{"id":71,"date":"2023-10-10T04:47:53","date_gmt":"2023-10-10T04:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theactorshandbook.com\/71-2\/"},"modified":"2023-10-10T05:17:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-10T05:17:56","slug":"fundraising","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.theactorshandbook.com\/film-production-guide\/fundraising\/","title":{"rendered":"Fundraising"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Film Production Guide: Fundraising<\/h1>\n

Crowdfunding<\/h2>\n

<\/h2>\n

Crowdfunding is making an appeal to many people to back your project. Sometimes backers may be content with a small symbolic gift (a project t-shirt, for example); at other times they want to invest and claim a portion of any profits. When you think about it, crowdfunding really isn’t new. Ancient (pre-internet) practices included “taking up a collection” paying for projects “by subscription” and money raised by a “public appeal.” In 1713, Alexander Pope recruited 750 subscribers to back his translation of 15,000 lines of ancient Greek poetry into English. Backers got a mention in the acknowledgements plus a copy of the finished work.<\/p>\n

What has changed is that any one project can reach a wide group of interested backers located anywhere in the world. <\/em><\/p>\n

According to the best estimates, crowdfunding sites are channeling over $34 billion a year to artists of every sort and also people faced with sudden and unexpected expenses. Estimates are it will grow to a $300 billion worldwide industry by 2025. There are 191 US-based crowdfunding platforms and about half of all fundraising efforts reach their goals. With so much cash\u2014and passions at stake\u2014practice due diligence and read the fine print very carefully.<\/p>\n

The basic strategy is: refine and focus your project and fundraising goals, research relevant platforms, pick one, create you page, then spend lots time on social media spreading the word and shipping rewards.<\/p>\n

Here are the major details to be on the lookout for:<\/p>\n

1. Fundraising Tools<\/strong><\/p>\n

To fund your project you need to get your appeal in front of people likely to support it. Some questions: How robust are the platform’s Twitter and Facebook applications? Can you directly send appeals from the platform via email? Is there a community of users forum on the platform where you can pose questions and learn about the experiences of other users? How good is the platform’s library of resources? Are there tools, blogs, and tips for strengthening your appeal?<\/p>\n

2. Customer Support<\/strong><\/p>\n

Behind every platform are teams of support staff and owners. Do they list a phone number or only email support? When you call, do you get a person or recording? Is there a chat window open when you are looking around the site? How well does the site maintain a reputation of integrity by ejecting scammers?<\/p>\n

3. Crowdfunding Platform Fees<\/strong><\/p>\n

Most platforms charge fees. Types of fees to check for include flat fees for posting an appeal, and percentage fees subtracted from funds raised plus credit card processing fees (often twice what the credit card charges). It helps to understand the fees so you can explain them to potential donors. The industry range is from 7 to 12 percent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. Getting the Money<\/strong><\/p>\n

Setting a goal for your fundraising efforts is likely based on the detailed budget you have for the project. How much you actually will be able to raise is a guess. Does the platform require raising 100% of your goal to get any of your donations? This could be important, and if you go with a platform with this rule, you may want to set a lower goal. There shouldn’t be penalty for raising more than you listed.<\/p>\n

5. Ease of Use<\/strong><\/p>\n

As part of your research look over campaigns on a site. Does the typical layout make sense? Is it easy to make a donation? Do the pages look professional and inviting? Later, when seriously considering going with a site weigh the ease of setting up your page, making edits, and updating your content. If you can’t use it it’s not the site for your project.<\/p>\n

Sample Crowdfunding Sites for Film and Media<\/strong><\/p>\n

GoFundMe<\/p>\n

<\/strong>gofundme.com<\/a><\/p>\n

With GoFundMe, the money you
\ncollect goes directly to you. There are no deadlines or limits. GoFundMe
\ncurrently limits fees to standard credit card charges plus a small fixed amount
\nper donation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Indiegogo<\/strong><\/p>\n

indiegogo.com <\/a><\/p>\n

Indiegogo is an international crowdfunding website founded in 2008. The site was one of the first sites to offer crowd funding and grew from the needs of the founders to fund a play, a theatre company, and research for a cure for a rare disease.<\/p>\n

