fundraising

I have been getting more serious about learning about fundraising. I am vacillate between confidence and disappointment. Completely sure that I will get a grant one moment and completely convinced that I have no chance the next.

I have decided that I will spend every Wednesday evening at the Foundation Center here in the city.

I went there yesterday to a Fundraising for Individual Artists class they had yesterday. I felt a little ahead of the curve since I already have a fiscal sponsor. I had to leave early though because I went down to Women Make Movies for their secrets of PBS funding.

Linda Hattendorf the Director of the Cats of Mirikitani was there, as well as Heidi Reinburg. They handed out copies of their proposals, which was great, especially since I have seen the Cats of Mirikitani. I am learning very quickly how to write a great treatment. I think I did pretty well on the NYSCA grant, but more than anything I just want to hear back soon.

I also see now how I had an ice cube's chance in hell with the proposal that I wrote to ITVS. Perseverance is the word. It seems like the average number that I have heard to get your first doc on TV is about 5 years of begging.

Anyway different subject, I am sending a snippet of my film to Hasbro today, and hopefully they will give me permission to use the Scrabble board in my work. Then I can also start on the website.

I have also found a few more grants and foundations to apply to so... onward!

midnight last night

I have spent the last month or so, especially the last four days writing and obsessively picking at my grant proposal for NYSCA. I probably did about total re-writes and spent countless hours weeding out letters, changing with to for, so I eventually I could squeeze another meaningful phrase into the 2000 character max. I feel confident my effort and can't wait to hear back. It's nice to be able to put this one to bed, but I should really keep moving writing.

I talked to Anni on Sunday about helping me make the images for the website, and she said that she could help, and that Ryan could probably help me put together the site. since I am probably not going to be able to afford someone to put it together for me. When I mentioned a budget of $600 to the last woman I spoke to her voice made kind of a squeaking sound, so I thought better of hiring her.

On Monday I went to the Foundation Center Library to learn about their database. It was the first time I had been there. I am definitely going back, but right now it is so hectic, with preparing for the ho'ike.

I started my pa'u last night and hopefully I will finish it tonight and start on the top! I also have to take pictures of the process of making the top for some of the other haumana.