin production in January, I would be honored to have your support as I move forward and tell incredible stories about Florida’s natural landscape and biodiversity. Thank you for your consideration and support.

 

Direct Donations:  You can make a donation directly to Filming Florida with a credit card through PayPal (click the button below) or by sending a check made payable to Filming Florida to PO Box 547102, Orlando, FL  32854.  Please note that this method is not tax-deductible.  If you would like to make a tax deductible donation, please see the second option below.

Tax Deductible Donations: The Florida Wildlife Corridor serves as the fiscal agent for Filming Florida. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Florida Wildlife Corridor accepts funds on the project’s behalf, extending tax-deductible status to these donations to the full extent of the law.  The Florida Wildlife Corridor will provide the necessary receipt and paperwork for your records.

There are two easy ways to make a donation to support Filming Florida through the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

• Donate online by simply visiting the Florida Wildlife Corridor’s page at the Network for Good website and be sure to include “Filming Florida” in the Designation box.  Please note this page lists the “Legacy Institute of Nature and Culture” which is the organization behind the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
• Send a check to the Florida Wildlife Corridor at P.O. Box 1802, Tampa, FL 33601. Be sure to make it payable to the Florida Wildlife Corridor and put “Filming Florida” on the check’s memo line or in an enclosed note.