Cover Photo From Creative Commons
This week, we’re going to take a deep dive into a few nonprofits that are within the film industry. This is an exciting area to explore, as it drives competition in the ever-evolving film world. Specifically, we will look at the Sundance Institute and The Entertainment Industry Foundation.
Sundance
The Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization with a mission that is dedicated to independent artists and audiences. Their organization has over 165 employees and grants over $3 million every year. Each year, Sundance Institute holds a film festival that showcases a collection of independent films. The film festival is centered around advancements for these independent artists. The festival spreads the word about artists and creators, as it has a diverse crowd of artists, directors, film producers, and more.
The festival will be held in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, for the annual 2026 showing. Excitingly, Sundance just revealed that their new home for the 2027 Sundance Music Festival will be in Boulder, Colorado.
The Sundance Institute does an incredible job at promoting the festival, as well as its mission, through social media. Their social media accounts are active and constantly updating eager participants of the festival application processes and deadlines. In 2023, the festival attracted over 86,000 people to its in-person film events.
Not only is the Sundance Film Festival an incredible platform for a nonprofit, but it is also efficient. It has become an esteemed event that hundreds of thousands of people have attended over the past several years. The film festival helps over 1000 emerging artists each year.
The film festival also brings incredible resources to where it is held, boosting tourism and attracting visitors from all over the country to attend. This money supports local businesses and foundations, as well as the money that The Sundance Institute receives. The film festival is an incredible way to provide incentives through nonprofit support to help emerging indie film artists reach mainstream media.
The Entertainment Industry Foundation
For over 80 years, one of the most prominent nonprofit organizations in the entertainment world, the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), has been paving the way to raise awareness and funds for health, social issues, and education. The EIF has over 50 employees and has raised over $1 billion to date. The EIF also supports over 200 charities each year and has donated more than $1 billion in advertising support.
The Entertainment Industry Foundation supports hundreds of different causes, including fiscally sponsored funds, EIF programs, and public service campaigns. Some of their campaigns utilize celebrities to gain awareness and become the face of the campaign. For example, Olivia Rodrigo has a campaign called “Olivia Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good” that builds an equitable and just future for women and girls.
The foundation is very active in promoting events and raising awareness through its social media, sharing upcoming events, fun facts, news updates, and donation opportunities. The opportunities to donate and campaigns that have been launched are always current and focus on the most pressing and timely issues.
These nonprofit organizations have a strong foothold in the entertainment industry and continue to revolutionize the field. While these are just two of the most popular nonprofits in the entertainment industry, there are many more to support!
Degan Schloemann 
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