Raising the Money
Money is a fundamental need in making art. Thanks to Rob Handel's experience in the non-profit development world, 13P was able to raise funds through a variety of tactics. Here we spell them out line by line.
A General Note on Fundraising
In order to produce plays, you have to raise money. Here, Development Director Rob Handel discusses some of the basic tips he followed in finding money for 13P.
Rob Handel, Managing Director
Development and Volunteers
Asking a volunteer staff to work in development was tricky for 13P, thus Rob Handel was always essential to the Development effort. Whoever is asking for money really needs to come within: especially on a project of this small scale, it greatly helped us to have the man who felt directly connected and committed to the mission, at the helm. The energy it requires demands that person is willing to strategize and develop long term relationships with the donors. Listen for more on the topic...
Maria Goyanes, Executive Producer
Grants and 13P
This document was the most important tool in organization as we approached a multitude of Foundations for support over the years. Pacing the connections with different people, from first contact, follows up, and if we were successful, documenting when reports were due back to each Foundation.
Rob Handel, Managing Director
The Grant Calendar
Click the image above to see the full calendar, or below to see another version of this document...
Grant Writing is Story telling
How do we think our grants stood out to Foundations? Our mission is super clear and simple. When the Foundation is thinking, "What's special about this company?", the proposal should immediately answer that question. Listen for more tips and specifics about grant writing, reflecting on specific questions and Rob's experiences with 13P and Mark Morris Dance Group...
Rob Handel, Managing Director
Click the images above to open the full documents.
Individual Giving
Governments and institutions probably won't give you money when you're just starting out. The begin with, you have to ask people you know. And as your company grows, you want to spend less time thinking about writing a clever letter to 1000 people, and instead make sure your key 100 donors feel valued.
Rob Handel, Managing Director
Click the images above to open the full documents.
Special Events
Midway through the company's lifespan, 13P began to throw an annual benefit. These events focused on celebrating the energy of new play development, while keeping themes light in spirit and often tongue in cheek. We asked our friends and mentors to contribute gifts and their attendance, thus all items peaked the interest of our theatre insider guests. By trading effort for money, were able to put more cash into the productions, and throw a fun party along the way.
Rob Handel, Managing Director
Resources
A few more thoughts from Rob about the most crucial resources in Raising the Money.
13P also kept an eye on the radar, noticing other theatre companies we could easily be compared to and in competition with for certain brackets of grants. Seeing their work and understanding their mission helped us refine ours!
