Fundraising is increasingly a key element in developing independent cinemas. The ability to successfully fundraise will go a long way to supporting the growth and financial stability of your cinema business.
Cinemas require funds for a wide range of business development needs such as building or reconfiguring an existing site to accommodate additional screens; improving or updating facilities such as seating and digital projection or the inclusion of new catering facilities; broadening and diversifying the film programme to develop new audiences.
This guide aims to give you an overview of different types of fundraising along with details of the organisations and various funds you can approach, and apply to, in order to support developing an existing cinema (traditional or community), film club or festival.
Several of the funds we look at will support new programming strategies and developing other areas of your film business. Types of fundraising covered include sponsorship, trusts, grants and business funding schemes as well as more traditional public funding and crowdfunding.