Funder: California Humanities
Due Dates: November 4, 2024 (CDP Research and Development Grants) | November 4, 2024 (CDP Production Grants)
Funding Amounts: Up to $15,000 for Research and Development grants; up to $50,000 for Production grants; grant periods range from 2 to 3 years.
Summary: Supports nonfiction documentary film, audio, and digital media projects exploring California’s complexities with humanities-based context for state and national audiences.
Key Information: Projects must focus on California subjects and use humanities content; priority given to underrepresented communities including Indigenous and Native American experiences; applicants must be located in California.
The California Documentary Project (CDP) is a competitive grant program administered by California Humanities that funds nonfiction documentary media productions—film, audio, and digital—that explore the complexity of California. The program aims to support projects that use humanities scholarship to provide depth, context, and perspective on California’s diverse cultures, histories, and communities, reaching both state and national audiences.
CDP grants are intended for projects that document California subjects and issues, with a strong emphasis on storytelling that highlights voices and perspectives traditionally excluded from the broader California narrative. There is a particular interest in projects focusing on Indigenous and Native American experiences in California.
The program offers two categories of funding:
California residency is required for applicants, and projects must be California-focused. The grant supports a variety of nonfiction storytelling formats, including film, audio productions, podcasts, and interactive digital media.
California Humanities has a long history of supporting documentary projects, having funded over 250 projects since 2003, including notable films and media such as Free Chol Soo Lee, Crip Camp, Fruits of Labor, Romeo is Bleeding, Try Harder!, We Were Here, United Skates, Hollywood Chinese, and audio productions like The Other California and The Stoop.
Note: As of the latest update, California Humanities has suspended all programs and grant cycles due to the termination of federal NEH funding. However, the 2024 round of CDP grants is still open with a deadline of November 4, 2024.
Funding is intended to support the humanities content and approach of documentary projects at different stages, from early research to production completion.
Applicants are encouraged to review detailed guidelines and budget templates available on the California Humanities website and attend informational sessions or watch recorded webinars for assistance.
| Contact Method | Details |
|---|---|
| Organization | California Humanities |
| Address | 538 9th Street, Suite 210, Oakland, CA 94607 |
| Phone | (415) 391-1474 |
| grants@calhum.org | |
| Website | https://calhum.org/ |