OUR STORY

Back in 2013 Steve and Paula organized the first Chicago documentary crowdfunding event convening filmmakers, institutions, individuals, non-profit impact organizations, and foundations to foster deep connections around social impact documentaries.

They raised over $400,000, connected 100+ organizations to films, and impacted countless lives by helping important documentaries reach the finish line.

And that’s when they knew:

“We need to keep this momentum going and work every day to connect impactful media to resources they need.”

THIS WAS THE BIRTH OF CMP.

Some of our earliest supporters know us also as Chicago Media Project - and our heart and soul is rooted in our founding city.

We now go by our acronym CMP because it nods to our roots and speaks to our deeper purpose: COMMUNITY. MEDIA. PHILANTHROPY.

In 2014 we launched CMP as a hub for our broad network of friends & partners. Our four founding principles:

• Support media that sparks people to action

• Connect people in our network through engaging experiences

• Share great media content with this community to inspire greater impact

• Stay nimble & dynamic to innovate new ways of supporting media-makers

OUR COMMITMENT:

CMP has always believed that media can drive social change because of its power to amplify under-represented voices. We understand that visual media is a powerful (and especially accessible) conduit for truth, information, and emotional connection. It is a tool that can reach across cultural boundaries to not only educate, but catalyze people to act.

We also believe that under-represented voices deserve a seat at the CMP table just as much as they deserve to have their stories amplified in the media we support. Since our founding in 2014, we have endeavored to build a diverse community that spans states, ages, races, backgrounds, and interests. CMP members—the backbone of our organization—believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are integral to our mission and inseparable from the issues we support. 

Everyone has a right to participate in culture. 

Where barriers to participation exist, we commit to finding solutions that tear them down. And for this work to be sustained and long-term, we will lean on our values: transparency, integrity, authenticity, and courageous communication.

The heart of our work is to lift, amplify, and celebrate multiple points of view. We are dedicated to creating a culture where difference is both respected and valued. Our commitment to inclusion drives all facets of our work, from the issues we discuss and the stories we tell, to the filmmakers, audience, and member community we engage. 

As we grow our organization, we will strive to create an environment in our workplace and through our projects and programs where everyone—our members, staff, filmmakers and audience—feels heard, seen, represented, and empowered to express their full, authentic selves.

Since our founding, we’ve created dozens of film festivals, pitch events, panel discussions, and screenings.

The projects we’ve supported range from intimate human stories to innovative VR content on topics from racial injustice to gun violence to climate change to fair democracy and more.

Our films have won every major award — Emmys, Oscars, Peabodys — precisely because they spoke truth to power. That’s the kind of work we’re here to do.