Field of Vision Inc

What it reported doing in 2025

Field of Vision is a filmmaker and artist driven organization that commissions, creates and supports original short-form and feature-length nonfiction films and episodic series about developing and ongoing stories around the globe.Field of Visions mission is to support work that uses innovative and artistic ways to explore contemporary global issues through a cinematic lens, and to push the boundaries of nonfiction storytelling.We are committed to supporting films and filmmakers from communities that have been historically underrepresented in the independent film industry. In 2025 we granted out over $200,000 to short and feature film teams. In addition to the financial support with our funding, we also offer filmmakers services as follows: A) Mentorship & Consultation Services/Office Hours: our mentorship and consultation service started at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Field of Vision first offered virtual "office hours" for the documentary community, providing over 200 meetings to filmmakers around the world partially in response to the ever-changing landscape of our industry that was exacerbated by the pandemic. To date, we have taken over 450 meetings globally and have since re-launched this mentorship and consultation program twice to offer a broader range of support, allowing us to collaborate with other organizations and institutions within the documentary and filmmaking community to widen the scope of our free service. This program is now made possible by the generous support of NYSCA. In the most recent round, we collaborated with our dear friends and partners at Firelight Media and FWD-DOC: Documentary Filmmakers With Disabilities, DCTV, Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Art Center, Museum of the Moving Image, and Youth FX.B) Digital Security Clinic: Field of Vision continued its partnership with Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), an organization at the forefront of advancing digital security best practices in journalism, to host the 2025 installment of the free digital security clinic for documentary filmmaking professionals, featuring group training and individual consultations. For the fifth round of the Clinic, time was spent time digging into high-priority concerns filmmakers have around protecting footage, communication, devices, and field work.C) IF/Then Shorts: a fund and mentorship program for short documentaries that supports storytellers in breaking barriers to access, exposure, and sustainability in the media landscape. IF/Then Shorts continued to support their active and alumni filmmakers in 2025. Several new filmmakers were brought into the fold at the beginning of the year through an accessibility-focused initiative. Those teams received one-on-one mentorship, and film festival and distribution guidance throughout the year, and several went on to premiere at top-tier film festivals globally.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 100%; rating input score 100
• Program expense ratio: 58.3%; rating input score 58
• Fundraising efficiency: Limited

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 92.3%; rating input score 92; 18th percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: 3 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Compensation committee: Missing
  • Independent consultant: Missing
  • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
  • Written employment contract: Missing
  • Compensation survey or study: Pass
  • Board or committee approval: Pass
• Foreign activity oversight: 0 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 0
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Fail
  • Requires narrative reports: Fail
  • Conducts field audits: Fail
  • May suspend future funding: Fail
  • Requires financial reports: Fail
  • Conducts site visits: Fail
  • Requires grant agreements: Fail
  • May require repayment: Fail
• Grant itemization coverage: 98%; rating input score 98; 49th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 66.7%; rating input score 67; 17th percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Pass
  • Document-retention policy: Pass
  • CEO compensation review process: Pass
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Pass
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Pass
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: -143%; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.47; rating input score 70; 70th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.02; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 26.9%; rating input score 10; 10th percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: -26.2% per year; rating input score 0; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: -123.8% per year; rating input score 0; 0th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -23.5% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings