Sustainability and Innovation Fund

Washington, D.C. and its surrounding communities offer a plethora of organizations, museums and performances that make what is “local” also national.

• Continue WETA’s outstanding record of producing programming for national audiences.
• Provide seed money to produce new programming that inspires a shared experience and access to content that is inspiring, educating, entertaining, and connecting communities and cultures.

WETA was founded as an educational resource and a safe, non-commercial television environment for children. We have increased our offerings over the past six decades, but children and families are still our core mission.

• Ensure lifelong learning for all who seek enrichment, inspiration, and information is WETA’s guide star.
• Expansion of awareness and the utilization of our educational programming resources on television, on digital platforms, in classrooms, and in the community.

Grow the consumers of public media to build upon the existing significant and supportive audiences that result in loyal relationships for the future.

• Meet our audiences where they are consuming content. WETA must keep pace with this evolution while maintaining existing free delivery systems.
• Flexibility of funding to target and develop audience that will help WETA to meet the challenges of the changing media landscape.

Substantive, thoughtful journalism plays a critical role in helping us make sense of our world, enriching public discourse and fostering citizen engagement.

• Support reporting that is not bound by borders, topic, or available resources to add breadth and depth to timely journalism.
• Ensure that WETA will continue to produce award-winning news and public affairs programs.
• Maintain the highest journalistic standards and editorial independence.