Great news this week. The Lost Sea Expedition series has been accepted by IDA, the International Documentary Association. This lets us accept tax-deductible donations for the TV series. Here’s how that works.
The Lost Sea Expedition has been selected to premier on Rocky Mountain PBS. Rocky Mountain PBS is the largest PBS affiliate in the Rocky Mountains. It is a classic, first tier distribution platform. However, Rocky Mountain PBS does not pay us to air the Lost Sea Expedition. That means I have to come up with all the money to make the series. IDA helps us raise those funds.
How Fiscal Sponsorship Works
IDA provides what is called “fiscal sponsorship”. From the IDA site (documentary.org):
Fiscal sponsorship is a formal arrangement in which a 501(c)(3) public charity, such as the IDA, agrees to sponsor a project that furthers our mission, for the purpose of fundraising through grants and donations. This alternative to starting your own nonprofit allows you to seek grants and solicit tax-deductible donations for your documentary, with the oversight, support, and endorsement of one of the most long-standing and trusted charities in the field.
This means we (via IDA) can now accept tax-deducible gifts from individuals, corporations, endowments and non-profits. This takes two steps.
Step 1: an individual, corporation, endowment or non-profit makes a tax-deductible gift to IDA.
Step 2: IDA transfers the gift to the Lost Sea Expedition series.
How IDA Helps
We are looking for underwriters (aka sponsors) interested in underwriting the Lost Sea Expedition series. Partnering with IDA and the Lost Sea Expedition would be a great way to put your or your organization in front of high quality Public Television viewers. Now, when given through IDA, that donation is tax-deductible.
Here’s a copy of IDA’s Letter of Determination (IRS documentation verifying that IDA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. )
For more information on making tax-deductible gifts, please contact us.
Or, if you’d just like to make a (non-deductible) gift to the series, you can donate right here.
Thanks for pulling with us!