Supporter
$10/mo
Funds a day.
- Funds one fixer day rate in an active theater
- Weekly "Dispatches from the Frontline" newsletter
- Early access to new episodes (48h window)
- Name listed in supporter credit reel
Your dollar is the difference between the story that gets told and the one that doesn't.
No network green-lights an embed on a 48-hour turnaround. The fixer in Khartoum, the body armor rental in Kharkiv, the satellite uplink from Port-au-Prince — every line item on our production ledger is paid for by recurring readers like you. We don't run on advertising. We run on the people who decide this journalism is worth keeping in the world.
Radical Transparency
Where the money goes.
Frontline journalism is not cheap and it is not abstract. Below is what your recurring support actually underwrites — the line items our production accountant reconciles every quarter.
-
01
Field Insurance & Security
Hostile-environment medical and evacuation coverage for every crew member deployed. Non-negotiable, and the single largest per-embed line item.
~28% of budget -
02
Local Fixers & Translators
Day rates for the in-country journalists, drivers, and linguists who make access possible. Paid in cash, in local currency, above regional market rate.
~22% of budget -
03
Satellite Uplink & Transmitters
Bgan, Inmarsat, and Starlink Mini subscriptions that move footage out of low-connectivity theaters within hours, not weeks.
~14% of budget -
04
Archival Licensing & Source Release
Music clearance, drone permits, archive footage, and the legal review that lets us publish 1,800+ hours of raw material under Creative Commons.
~11% of budget
Three Tiers. Three Operational Roles.
Pick the crew seat you're underwriting.
These aren't abstract donation levels. Each tier corresponds to a concrete production unit we staff, equip, and deploy. Cancel anytime — your contribution stops at the end of the billing cycle, and your name comes off the credit reel.
Most chosen
Field Producer
$35/mo
Funds an embed.
- Funds one full correspondent embed (travel, insurance, per diem)
- All Supporter benefits, plus
- Quarterly virtual production briefings with the editorial team
- Access to the full source-verified raw archive (1,800+ hours)
- Signed series art print, mailed annually
Embed a Crew
$250/mo
Funds an episode.
- Underwrites a full production unit — correspondent, fixer, driver, gear
- All Field Producer benefits, plus
- Co-credit in the episode's closing titles (opt-in)
- Private screening link with the director's commentary track
- Two seats at our annual Brooklyn premiere
Prefer a one-time gift? Our current Kickstarter round funds the Sudan field unit. Patreon handles recurring support. Both are processed under The Frontline Movie Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3).
We have waited nine weeks for a single network to green-light an embed we knew had a 72-hour shelf life. By the time the paperwork cleared, the story had been swallowed by the next news cycle. Our supporters — fourteen thousand of them, mostly people we'll never meet — move faster than any broadcaster we've ever pitched. That is the entire business model of The Frontline Movie.
By the Numbers
A working operation, not a passion project.
14,200
Individual supporters funding the work
$3.8M
Raised across three crowdfunding rounds
47
Countries filmed in since the 2018 launch
1,800hrs
Source-verified raw material released
Grants from the Pulitzer Center, the Ford Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders supplement — but never replace — individual support.
Frequently Asked, Honestly Answered
The questions a discerning donor asks first.
Is my contribution tax-deductible?
Yes. The Frontline Movie Project, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Patreon receipts and Kickstarter pledges both generate an end-of-year donation statement from our accountant, suitable for U.S. federal filing. International supporters should consult their local jurisdiction — we can supply an equivalent letter on request.
What's the difference between Patreon and Kickstarter?
Patreon handles monthly recurring support — that's how we keep the lights on between episodes. Kickstarter funds discrete production rounds: right now, the round is underwriting the Sudan field unit. One is a subscription; the other is a single bet on a specific story.
Do grant funders have editorial control?
No. Our grants from the Pulitzer Center, the Ford Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders come with explicit editorial independence clauses. We disclose every funder in the closing credits of every episode and in our annual report, and we have never altered a story to satisfy a funder's preference. If a funder ever asked us to, we'd return the money.
Where does the raw footage go?
Every episode ships with the full time-stamped source archive — over 1,800 hours to date — released under Creative Commons Attribution. Field Producer supporters and above get a private browse link to the raw archive as part of their tier. Researchers, academics, and other newsrooms can request access directly.