Frequently Asked Questions – for Grantmakers & Grantseekers
FAQ FOR GRANTMAKERS
Can the project information in the GFEM Media Database be used as a proposal?
I am a funder – do I need to log into the site in order to search for projects?RSS -- What Is It? How Do I use It?
How can I be notified about new projects loaded into the database?
How can I find outreach and audience engagement projects?
What is meant by “distribution?”
FAQ’s FOR GRANTSEEKERS
Do I really need to list my funders?
What if I don’t have funders to list?
What are the terms of eligibility for projects to be accepted into the GFEM Media Database? Why do I need to list my funders?
Why don’t you accept projects that don’t yet have funding?
I don’t have any funding, how can I get some?
Can I submit a project that needs general operating support?
Help! I’ve lost my password and can’t get back in to update my project!
I haven’t heard back from GFEM about the status of my project.
How does the system choose the images on the front page of the website and in the search listing?
My photos are being cropped by the database in a way I don’t like.
I’ve cropped and/oriented my photos and uploaded them to the GFEM Media Database – but once uploaded to the Database they lose the changes I made.
What is the best size and file type for video upload?
What video hosting sites does the GFEM Media Database support?
My video is hosted on my own website and I can’t get it to play back on the GFEM Media Database site.
I have uploaded my video to your site, but it doesn’t seem to be playing back.
Can I include in-kind support under the budget and/or funder areas?
Can I list cash that I have contributed to the project?
Should I include the entire project budget or just the amount for the part of the project I am working on now?
Can I list anonymous sources?
I get an error message saying I have too many characters in the text field – but I am nowhere near the limit.
What constitutes a foundation or government funder?
How do I add funders or edit funders after I have saved and logged out of my project?
FAQ FOR GRANTMAKERS
Can the project information in the GFEM Media Database be used as a proposal?
The project information presented in the GFEM Media Database is intended as a starting point for a conversation between grantseekers and grantmakers. It is not meant to replace an application or full proposal. We encourage grantmakers to verify the information presented here by requesting a proposal from potential grantseekers.
I am a funder – do I need to log into the site in order to search for projects?
You do not need to create a profile or log into the site to search for projects. The login is only for returning users who are project managers or funders who wish to contact a project manager.
How do I find projects?
There are three main search functions built into the GFEM Media Database. You will find all of these on the home page at media.gfem.org on the left side of the page:
- Key Word Search
The first search tool is the keyword search at the top of the lefts side bar. Type any word or combination of words in this box and click the button. Keyword search looks in all the fields in all the projects in the media database for the word(s) you entered. - Project Search
Click the Project Search link to go to go to a page that allows you to combine searchable terms to yield more precise search results. Click on any of the links here to allow see a drop down list of options that you can select. Select multiple items in multiple fields and click the search button on the bottom of the search form. - Browse by Topic
Browse by topic allows you to see all the topic listings that contain projects at a given time. Producers are charged with indicating the appropriate classifications for their projects. On the Browse by Topic page you will be able to see the topic area headings. Click on a heading to see the number of projects in that area and its subtopic areas. This page also includes RSS feed links (See RSS/XML Feed – what is this and how do I use it?)
RSS/XML Feed – what is this and how do I use it?
You will notice an orange “RSS” button next to project subtopic areas on the “Browse by Topic” page. This is a feed link, which allows you to identify projects as they are added to a particular subtopic area. You may drag the feedlink into your RSS reader or click on the link and select your preferred reader. [Read more about RSS feeds at wikipedia]
How can I be notified about new projects loaded into the database?
One very easy way to keep up with new offerings is to add our project RSS feed to your RSS reader. (See RSS/XML Feed –what is this and how do I use it?) We also suggest that you visit the site frequently to review additional topics and browse areas you may not have initially included as feedlinks.
I am a funder interested in a particular area of funding that I don’t see listed in the topics, status or any other search field.
A good way to find projects like this is to use the “key word” search function, which searches all the text fields. You may also use the project search feature to conduct a more specific search using key words and other combinations of searchable terms.
How can I find outreach and audience engagement projects?
What is meant by “distribution?”
