Spacetaker hosted Jenni Rebecca Stephenson and Sara Kellner for an artist workshop on identifying funding sources for individual artist projects (grants, fiscal sponsorship, crowdsourcing) on Aug. 31, 2011

1. Spacetaker ARC Workshop

3. Contributions

4. Fiscal Sponsorship

5. Thinking outside the boxWith Sara Kellner, Kellner Consulting & Jenni Rebecca Stephenson, Spacetaker

6. Money is always the issue. So, where do you find it? Art Sales Commissions Residencies Fellowships Performance contracts Recording contracts Grants (Institutional funding: Foundations or City, State, or Federal Funding) Contributions (Individual) Fill in the blank... Innovate! $$$

7. This presentation will focus on:

9. Are you comfortable selling yourself?

10. Are you more comfortable speaking specifically about your work?

11. Are you able to succinctly communicate your artistic vision to others? (And do they buy it?)

13. Do not assume you need to do it all! A comprehensive strategy is ideal. But given the demands on your time (time better spent in a studio or practice room), you need to prioritize based on your skill set and instincts.

14. Let’s start with the good written communicators… Grants. Grants usually come from private foundations or from governmental agencies. OR from contracted organizations who function as a gateway for other (often governmental) funding- i.e. Houston Arts Alliance.

16. “individual artist grants Houston Texas” will obtain better results than “arts grants”

18. Con? A lot of their information can be incorrect and/or outdated.**We do the best we can!

21. Remember: there are no one-stop shops!

22. Dedicate a few hours to research at least every 2 months or so.

23. Sign up for every artist resource newsletter you can find. (Create a junk email address for this & discipline yourself to check it once every 2 weeks.)

25. United States Artists http://www.unitedstatesartists.org/Public2/Home/index.cfm

26. The Foundation Center http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/specialissues/content.jhtml?id=8300121

29. Are you open to the project parameters dictated by the funder?Grant cycles can be as long as 1-2 years ahead.

31. Feb 2012: Project/Fellowship Panel Review

32. March 2012: Award Notification

33. March 2012: Contract, Artist W-9 & Venue Confirmation Due

34. March 2012: 1st Payment

35. June 2012: 2nd Progress Report (2nd Payment)

36. Sept 2012: 3rd Quarter Progress Report Due (3rd Payment)

38. Do you have a means to cover these initial expenses?

40. Are your collaborators 100% confirmed?

41. Is the venue confirmed?If project involves others, consider drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

43. Develop a relationship with funder & contact them in ways they prefer: Don’t know? Ask!

44. Review previously funded projects

45. Get an idea of what they’re looking for

46. Have they already funded a project EXACTLY like yours?

48. Some won’t fund “interpretive” artists.

49. Some fund only specific aspects of projects.

52. Pre-approved Grant Relationship Fiscal Sponsorship: Fiscally sponsored project has its own tax and liability issues; sponsor oversees only to assure grant/donated funds are used for specified project. (most popular variety)

54. The Field www.thefield.org/

55. NYFA www.nyfa.org(New York Foundation for the Arts) *Be careful here! Some (not all) funders want fiscal sponsor in same state as the granting institution.

57. To apply for grants, you either apply individually (with a letter of affiliation) or through a special grant system set up by the fiscal sponsor (…Like the Multi-Art Project Fund from the Rockefeller Foundation)

58. Side-by-side Comparison of The Field & Fractured Atlas

60. A degree of legitimacy (depending on the fiscal sponsor)

61. Ability to apply for more grants

63. Patronage is NOT dead… patronage simply tends to go to individual/personality-driven nonprofits, rather than to unaffiliated individuals. ArsLyrica

64. Fundraising = Friend-raising Fundraising, whether for a nonprofit or for yourself, is about relationships. Start with your friends. Your friends, family, and colleagues are the foundation for a support network. Their support can also be used to leverage other funds.

66. Local band Two Star Symphony raised over $7,000 to fund studio time to record the score for their collaboration with Dominic Walsh Dance TheatreBoth almost entirely from individual contributions!

68. Both are generally regarded as creating new, innovative work

69. Both have received significant press coverage

71. Communicate with patrons in a way that’s not esoteric, sophomoric, or needy

72. Keep it casual and low pressure

73. When someone does you a favor, thank them (consider small art gifts)

75. Work on developing relationships BEFORE you need something

76. Consider that even someone who might not be able to afford your work might be willing to support youDeveloping a supporter base doesn’t happen overnight. Ask yourself: What can I do TODAY to move the ball forward?

77. Caveat: Think it’s tacky? Welcome to fundraising! Most cultural institutions survive on donations. The average performing arts org only covers 60-70% of its expenses with sales revenue. If working independently, it is likely your situation is no different! Embrace the reality… And consider that many will happily support your projects if only asked.

79. IndieGoGowww.indiegogo.com

80. Crowdrisewww.crowdrise.com/online-fundraisingCrowdsourcing is less direct & can make the artist/donor relationship more comfortable.

82. Expresses the fundraising campaign’s need

83. Presents the fundraising goal

84. Aggregates & showcases fundraising activity

86. Campaign owner (you) designs giving levels & corresponding “perks” for donations

87. All donations filtered through site

88. Receipts & campaign updates go through site

89. Crowdsourcing site retains a portion of the proceeds (% to site, % to any 3rd party processors, etc.)

91. How to launch a successful IndieGoGo campaign (Tips care of Two Star’s Jerry Ochoa)

92. Make a video: low tech is OK! Introduce yourself, demo the project, explain (briefly/succinctly) why it matters, & personalize the ask Scale giving categories & incentives to fit fundraising goal (Don’t aim too low) Assemble a team: Identify advocates for the project & campaign and give them ownership Maintain momentum: coordinate giving strategically to maintain appearance of momentum

93. 5. Do the legwork: IndieGoGo is only a tool; blast through emails, make phone calls, fundraising receptions, etc. 6. Make donating as convenient as possible: if they say they’ll donate, make it possible for them to do it NOW 7. Take advantage of Fractured Atlas: the tax donation is a great incentive Follow through: campaign allows you to test the scope of your support; stay on schedule and deliver both the project & the promised benefits ASAP Thank them several times & stay in touch!

95. Visuals and examples speak volumes.

98. Tips for a successful IndieGoGo campaign (care of Two Star Symphony’s Jerry Ochoa)

99. List of grant resources (Links to articles with Best Practices; Clearing houses to find opportunities)

100. Info about upcoming workshop on Writing a successful grant proposal with Sara Kellner