There are more than 9 million backers representing 235 countries and territories who support diverse projects from around the world. Projects are not evaluated or otherwise curated.<\/p>\n

Kickstarter<\/strong><\/p>\n

kickstarter.com\/allin1<\/a><\/p>\n

Kickstarter helps artists, musicians, filmmakers, designers, and other creators find the resources and support they need to make their ideas a reality. In 2015, Kickstarter became a Benefit Corporation. Benefit Corporations are for-profit companies that are obligated to consider the impact of their decisions on society, not only shareholders.<\/p>\n

Patreon<\/strong><\/p>\n

patreon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Founded in 2013, Patreon allows creatives to get regular payments by running a subscription membership business for their fans. Fans pay you a subscription amount of their choice in exchange for exclusive experiences & behind-the-scenes content. You create the terms that work for your project or stream of work. On average, Patreon patrons pay more every month than people pay for other popular subscription services.<\/p>\n

Patreon allows creators to establish an ongoing and predictable monthly revenue source. Patreon also helps fans connect in a new way with the creators they love most. Through Patreon, millions of dollars every month is distributed to the tens of thousands of creators who have Patreon pages, whether they are creating podcasts, music, fiction, game streams, online videos, photography, visual art, and more.<\/p>\n

Rally.org<\/strong><\/p>\n

rally.org<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rally.org helps people fundraise online and build social awareness.<\/p>\n

Seed&Spark<\/strong><\/p>\n

seedandspark.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Seed&Sparks offers subscribers a crowdfunding + streaming platform focused on storytelling via film and video. Each month, Seed&Spark allocates a portion of its subscriber revenue to give as grants to qualified crowdfunding projects. Subscribers offered the chance to vote on projects for these grants. Recipients of the Seed Fund grants also get a secured distribution option on Seed&Spark\u2019s streaming platform.<\/p>\n

Free online videos and classes help filmmakers launch successful campaigns. Seed&Sparks claims over 75% of their campaigns reach their goals.<\/p>\n

Ulule<\/p>\n

<\/strong>European & International<\/p>\n

ulule.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ulule enables creative, innovative and community-minded projects to test their idea, build a community and make it grow. Ulule claims to be the leading European crowdfunding website, with more than 20,000 successfully financed projects, more than 1.8 million members worldwide and a campaign success rate close to 70 %. Ulule offers personalized coaching to each and every project owner, before, during, and after his or her campaign.<\/p>\n

Ulule is certified as a B Corporation, which means it is a for-profit company that meets standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency.<\/p>\n

National and State Grantmakers<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

Foundation Center<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Main Office: Northeast – New York<\/p>\n

<\/em>32 Old Slip, 24th Floor<\/p>\n

New York, NY 10005-3500<\/p>\n

(212) 620-4230<\/p>\n

foundationcenter.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

foundationcenter.org\/products\/foundation-directory-online<\/a><\/p>\n

oundationcenter.org\/ask-us\/find-us <\/a><\/p>\n

Foundation Center gathers and analyzes data, shares it worldwide, and empowers people to understand and increase philanthropy\u2019s ability to improve the world. Its mission is to strengthen the social sector by advancing knowledge about philanthropy in the U.S. and around the world.<\/p>\n

Foundation Directory Online makes it easy to turn foundations into funders. It\u2019s the only resource you need to search for the foundations most likely to give you grants and manage your prospects through to funding. Here you can find information about more than 100,000 grantmakers. Using the FDO requires a subscription.<\/p>\n

However, the FC\u2019s Funding Information Network distributes this important information to communities across the country and around the world. The program consists of hundreds of community-based organizations that house and provide\u2014free of charge to the public\u2014a suite of our trainings and databases to their local communities.<\/p>\n

FIN Locations in Idaho<\/strong><\/p>\n