Moonshot Initiative co-executive director Katrina Medoff shares what it's like behind the scenes at our nonprofit — and how you can ensure our survival.
Lately, whenever my friends and family have asked how things are going at Moonshot Initiative, I say it’s been great — but also really hard.
Great because we’re doing something we’re so passionate about, creating such an amazing community of women and nonbinary filmmakers, and offering the exact kind of programming we want to participate in.
Hard because we became a nonprofit at one of the most difficult times in the industry, and it often feels impossible to stay afloat financially long enough to get to our next program. As we rebranded from Women’s Weekend Film Challenge to Moonshot Initiative and got our official nonprofit status, the industry was coming out of a strike where everyone was hit hard, and many sponsors stopped being able to lend financial support. Meanwhile, DEI programs are getting slashed across the board, and the equity and diversity programs that seemed so buzzy just a few years ago are seen as a trend of the past. But we’re more than half the population — we’re not just a “trend”!
We’re a tiny team, but we punch way above our weight in terms of the programming we offer. Behind the scenes, it’s just me and Tracy Sayre, the co-founders and co-executive directors; Makana Lani, our communications director; and Kendall Davis, our program coordinator. We have an incredible board including Elle Johnson (co-showrunner, Netflix's "Self Made"), Jasmine Russ (VP of production and development at Fabel Entertainment), Eden Martinez (filmmaker), Janet Graham Borba (VP of production for HBO and Max), and Aisha Besson (accountant), who pour so much into this mission. Our donors, sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and community have made it possible for us to keep going and keep growing these past six years, despite the pandemic, the impact of the strikes, and lack of funding.
But we need your help. Our entire community is so excited about our October 2024 film challenge, but so far we’ve only raised 10% of the funds we need to make it happen (thank you to Western Digital and The Tremaine Foundation!). We’ve applied for tons of grants, but the process is slow and even if we get funding for Moonshot, it won’t come through till 2025.
So if Moonshot Initiative has impacted you or your loved ones in any way, we’re asking you to contribute to our $20,000 fundraiser this week.
So many people have told us that Moonshot’s programming has helped them build their community, learn something new, make the film, write the script, or pitch their project, or that we inspired them to keep going in a difficult industry. If all of those people come together this week, we’ll be able to start accepting applications for our 2024 film challenge at the end of this month! More importantly, these funds will help us bridge the gap so that our organization as a whole can keep going.
Please consider donating to our fundraiser here:
Moonshot Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Your donations are tax-deductible.
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