ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION

Contact information:

630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2550
New York, NY 10111
Phone: (212) 649-1649
Fax: (212) 757-5117

Website: www.sloan.org

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: Project, program, planning. The Foundation supports production of media programs, as well as related outreach.

Description: The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation was established in 1934 by Alfred Pritchard Sloan, Jr., then President and Chief Executive Officer of the General Motors Corporation. There is no link now between the Foundation and the General Motors Corporation.

The Foundation makes grants to support research and public education related to science, technology, digital information technology and economic performance. The Foundation is interested in advancing public understanding of science and technology and makes numerous media grants in this area. Specifically, the Foundation notes, the Public Understanding of Science program:

“Makes grants that foster a better public understanding of the increasingly scientific and technological environment in which we live. The program also aims to convey some of the challenges and rewards of the scientific and technological enterprise and of the lives of the men and women who undertake it. Using books, television, radio, film, theater and other media, grants in this program area promote a deeper, richer contact with all the ways science and technology affect our lives.”

Within the area of public understanding of science and technology, the Foundation maintains giving areas in Radio and Television. The Foundation also has interest in digital media and online learning. For example, the Foundation supported the development of Budget Hero, the online budget-balancing game developed by American Public Media.

The Foundation partners with the Sundance Institute and the Tribeca Film Institute to fund annual grants to emerging and established filmmakers working on projects related to science and technology. Grant opportunities include:

• The Alfred P. Sloan Commissioning Grant: A total award of up to $25,000 is made to support development of a science- or technology-related narrative project that is at an early stage, such as full treatment or early screenplay draft. The grant includes the following: a cash grant of up to $20,000 to provide support during the writing period; a stipend of up to $5,000 for a science advisor; creative support during the writing process from a select group of creative advisors; the possibility of a fellowship to a Sundance Screenwriters Lab; and strategic and practical support from the Sundance Feature Film Program staff.
• The Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship: This fellowship is awarded annually to an emerging screenwriter to support the ongoing development of a narrative, feature-length screenplay with science or technology themes. The fellowship includes the following: attendance at a Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Directors Lab, Creative Producing Lab, Creative Producing Summit, or the Sundance Film Festival as a fellow; a stipend of up to $5,000 for a science advisor; and creative and strategic support from the Sundance Feature Film Program staff.
• The TFI Sloan Filmmaker Fund: This Fund makes grants to established and emerging writers, directors and producers. Grants support narrative feature film projects that explore scientific, mathematical or technological themes in their storylines, or that feature a leading character who is a scientist, engineer, innovator or mathematician.

The Foundation also makes grants in the area of Digital Information Technology, focusing especially on Universal Access to Knowledge. Specifically, grants support the digitization of scientific and cultural knowledge and aim to preserve the openness and accessibility of all such knowledge for the widest public benefit. Major grants have gone to the Internet Archive; the Open Content Alliance, a consortium of over 100 universities, libraries and scientific and cultural organizations committed to placing all their scanned materials into a common open digital repository; and Wikipedia. Current grantmaking focuses on identifying and eroding the economic, legal and institutional barriers to universal access to knowledge and on supporting efforts to create a Digital Public Library of America.

The Foundation is no longer making grants in the area of workplace issues and working families. It is, however, still making grants in the area of economic performance, including grants related to issues around working longer.

Sample grants: Most Sloan Foundation grants support projects that have national reach and impact.

• $3,000,000 to Wikimedia Foundation to help Wikipedia develop and sustain its educational mission while constantly improving quality, diversity and access to knowledge for people everywhere (2011).
• $2,500,000 to WGBH to research and produce documentaries on the role of science and technology in history for The American Experience with ancillary outreach including interactive games and marketing campaign (2011).
• $1,700,000 to WGBH to produce scientist profiles for prime time broadcast on Nova Science Now and to produce and promote additional scientist profiles for The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers website (2010).
• $1,500,000 to WETA for on-air and online coverage of economic and financial literacy on The PBS NewsHour (2009).
• $1,196,390 to Connecticut Public Broadcasting for production, broadcast and outreach for a two-part public television series about what impact the science behind brain scans could or should have on the criminal justice system (2011).
• $1,000,000 to National Geographic Society to complete production of a feature and IMAX film about evolutionary history of the universe, with major educational outreach (2010).
• $827,700 to WNYC Radio for production and enhanced distribution of Radiolab, the innovative, popular, science-themed show on public radio (2010).
• $797,836 to Public Media Lab to produce and broadcast a PBS documentary on Admiral Rickover and the Nuclear Navy (2010).
• $750,000 to WNYC Radio to make science and technology a regular, integral feature on Studio 360 (2010).
• $330,000 to Film Independent to develop science scripts and support producing teams developing Sloan-worthy feature films (2011).
• $315,000 to Center for Independent Documentary for the production of a PBS documentary on Coming of Age in Aging America (2011).
• $45,000 to WNET to produce and broadcast Open Mind interviews on aging and work (2011).

Fit for public broadcasting: The Foundation has strong interest in supporting public media as a means to expand public understanding around its key focus areas. The Foundation is increasingly showing interest in projects that include digital media. The Foundation is a particularly good fit for production and outreach related to national media productions. Its film grants are good fits for independent producers doing work in the area of science and technology. The Foundation is not interested in media for children/youth.

Eligibility: The Foundation typically does not fund:

• The creative or performing arts, except when those projects are related to educating the public about science, technology or economics.
• Projects targeted at pre-college students.
• The humanities.
• Endowments, building or equipment.
• For-profit institutions.

Deadline: Grants are made year-round. There are specific deadlines for the filmmaker grants that are made in partnership with Sundance and Tribeca.

How to apply: The first step to submit a project idea in the area of Advancing Public Understanding of Science and Technology via radio or television is to submit a one-page letter of inquiry by e-mail to Program Director Doron Weber. Telephone inquiries are not accepted.

General guidelines for the letter of inquiry are available here. If a proposal is invited, specific proposal guidelines can be found here. The Foundation requires a Proposal Administration Form and a Proposal Cover Sheet, both available online. The Foundation will only accept full proposals that have been invited.

Giving range: Media grants vary widely, from $100,000 – $1,000,000+.

Assets: $1,703,820,396 (as of 12/10).

Total giving: $73,270,482 (as of 12/10).

View 2010 Annual Report here.