About Independent Arts & Media
To steward and empower independent art and media projects that foster community and civic participation, and facilitate cultural engagement and free expression.
Focus Areas
arts & culturemediajournalismcommunity engagementcivic participationfiscal sponsorship servicescapacity building and training
Who They Fund
communities targeted by hate crimesmarginalized or vulnerable populations affected by hate
Funding Style
program supportproject-specific fundinggeneral operating/programmatic support
About Independent Arts & Media
Independent Arts & Media backs projects that sit at the intersection of independent art, media, community engagement, and civic participation. The largest recent grant in the data went to CinemaSF for program support, a sign that the funder supports cultural programming as part of its broader mission to steward independent art and media projects. Another major recipient, Art Forces, appears multiple times across different years, including grants for program support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, which points to continued support for an organization rather than one-off funding only. The foundation also gives to publications and media producers, including The Atlantic Monthly Grp LLC, The Frisc, Upstream Podcast LLC, and KidNuz, alongside arts organizations such as The Crucible, Little Boxes Theater, and Mpowerdance Company. Its stated focus areas include arts and culture, media, journalism, community engagement, civic participation, fiscal sponsorship services, capacity building and training, and a topic taxonomy centered on hate-prevention, community safety and resilience, and public awareness about hate incidents. The recipient list shows a mix of cultural institutions, local media, and community-facing projects, all funded through program support and related forms of direct support.
What Independent Arts & Media Funds
In arts and culture, Independent Arts & Media funded CinemaSF with $246,891 for program support and Little Boxes Theater with $71,000 for program support. The recipient list also includes The Crucible, which received $65,340 in 2024 and $36,000 in 2024, along with a 2023 grant of $31,500. In media and journalism, the foundation supported The Frisc with $74,366 in 2024 and $63,639 in 2023, and gave $33,062 to Mendocino News Media LLC in 2024. For audio and reporting formats, it funded Upstream Podcast LLC with $76,184 in 2025 and KidNuz with $41,544 in 2023. Community-oriented cultural work also appears in grants to Shaping San Francisco, including $55,836 in 2025 and $51,687 in 2024, which fits the foundation’s emphasis on community engagement and civic participation.
How Independent Arts & Media Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with p25 at $15,324, a median of $26,882, and p75 at $48,818. The recent list shows repeated support for several recipients across multiple years, including Art Forces, The Frisc, Shaping San Francisco, Wasatch Public Media, and The Crucible, which suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards. Independent Arts & Media is a regular funder, not a DAF, and it does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. The grants in the data are overwhelmingly tagged as program support or programmatic support, with some entries also described as general operating/programmatic support.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$854K
Total Assets
$6M
Total Revenue
$5.4M
Total Expenses
$5M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $15K and $49K, with a median of $27K.
25th Percentile
$15K
Median
$27K
75th Percentile
$49K
Geographic Reach
Local7 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Lisa Burger
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