NEED HELP WRITING A GRANT PROPOSAL OR FINE TUNING YOUR EDIT?

In my 20s I was hired as a grants administrator at an organization called The Film Fund.  My job was to read the proposals, weed out the ineligible ones, organize and convene the grant panel, take notes as they discussed each film, and then notify the winners and losers.  I didn’t know it then, but it was the best possible training for a career as an independent filmmaker because I learned what makes a project fundable — or not. 

I’ve since received funding for my films from the NEA, NYSCA, NYFA, BPM, ITVS, IDA Enterprise, Women In Film, Southern Documentary Fund, the Jerome Foundation, Film Independent and the list goes on.  I’ve also been awarded fellowships from Firelight Media, Chicken ‘n Egg Pictures, Creative Capital, Breaking Through The Lens, and the Soros Foundation.

 Over the years I’ve shared my grant writing knowledge with fellow filmmakers and mentored up and coming filmmakers on their grant proposals and edits both informally and formally through Outfest Traverse 32, BGDM MafiaMind, Firelight Media, Southern Documentary Fund Mentorship and AXS Film Fund.

If you’d like my advice on your project, please reach out.

I’D LOVE TO HELP YOU!!!

TESTIMONIALS:

“The Southern Documentary Fund is dedicated to supporting Southern documentary filmmakers, and we chose Daresha’s grant application as a template for our resource page because it’s an outstanding example of how to craft a compelling, clear, and effective application. It sets a high standard and offers a valuable roadmap for emerging filmmakers navigating the grant process.”

—Christopher Everett, Artistic Director

Southern Documentary Fund

“Daresha’s extraordinary guidance was nothing short of transformative for me as a first-time director. Her brilliant story feedback, combined with her generous mentorship in navigating the grant writing process gave me both the foundation and confidence I needed to launch my film career.”

                                                                                   —Maximina Juson, Producer/Director

                                                                                        One Person, One Vote

After writing a proposal several different ways and multiple times, often there's information you think you have effectively conveyed only to realize that although it may be in your head, it's not on the page. Daresha helped us develop our story more completely. Her tweaks and adjustments helped to round out and fill in the knowledge gaps so that it was accessible to proposal readers, leaving no questions unanswered!

                                                                                    —Anjanette Levert, Producer

                                                                                        The Only Doctor, Peabody winner

 My first film job was as an Associate Producer on Daresha’s film Chavela.  By proofreading what she wrote for an NEA grant application, I learned first-hand what a master storyteller she is — not only on screen but on paper. Daresha is an empathetic storyteller who gets right down to the heart of each story she tells and does not shy away from difficult decisions. And that energy can be seen in her grant writing - she dives deep into the questions and makes her application so powerful you can’t say no! 

                                                                                    —Laura Tatham, Producer

                                                                                      Mama Bears, All We Carry, WTO/99