Each Content project in the GFEM Media Database is identified by its “Status.” A project may be in the research and development (R&D), production, post-production or distribution phase. Distribution may include outreach and audience engagement projects, preservation, and reuse - among other things. To find distribution projects use the “Project Search” function and select “distribution” under the “status” field. Within the search results, click on individual project headings and review project descriptions for program details.
I am interested in a particular project. How do I contact the project manager to find out more about their project?
At the top of each project listing is a “Contact the project managers” link. When you click on this link, you will be taken to a page that asks you to login if you already have a username and password or to create a username and password if you do not already have one.
Once you have logged into the site, you may use the “Contact the project managers” link to access a contact form to allow you to send an e-mail directly to the main contact person for a project. Once you have established contact through this form, you are free to continue your discussion or request a full proposal from the project manager by phone, e-mail or in person as you deem appropriate.
I am new to media funding, how do I know if a project is worthy or not? How do I get started in media funding?
GFEM offers a number of resources to help you evaluate projects and get started in media funding. In addition to the resources on our website and public presentations on media funding, we also offer one-on-one consultations. Please contact GFEM staff directly for more information.
FAQ’s FOR GRANTSEEKERS
Do I really need to list my funders?
Yes. Your project will not be included in the database if you do not list your funders.
What if I don’t have funders to list?
If you do not have at least one funder to list, you are not eligible for inclusion in the database.
What are the terms of eligibility for projects to be accepted into the GFEM Media Database? Why do I need to list my funders?
All projects submitted to the GFEM Media Database are reviewed to ensure basic clarity and a public interest element. Eligible projects must have at least one foundation or government funder.
Projects are not limited by subject, location or scope. Content Projects must have a significant film, video, audio or electronic media element in their final delivery to be considered for inclusion.
By submitting your list of funders, you confirm your eligibility. This information is also useful to other potential funders to see who has already vetted and supported your project.
Why don’t you accept projects that don’t yet have funding?
The GFEM Media Database is designed as a service for funders to help them identify worthy media projects. Our site is not intended to replace a full project proposal and we do not have the capacity to solicit, review and evaluate full project proposals. We do want funders to be able to find strong media projects. If a project already has at least one foundation or government funder, it is more likely that the project has gone through a proposal review and vetting process in the philanthropic sector. This is an added level of evaluation and appraisal that we feel will be of value to other potential funders.
I don’t have any funding, how can I get some?
GFEM is not a funding organization. We are an affinity group that serves the funding community. We do not offer grants or fundraising advice. That said, we have compiled a list of resources for grantseekers at GFEM.org. For further information, please see the list of resources offered at http://gfem.org/node/309.
Can I submit a project that needs general operating support?
The GFEM Media Database is not designed to allow a project to remain in the database for an infinite amount of time. To keep the offerings fresh and current, we require all submissions to be project based – which means the effort must have a specific goal and a definitive beginning and end date.
I’m in need of general operating support: I don’t have a “project” to submit, but would like to be included in the database anyway.
We suggest reframing your general operating needs into distinct projects. For instance, a “project” might be the funding of a staff person to oversee a particular part of your program for a particular amount of time. In crafting a project that is part of an ongoing program, some basic framing elements to help you get started:
*Identify a project start date
*Identify a project end date
*Establish and articulate how the project relates to your mission
*Establish and articulate the goals or specific projected outcomes of the project
Help! I’ve lost my password and can’t get back in to update my project!
You may request a new password here.
I haven’t heard back from GFEM about the status of my project.
GFEM staff individually review each project submitted to the Media Database. Once you have submitted your project for consideration, we ask you to wait up to seven business days for a response. Depending on the number of submissions we receive in a given period, you may be asked to give us additional time. This allows us to give each project individual attention.
If you have not heard back from us, we also ask that you make sure that you have flagged your project as complete. You must select “YES” in the “Form Complete” section at the very top of your profile page when you are in editing mode. Before contacting staff to inquire about the status of your project, please ensure that you have selected the “Yes” option, clicked the “Submit” button at the bottom of the page the project and then waited five days.
How does the system choose the images on the front page of the website and in the search listing?
