2026 FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
As we move into our new fiscal year, we are working to close a gap in our operating budget.
And right now, your gift can go twice as far: DER’s board members and key supporters have pledged to match up to $15,000 on donations through October 1st. If you’re able, would you consider making a gift today — while the match lasts?
Make a Donation Today
This has been one of DER’s most productive years in recent memory — and it wouldn’t have been possible without donors like you. Here’s a glimpse of what your support has made possible:
This has been one of DER’s most productive years in recent memory — and it wouldn’t have been possible without donors like you. Here’s a glimpse of what your support has made possible:
- New Streaming Platform — We are just weeks away from launching DER’s own independent streaming platform, dramatically expanding access to our films for learners, scholars, and audiences around the world. University interest has already been strong, and we can’t wait to share it with our full community.
- Community Circle Membership Program — We launched our new membership program to connect with our stakeholders and broaden our base of support. Members receive streaming access to a curated rotating showcase of films from DER’s collection.
- Filmmaker Q&As — We hosted five online filmmaker conversations with creators documenting a remarkable range of human experience — from French-speaking African and Canadian immigrants in Maine to Mursi tribe members in Ethiopia, LGBTQ Native American dancers in the American Southwest, and textile workers in China.
- Community Film Screening — We piloted a local film screening model in Roslindale, MA, and welcomed dozens of community members for an evening of film and conversation.
- $300K in Grant Funding — We secured $300,000 from the NEA, the Firebird Foundation, Mass Cultural Council and the Mead Trust in support of operations and programs including our Community Curator Fellowship, supporting dialog around indigenous and heritage-based films, and the remastering of our historic Mead-Bateson film collection.
- New Releases — We’ve added nine new films to our collection over the past year, with more than a dozen additional titles in our production queue. Check out DER’s most recent catalog for more info on our new films.
- Remastering Ju/hoansi film and reconnecting with the community — Restoration of the classic Ju/hoansi (!Kung San) films Bitter Melons and N/um Tchai is nearly complete and we’re planning launch activities for the fall. We continue efforts to make the full collection accessible to the community in Nyae Nyae. Read more about our 2024 trip.
To learn more about this campaign and our plans for the future of DER, check out our case statement below and contact Alice Apley () with your questions.
Or download this case statement as a PDF:
