Grants and Underwriting

Grants:

Members are encouraged to pursue grants to support their projects or ideas, and there are many ways that Holyoke Media can be supportive of grants by: 

• providing letters of support, 
• directing project partnership, 
• providing in-kind contributions and fiscal sponsorship. 

Before targeting a grant that involves Holyoke Media, a member seeking a grant must discuss the project with the Executive Director to establish the scope of the project and the ways the organization can be supportive. 

Underwriting:

Holyoke Media offers support to producers interested in soliciting underwriting support for their programs. Acknowledgement of underwriting by businesses, organizations or grantors providing monetary or other assistance to the making of the program must be included in the program credits. Underwriting announcements may include the underwriter’s name, business name, logo, and up to a 15-second, value neutral statement of the nature of the underwriter’s contribution or product. Prohibited are direct sales talk, product pricing, marketing, or “calls-to-action” which disclose specific products on sale.

Any producer that is interested in soliciting underwriters must submit to the Executive Director for approval a fact sheet that they will give to potential sponsors. The fact sheet should include:

• A clear synopsis of what underwriting can and cannot be, as defined in this policy and relevant FCC Law.
• The rate of sponsorship.
• The term of sponsorship.

The following is an example of a typical underwriting announcement:

(Name of program) is brought to you in part by (name of business). Located at (address), (name of business) carries (list of products). (Name of program) thanks (name of business) for its support.

Commercial advertising is prohibited from all Holyoke Media channels.

At no time, and under no circumstance, will members present themselves as a representative of Holyoke Media. Members who solicit underwriting bear full responsibility for the creation and implementation of all sponsorship responsibilities, and agree to indemnify and hold harmless Holyoke Media, the organizations staff, Board of Directors and volunteers against any and all claims arising from the solicitation of underwriting.

Additional information about the FCC standard for Underwriting Announcements on Noncommercial Educational Stations can be found in The Public and Broadcasting.