Shaking the Money Tree, 3rd Edition. Morrie Warshawski
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by many sources of funding. The difficult decision is choosing which of these sources is the most appropriate for the filmmaker’s personality and for each project so that energy is placed in the right direction. The filmmaker needs to:
♦ create a fundraising plan
♦ identify the most appropriate sources for each project
♦ research each prospect thoroughly, and then
♦ make the “ask” in the most effective way possible.
There are no deep, dark secrets to fundraising and no set of arcane or insanely difficult skills to acquire. Mainly, fundraising is just plain hard work. One thing that complicates fundraising is that it takes a slightly different set of tools to work in each avenue of possible support. Approaching individuals is different from approaching private foundations. The fundraising letter you send to a corporation will be very different from the one you send to a small business.
This chapter introduces you to the broad categories of possible support and provides an overview of the terrain. I will highlight the “upside” and “downside” of each avenue, list the main ways to research each area, and quickly highlight the means of approach. Later in this book I will be giving much more detail on how to actually conduct your fundraising approaches (e.g., how to write a grant, how to ask an individual for support).
INDIVIDUALS
Upside: Individuals have traditionally represented over 80% of all the donations given to all noncommercial enterprises of all types in the U.S. Individual donors provide the filmmaker with a vast pool of potential support. If a filmmaker needs money quickly, individuals are the fastest source of support. Many individual donations are possible in a short amount of time. Also, this type of fundraising entails establishing a direct connection with the donor, and generally involves very little paperwork.
Downside: This type of fundraising is very labor-intensive. Donations generally trickle in over long periods of time, and arrive in small-to-medium amounts. Individual donations are usually in the hundreds of dollars (or less), occasionally in the thousands of dollars, and very rarely in the tens of thousands of dollars.
How Do I Find Them?
People with money for film and video projects are everywhere — quite often in the most obvious places, the ones filmmakers might take for granted. Here is a laundry list of places and methods for finding individual donors:
♦ In your head. The filmmaker should take a moment to think about everyone he has ever met who likes him and/or might take an interest in his project. Rummage through memories of parties, past jobs, conversations with friends, business luncheons, and attendance at official receptions.
♦ In your Rolodex. The filmmaker should go through every name in his address book, Rolodex, or electronic organizing device and see if these generate any ideas or leads. Look at each and every name and ask: “Is this a person who could be of some help to me? Is this a person whom I should ask for support? Is this a person who might give me leads to other people or organizations?”
♦ In your family. Do not rule out asking close relatives and friends for support — they are often the first donors to a project. Keep in mind that the vast majority of individual donations come from people with annual incomes below $50,000. Filmmakers are often hesitant to ask friends and family, but if they are appropriate and if the filmmaker feels they can afford to help, then the task is to find a comfortable way to make an approach.
♦ In your local newspaper. Check out the appropriate sections of local and national newspapers for people who have shown interest in the topic area of the film (for documentaries), including the business pages and society columns. It is surprising how often newspapers list the causes supported by individuals, and even how much they gave.
♦ Throw a brainstorming party. A very effective way to garner names is to throw a brief evening gathering where the filmmaker asks guests to help brainstorm names of people and organizations that might contribute.
♦ Cast out/into the Net. The Internet is an excellent place to get word out about a filmmaker’s project to niche groups and begin to find people of similar interests who might lend support. Look for appropriate blogs and Web sites by topic area and post notes there if the Webmaster will allow it. Establish a Web site and/or blog of your own and have it linked to other sites where people might want to find you. Become involved in social networking sites (MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
♦ The Social Register (available for a dozen major cities).
♦ Membership and Donor Lists. Check the back of annual reports, performance programs, and Web site donor lists from nonprofit organizations where target donors are likely to have already contributed. This is a rich source of information on potential donors. The lovely thing about these donor lists is that they almost always provide the amount of money each person gave — an important piece of information.
♦ Who’s Who. Editions of Who’s Who are available nationally and for regions, as well as various professions.
How to Approach Individuals
♦ One-on-One (or Two-on-One). This is a direct, in-person “ask” and is statistically the single most effective way to get money. The one-on-one ask may also be the most difficult one to arrange. A variant on this is the over-the-phone ask (only good with people you already know).
♦ Fundraising Houseparty. This is not to be confused with a fundraising event where you charge admission. A fundraising houseparty is one where a number of people are invited to an evening soiree at someone’s home. Everyone invited understands that a presentation will be given that night about your film, and that participants will have a chance to decide about making a contribution. (For a very detailed description of this type of event, refer to my book, The Fundraising Houseparty: How to Party with a Purpose and Raise Money for Your Cause — 2nd Edition available at www.warshawski.com).
♦ Direct Mail. There are two variants for direct mail approaches.
• The first is a personal letter sent by you to just a few people you know personally, or by an avid supporter who will write to his own friends.
• The second is a mass mail appeal sent to a list you have acquired of possible supporters (members of clubs, organizations, magazine subscribers, etc.).
♦ The Internet. This area of fundraising has been growing exponentially in the last few years. E-mail letter appeals to individuals is one approach, but only if the recipient feels that the mailing is not a mass “spam” appeal. Linking your letter to a Web site and/or blog that has more details is a good idea. Listserves and social networking groups (like Facebook) are another way to get information out about your project and your need for support. Typically, this works best if the filmmaker has a cause-related program, and the notice is being sent by an organization that is involved in that cause and has a large membership list.
GOVERNMENT
Upside: When a government source awards a grant it is usually a substantial amount, in the thousands of dollars. Government grants are very easy to research, and agencies that reject you must provide you with feedback on your application if requested.
Downside: When the economy is down, government grants shrink considerably and become even more competitive than usual. Paperwork can be very extensive (long application, follow- up reports, and accounting). Some government agencies are very worried about political scrutiny, so controversial topics have a more difficult time finding support here.
How Do I Do the Research?
There are three levels of government support