The system uses the first uploaded image as the thumbnail in the search listing. A random image from those you have uploaded is selected for the front page header strip.
My photos are being cropped by the database in a way I don’t like.
The still images display is setup to scale all the images to the same width with a max height of 135px, this is to keep things relatively well spaced when you have multiple images on the same page. We suggest that users scale the images before they load in to avoid the cropping.
I’ve cropped and/oriented my photos and uploaded them to the GFEM Media Database – but once uploaded to the Database they lose the changes I made.
Double click on your actual original still image while it is on your computer to ensure that the orientation is the way you want it. If you are using iPhoto (or any other reference software) - it will not give you an accurate view of the original. You must make changes to the actual image file itself (using your computer’s save as feature) in order for our website to recognize the flip or crop.
What is the best size and file type for video upload?
There is no restriction on the kind of file you can upload. Occasionally, some video does not play back automatically on the site – in this case, we will re-encode the video so that it plays back.
We do not have limits on how big a video file you can upload. But be aware that files that are too large can often be stuttery on playback. If you want a high quality video without skipping, you can shorten your video clip or upload it to a video service like Blip.tv which does not have any size or length limits. A service like this can handle serving very large video files without skipping.
If you don't want to host on another service, aim to make your clip 15 to 20 MB in size, which seems to download smoothly on most connections.
What video hosting sites does the GFEM Media Database support?
Our site supports Blip.tv, Brightcove, Dailymotion, Google, GUBA, iFilm, IMEEM, JumpCut, Last.fm, Live Video, MetaCafe, MySpace, Revver, Sevenload, Spike TV, Tudou, Veoh, Vimeo, YouTube, or your own Custom URL that links directly to a video hosted on another site.
My video is hosted on my own website and I can’t get it to play back on the GFEM Media Database site.
The video field will accept a url/embed code to a video file. Please make sure that you are using an actual embed url and not the page url.
I have uploaded my video to your site, but it doesn’t seem to be playing back.
The video may need to be encoded by us or the file is large and is taking a long time to download for playback. Please send us a note using the help link. Be sure to include the name of your project and your user name; we will investigate and contact you directly.
Can I include in-kind support under the budget and/or funder areas?
Please do not include in-kind support. Budgets should reflect only cash.
Can I list cash that I have contributed to the project?
Yes. But please do not list in-kind support. NOTE: your own cash contribution does not qualify your project for inclusion unless you are an operating foundation or government entity.
Should I include the entire project budget or just the amount for the part of the project I am working on now?
Please include the entire project budget – from start to finish. If you wish to articulate the amount of a particular project component, you may do so in the project description. Policy and Infrastructure project managers, please note that the GFEM Media Database only accepts projects and does not allow proposals for general operating (see FAQ item “Can I submit a project that needs general operating support?”)
Can I list anonymous sources?
Yes, but they cannot be counted as the qualifying funder.
I get an error message saying I have too many characters in the text field – but I am nowhere near the limit.
The problem may be some hidden code embedded into the text. If you are cutting and pasting from a word processing document, first paste the text into a simple text document. From there, copy the text over into the Database text field. Also, if you are using Safari, this has been known to cause problems; try using Firefox instead of Safari.
What constitutes a foundation or government funder?
Your project is eligible for inclusion in the GFEM Media Database if it has already received funding from one of the following sources: a public foundation, corporate foundation or charitable giving program, a private foundation, family foundation, community foundation, operating foundation, government funder (local, state, regional, federal, inside or outside the USA), donor-advised fund, or a re-granting organization who’s primary activity is grantmaking. Certain projects that are funded through grants received from a university are eligible for inclusion in the GFEM Media Database; the project must be supported through a grant program for university faculty or postgraduate work. Undergraduate projects are not eligible for inclusion.
How do I add funders or edit funders after I have saved and logged out of my project?
Log in to your project. On your display page at the VERY BOTTOM you will see an “Add Funders” link. Click on this link to add funders. If you wish to edit the information, go to the bottom of the display page once you have logged in. You may edit your funder amounts by clicking on the “edit” link on each individual funder line. PLEASE NOTE: do not select the edit tab at the top of the page as the funder edit and add features are not included here.