Working Films
Working Films is a left-of-center grantmaking organization that funds the production and promotion of films that promote left-wing political and cultural perspectives. Its aim is to “shift culture” through the creation of films that push left-of-center narratives around issues such as race, environmentalism, immigration, and abortion. 1
Contents
Partners
Founded in 2000, Working Films boasts having funded and promoted over 900 films. It receives funding from several left-of-center grantmakers including the Ford Foundation, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Kendeda Fund, and the Southern Partners Fund. 1
In 2014, Working Films began partnering with the Camden International Film Festival to host the Sustainable Maine program. This project aims to connect filmmakers, influencers, and nonprofits sharing a similar social change mission; as of 2023, it focused on environmental issues. 2 In 2017, Working Films partnered with Planned Parenthood Federation of America to tour Across the Line, a virtual reality simulation that purports to give an experience of “anti-abortion extremists” intimidating women seeking abortions. Their partnership focused on a tour of the southern United States. 3
Projects
Docs in Action
Through its Docs in Action program, Working Films offers funding and provides distribution for short documentary films that focus on selected themes. Some project areas include the immigration-themed Stories Without Borders, the anti-prison Beyond Walls, and the climate change-themed “Revisioning Recovery.” Winners in 2021 included Pen Pals, which highlighted stories of LGBT prisoners, and Belly of the Beast, a documentary about women illegally sterilized while in prison. Films are chosen for funding by member panelists; the 2023 theme was “Worker’s Rights” and the selection panel will include representatives from the United Farm Workers, Amazon Labor Union (ALU), North Carolina State AFL-CIO, and the Union of Southern Service Workers. 4 5
Works-in-Progress Lab
In partnership with the Cucalorus Film Festival, Working Films is the coordinator of the Cucalorus Works-in-Progress Lab. This initiative funds the work of African-American filmmakers and offers creative strategy and publicity feedback, as well as offering public screenings, workshops, and a residency at the Cucalorus campus. The 2021 winners of the Cucalorus grant included Mother Wit, a film about “three Black trans women grieving the death of their matriarch as they fight to achieve their academic ambitions and fulfill promises they made to her.” 6
Impact Kickstart
In a similar vein, Working Films also hosts Impact Kickstart, a funding and marketing strategy prize awarded to filmmakers, with advantage to “underrepresented documentary directors including directors who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC), undocumented, LGBQ+, nonbinary, transgender, disabled, and female directors with a majority female and/or underrepresented film team.” The prize includes $60,000 in funding, networking opportunities with industry partners, and publicity campaign strategy assistance. 7 8
It also collaborated on Zach Galifianakis’ “America Divided” television series with the episode “Democracy for Sale,” which highlights the purported role of monetary influence in shifting the politics of that state. In 2017, it collaborated with Divided Films to show screenings of this episode in hopes of bringing about “campaign finance reform, environmental protection, and an end to racist gerrymandering.” 9
People
Felix Endara is board chair of Working Films and senior program associate for the Foundation for a Just Society. In addition to having produced numerous films such as Kate Bornstein is a Queer and Pleasant Danger, he is also the former program coordinator at the arts think tank Robert Rauschenberg Foundation and project coordinator of the LGBT grantmaking group Stonewall Community Foundation. 10
Financial Statistics
Total Assets
Total Revenue
Total Expenses
| Year | Total Assets | Total Revenue | Total Expenses | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $1,387,340 | $1,035,339 | $1,723,963 | View |
| 2023 | $2,136,705 | $1,802,640 | $1,585,630 | View |
| 2022 | $1,517,898 | $1,390,064 | $1,103,679 | View |
| 2021 | $1,219,106 | $933,538 | $1,089,700 | View |
| 2020 | $1,449,208 | $1,243,851 | $865,812 | View |
Prior year filings: 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011
Revenue Detail
Expenses Detail
Employee Compensation
- Number of Employees: 10
Highest Earning Employees
| Employee | Title | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Molly Murphy | Co-Director | $98,674 |
| Anna Lee | Co-Director | $98,674 |
| Stephanie Avery | Co-Director | $90,000 |
| Gerald Leonard | Co-Director | $90,000 |
| Andrew Myers | Co-Director | $90,000 |
Grant Activity
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $12,493,999
- Number of Grants: 235
- Number of Funders: 55
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
- Total Grant Value: $126,500
- Number of Grants: 3
- Number of Recipients: 3
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:
| Amount | Year | Funder | Subject |
|---|---|---|---|
| $66,500 | 2022 | JoLu Productions, Inc. | |
| $30,000 | 2022 | Fire Through Dry Grass LLC | |
| $30,000 | 2022 | Twin Cities Public Television Inc |