Shaking the Money Tree, 3rd Edition. Morrie Warshawski

Internet. Find the corporation’s Web site and see if there is any information about applying for donations.

      ♦ Annual Reports. A good way to find out what the corporation is interested in, its fiscal viability, and whether or not it has a department concerned with community affairs.

       How to Approach Corporations

      For corporate foundations, use the same instructions as for private foundations. In all other instances, you will need to identify the right person in the right office first (e.g., CEO, Director of Marketing, Employee Contributions Representative). Be prepared to tell the corporation exactly how it will benefit from being associated with your project (this usually translates as a strong correlation between your audience and the demographics and/or psychographics of their customers). Provide whatever written materials they might request (sometimes a short letter with a budget, sometimes a full-blown detailed proposal).

SMALL BUSINESSES

      Upside: They are everywhere and are very easy to approach. Little or no paperwork is involved, and there are rarely any reporting requirements. Contribution decision is made very quickly — in a matter of days or weeks. Little or no research is necessary.

      Downside: Small businesses rarely give money. They are much more likely to provide donated goods and services (free pizzas for the crew, free use of cell phones, free photocopying). Donations are usually modest. Giving is often based on a strong community connection to the project.

       How Do I Do the Research?

      ♦ Chamber of Commerce. Check for their list of members.

      ♦ Business Journal. Subscribe to or locate your city’s edition.

      ♦ Clubs and Associations. Attend meetings of the local Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs.

      ♦ Local Television. Watch late night TV to see who advertises.

      ♦ The Better Business Bureau — a good place to check references.

      ♦ Snoop. Walk around your neighborhood. Make notes about local businesses and visit them to introduce yourself.

      ♦ The Yellow Pages. Let your fingers do the walking.

       How to Approach Small Businesses

      The personal approach works best. Contact the business by phone or in person to find out who to “ask,” and be prepared to hand over a short document with:

      • A very brief description of the project with information on your crew.

      • The benefit to the donor. This could be in the form of free publicity through a credit in the film and/or on its packaging, free copies of the program, or an invitation to a local premiere where the business will be thanked in public.

      • The types of goods/services you are requesting (e.g., three free lunches for a crew of ten, twenty copies of a sixty-page script).

      • Local references.

OTHER NONPROFITS

      Upside: There are some niche pots of money available from organizations and agencies in increasing numbers. Often these are very localized and emphasize a larger number of small grants.

      Downside: No long tradition of funding, so research can be difficult, especially as new sources crop up.

       How Do I Do the Research?

      Ear-to-the-ground, plus all other methods recommended above. In this arena, professional journals are a key source of information. Some agencies that fit in this category include:

      ♦ Religious Denominations

      ♦ United Way

      ♦ Independent Television Service-ITVS (an agency under the wing of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting)

      ♦ Foreign television stations (e.g., Channel Four in Britain, Canal+ in France, ZDF in Germany) who are interested in co-productions

      ♦ Foreign governments with grants for co-productions that take place primarily on their soil and/or with local talent

      ♦ Fraternities and sororities

      ♦ VFW, Knights of Columbus, Lions Club, Rotary International

       How to Approach Other Nonprofits

      The approach will vary in this arena from donor to donor, so there are no pat rules. Foreign entities, for instance, almost always will need to be contacted in person, which makes this type of funding very difficult. ITVS has printed guidelines available on its Web site (www.itvs.org). ITVS has become a key source of funding for independent projects of an alternative nature intended for television. You will find a sample ITVS grant proposal at the end of the book. Churches and other nonprofits will need to be researched and approached on a case-by-case basis. Nonprofit service organizations might make an outright donation, or want to make pre-buys of your program as benefits to their members and/or for fundraising purposes.

MIXING IT UP

      Once the filmmaker has a grasp of the full universe of potential support, the next question is “What mix of fundraising support is the best for me and my project?” A fundraising plan has to be created because no one has the time and the energy necessary to pursue all avenues of possible support. There are some quick guidelines that can help the filmmaker with this issue. The first is to realize that some projects are just more naturally appropriate for some types of support. The second filter is to realize that some filmmakers are more naturally predisposed and skillful at certain types of approaches — these filmmakers are great schmoozers, or wonderful grant writers, or great at working with community members.

      With regard to the right “fit” for your project with funders, here is a loose overview:

      ♦ Documentaries. Social issue documentaries enjoy the broadest possible avenues of support — appropriate for almost every type of fundraising.

      ♦ Independent dramatic features and shorts. Best bets are individuals approached one-on-one or in fundraising houseparty settings. Occasionally noncommercial features can find grant support from foundations and government agencies, but usually only if there is a social issue involved. Corporate support might be forthcoming if there is product or audience crossover within the interests of the business.

      ♦ Experimental or “personal” work. Video art and experimental films have very limited avenues of support — just a handful of private foundations and a few government agencies. These works rarely receive support from corporations or small businesses. Individuals can be a good source of support, but there usually has to be an already established connection between the filmmaker and the donor.

      ♦ Animated films. Very few funders are interested in animation as an art form. If the animated film has any type of “message” or can be used in an educational setting, then funding can be found through all appropriate channels. If the animated work is primarily entertaining and/or personal or experimental in nature, then the filmmaker can look to a few government and private foundations, and perhaps individuals.

      Later in this book I will be discussing in more detail the specifics of making each approach more effective. This will help the filmmaker decide which approaches are more suited to her skills, her project, and her resources (time, money, and volunteer support). For instance, the documentary filmmaker might end up deciding that for her one-hour program she will try to pursue the following mix of support:

      • 50% from three or four private foundations

      • 20% from state humanities councils

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