Independent Arts & Media
Independent Arts & Media (IAM) is a San Francisco, California–based public charity, formed in 2000, that supports independent arts and media projects through fiscal sponsorship. Its website describes fiscal sponsorship as enabling projects to receive charitable donations and grants under IAM’s tax-exempt status; it also states that sponsored Affiliates are responsible for their own fundraising and that IAM does not award funding to projects through fiscal sponsorship.
Independent Arts & Media at a glance
In short: Independent Arts & Media gave $854K across 18 grants in 2024 (avg $47K), mostly in California. 56% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $854,039
- +46.5% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 18
- -5.3% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $47,447
- +54.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $29,768
- Total assets
- $6,046,594
- +9.4% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 56% first-time grantees (10 of 18, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (90% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Independent Arts & Media
- How to Apply
-
IAM’s application page says it is no longer accepting applications for consideration in 2026 and invites applicants to sign up for announcements about its Spring 2027 application cycle. The page says IAM may consider applications at other times depending on circumstances. For an application, it requests a completed Fiscal Sponsorship Application Form, a Project Budget Worksheet with detailed budget notes, and optional supporting materials or work samples. Applicants submit the materials by email; IAM says it confirms receipt within 5–7 business days, then invites project leaders to a short meeting with the Executive Director. Model A applicants must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The page says Model A approvals require IAM Board approval and encourages most projects to apply first for Model C+ sponsorship, with the possibility of converting to Model A.
- Review Cycle
- The listed Fall 2026 deadline was August 10, 2026, which has passed. The page lists interviews by August 25, 2026; its decision-notification date is incomplete.
- Deadline
- The listed Fall 2026 deadline was August 10, 2026, which has passed.
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 420442, San Francisco, CA 94142
Phone: (415) 738-4975
Website: https://artsandmedia.net
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Independent Arts & Media funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was CinemaSF ($247K). Together the top 10 received $753K.
Grant Size Distribution
77 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 57 grants of 77 (74%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
IAM’s stated purpose encompasses the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding regional and national communities. Its website says most Affiliates are in the Bay Area, while its 2024 filing identifies Affiliates elsewhere in the United States, including New York, Illinois, Nevada, Utah, and Massachusetts. For 2024 grant dollars, the recipient-state distribution was California 90%, Illinois 8%, Georgia 1%, and Nevada 1%. Model A fiscal sponsorship applications are limited to projects based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 18 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Independent Arts & Media open to new grantees?
56%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 10 of 18 grantees (56%) were first-time recipients. With only 18 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $53K; repeat grants $40K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $29K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $583K (2023) to $1.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 18 grants totaling $854K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| CinemaSF San Francisco, CA | Program support | $246,891 |
| Art Forces Oakland, CA | Program Support | $102,709 |
| Upstream Podcast LLC San Francisco, CA | Program Support | $76,184 |
| Little Boxes Theater San Francisco, CA | Program support | $71,000 |
| Lansing Journal LLC Lansing, IL | Program Support | $67,000 |
| Shaping San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Program Support | $55,836 |
| Fatasilima LLC San Francisco, CA | Program support | $38,025 |
| Mpowerdance Company San Francisco, CA | Program Support | $36,000 |
| Flamenco Arts International Redwood City, CA | Program support | $31,525 |
| Coalition to Grow San Francis Oakland, CA | Program Support | $28,010 |
Ready to take the next step with Independent Arts & Media?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The filing type is Form 990 (a public charity).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $6,046,594 | $5,422,368 | $4,981,414 | $854,039 | 18 | $57,793 |
| 2023 | $5,526,115 | $5,897,959 | $2,994,186 | $583,015 | 19 | $3,557 |
| 2022 | $2,686,287 | $3,974,178 | $3,907,634 | $617,556 | 14 | $9,983 |
| 2021 | $2,559,764 | $3,960,803 | $3,223,436 | $586,004 | 13 | $12,227 |
| 2020 | $1,765,650 | $3,883,542 | $3,245,014 | $1,693,485 | 13 | $1,700 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
IAM’s mission is to steward and empower independent art and media projects that foster community and civic participation and facilitate cultural engagement and free expression. Its stated charitable purpose is to support the educational, cultural, and social levels of residents of the San Francisco Bay Area and surrounding regional and national communities through non-commercial projects for the general public.
IAM’s website lists affiliate work in publishing, theater, dance, music, visual art, film and video, radio, mixed media and transmedia, journalism, history, and public events. The organization’s 2024 filing also describes support for projects serving underserved, minority, and low-income communities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, IAM reported 18 grants totaling $854,039. Grant amounts ranged from $5,400 to $246,891, with a median of $29,768. The largest listed grants included CinemaSF ($246,891), Art Forces ($102,709), Upstream Podcast LLC ($76,184), Little Boxes Theater ($71,000), and Lansing Journal LLC ($67,000). Each was listed for program support.
IAM’s filing says grantees must describe how grant funds will be spent and submit semiannual written reports on programs conducted and expenditures. IAM reviews those reports to verify that funds were used for the project and in furtherance of its exempt purpose.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Lisa Burger as Executive Director. Other listed officers and directors are Lanita Pace, Development Director; Deana Balinton, Director of Partnerships and Operations; Jenny Balisle, Project Director; Julia Malta-Weingard, Communications Director; Maria Tuttle, Director; Afia Thompson, Director; Matthew Dedon, Director; Ahmad Kakar, Treasurer; and Alexandria Wyllie, Secretary.
