Here's a new fundraising model for you. Jess Dickey -- actor,
writer, creator/performer of the solo show "The Amish Project" -- has gone on an old school barn raising fund drive to get her show into production at the Rattlestick. Over the last year Jess, her director Sarah Cameron Sunde, and agent Morgan Jenness found supportive and interested producers, but the money just wasn't there. So the two of them created a website, and forum for accepting donations, and send out email and facebook status blasts asking for money. Over the past 6 months, the money began to materialize, both in small donations and large gifts. I recall one facebook status update from Morgan that stated if every one of her facebook friends gave $20, the budget for the show would be totally covered. I love this model. The diffuse, small $ donations mean you get many many more people literally and figuratively invested in your project. Give $15-20 to a friend to help with their show, and you're then more likely to make an effort to see the show when it's up and running. I also like the relationship and joint effort that Morgan and Jess utilized to make this happen. Of course, Morgan is known for this kind of personal investment, but I think this model might be where it's at in a more general way. The obstacle to this, of course, is that most agents have such full plates that they can't always dedicate this much time and energy to one client. Even so, I think there's something to be learned here.
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