Independent Arts & Media is led by Lisa Burger, Executive Director since 2023 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 12 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Lisa Burger
Executive Director
President → Executive Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$60K (2020) → $97K (2024)
Eric Wallner
President
Director → President, 2023
On filings since 2022
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Afia Thompson
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
$12K (2022) → $3K (2024)
Deana Balinton
Director of Ptrshps & Ops
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$112K (2024)
Jenny Balisle
Project Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$105K (2024)
Julia Malta-Weingard
Committee Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$104K (2024)
Lanita Pace
Develop Director
New on the 2024 filing
40 hrs/week
$128K (2024)
Maria Tuttle
Director
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
$22K (2024)
Robert Philipson
Director
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Matthew Dedon
Director
New on the 2024 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ahmad Kakar
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2022
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Alexandria Wyllie
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2022
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (6)
- Former: Krystal Beasley (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Benjamin Russell (2020–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Anthony St George (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Atticus Wolf (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Donna Hilliard (2020–2021) — Project Director
- Former: Martin Caplan (2020–2021) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $128K, to Lanita Pace (Develop Dir). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Independent Arts & Media
How much does Independent Arts & Media give each year?
Independent Arts & Media gave $854K across 18 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $583K across 19 grants.
What is Independent Arts & Media's typical grant size?
Independent Arts & Media's median grant in 2024 was $29,768, and its average grant was $47,447, across 18 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Independent Arts & Media that year got $53K on average.
Where does Independent Arts & Media give grants?
Independent Arts & Media gives mostly in California: 90% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Illinois (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (8 grants) and Oakland, CA (2 grants).
Does Independent Arts & Media give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 18 grants with a stated purpose on Independent Arts & Media's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Program Support" (18 grants).
Who are Independent Arts & Media's largest grantees?
Independent Arts & Media's largest 2024 grantees include CinemaSF ($246,891), Art Forces ($102,709) and Upstream Podcast LLC ($76,184), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 50% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Independent Arts & Media?
Independent Arts & Media reported $6.0M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.4M.
What does Independent Arts & Media fund?
IAM’s mission is to steward and empower independent art and media projects that foster community and civic participation and facilitate cultural engagement and free expression. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Independent Arts & Media?
IAM’s application page says it is no longer accepting applications for consideration in 2026 and invites applicants to sign up for announcements about its Spring 2027 application cycle. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Independent Arts & Media's EIN?
Independent Arts & Media's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 94-3355076. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 30, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS September 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 13, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS September 26, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS September 12, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Independent Arts & Media's focus areas in our free grants database
Similar Funders
Funders that support many of the same organizations
The Oakland Public Education Fund
Oakland, CA
The Oakland Public Education Fund supports Oakland public schools and education-focused projects, including classroom and professional-development mini-grants, school programs, and fiscal sponsorship. Giving ranges widely: recent grants were $5,077 to $3,853,313, with a median of $8,000; its mini-grants are generally capped at $1,500 per person or project, or $5,000 for group professional development. Its work centers on Oakland, and its A to Z Fund accepts applications from eligible staff at Oakland public schools and programs.
Assets
$24.9M
Grants
28
Total Given
$5.1M
Miranda Lux Foundation
San Rafael, CA
The Miranda Lux Foundation funds pre-vocational and vocational education, academic enrichment, technology training, and arts programs that build job skills for young people ages 18 and under in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its 2025 grants ranged from $10,000 to $30,000, with a median of $15,000. It accepts proposals on a continuing basis from eligible 501(c)(3) organizations; there is no standard application form or deadline.
Assets
$13.1M
Grants
30
Total Given
$525K
The Barrios Trust
Oakland, CA
The Barrios Trust funds educational and developmental programs, enrichment, and scholarships for economically disadvantaged young people, primarily in the greater Oakland metropolitan area. Its website lists grants of $1,000–$10,000, though 2025 awards ranged from $2,500 to $15,000. It does not accept unsolicited requests; applications are limited to current and past grantees.
Assets
$1.2M
Grants
48
Total Given
$473K
Kelson Foundation
San Francisco, CA
The Kelson Foundation supports organizations serving overlooked and underserved populations, including work in democracy and civic participation, education, women’s political leadership, and trail stewardship. Its 2024 grants ranged from $1,000 to $1 million, with a median of $50,000; the largest shares went to recipients in Washington, DC, New York, California, Vermont, and Massachusetts. It does not accept unsolicited funding requests and gives only to preselected organizations.
Assets
$149.0M
Grants
65
Total Given
$8.2M
Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr Fund
San Francisco, CA
The Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund supports equality and justice work, including democracy, immigrant rights, college success, leadership, environmental stewardship, and community initiatives. In 2024, it made 180 grants totaling $24.5 million, with a median grant of $33,250; most funding went to California. It does not accept unsolicited requests, and grant-portal access is by invitation only.
Assets
$484.0M
Grants
180
Total Given
$24.5M
Patricia S Hodgson Charitable
Atlanta, GA
Assets
$1.6M
Grants
3
Total Given
$35K
More similar funders
More Funders in California
The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Independent Arts & Media's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Independent Arts & Media down — hundreds of funders to go?