Arts Funding Podcast

It’s a website, an app, and a simple idea.

How & why the Arts get Funded

Be back soon…

We’re taking a hiatus from our podcast, while we refocus our efforts to get past 2020 and move on to a better 2021!

Ep 309 – The Problem(s) with Conventional Fundraising

9/13/2019

In this episode, we discuss the (many) issues and limitations with conventional fundraising for arts programs.

’Conventional Fundraising’ could be defined as transactions that begin with ”Would you mind buying this overpriced thingy to help my kids’ band program?…”

I also spend a little time reflecting about my own fundraising experiences as a kid in my high school band program, as well as remember an important mentor that left us this week.

NOTE – the car wash in the Episode’s image is NOT one of the fundraising tactics that are a part of this issue. In fact I wholeheartedly support car washes for a lot of reason, if for no other reason than the fun and bonding that it brings about.

Ep301 – Choose Your Campaign Goal Wisely

6/10/2019

It is TREMENDOUSLY important to consider all of the angles when selecting your first campaign’s goals.

It might seem natural to allow students to individually crowdfund (for things like activity fees, band trips, tuition for camps and programs, etc), but is THAT the thing that will move the needle the most?

Campaigns that engage 100% (or close to 100%) fo your membership are the ones you want to pursue. In this episode we discuss why that individual campaign might be a horrible idea.

Read this blog post for an example of how effective a capital campaign can be with 100% of your students participating.

Ep 213 – Your Questions ANSWERED on Crowdfunding

7/3/2018

In this Episode, we review our most commonly asked questions (or at least the ones that have been getting a lot of play lately!)…

First a quick talk about my Mom, and her passing about a week ago at 1:40.

She was in a position to help me financially get the FansRaise company off the ground, and I take a minute to reflect on her as a “specific” type of band-mom.

How Big A Group Do I Need For Crowdfunding? – 7:45

How Long Should My Campaign Last? – 14:00

Biggest Mistakes That Group Make? – 16:43

Why Not Run a GoFundMe Campaign? – 23:10

Ep 207 – The 5 Things Your Crowdfunding Campaign MUST Have

3/17/2018

In this Episode, we cover the 5 things that every crowdfunding campaign needs to consider and cover in order to be successful.

In this episode, we reference our recent published report called “The $10,000 Blueprint” – which is a methodology built to allow a performing ensemble of just about any size to generate $10K in crowdfunded donations.

Again, your mileage may vary as campaign success is highly dependent on several factors.

Ep 206 – Fundraising From a Student’s Perspective

2/26/2018

What do students REALLY think about group fundraising?

In this episode, I enlisted the help of Lauren Gilbert, 8th grade band member of her High School marching band, to discuss the student-perspective of fundraising.

She confirms what I already thought to be true – fundraising is often not completely emphasized by the teaching faculty or band staff, and it can often fall by the wayside. It’s not for a lack of trying or effort – in fact our own band program does a fantastic job of keeping parents informed.

The students look at things differently, and Lauren helps shine a light on that.

Ep 205 – Adventures in TX and TMEA

2/22/2018

In this episode we discuss the TX Music Educators Annual Conference

In this episode I chronicle TMEA’s annual conference – what was learned and what FansRaise contributed.

We made mention to the talk that Chris Magonigal and I presented as part of our break-out session on “How to Leverage Crowdfunding as a Team-Building Asset”. The dialogue went very well, and we captured the process used by Genesis Drum & Bugle Corps in a Success Story.

Ep 203 – Student Ownership in Fundraising

2/6/2018

Many times, fundraising gets taken for granted by students. We believe that some emphasis on the student-driven responsibilities of fundraising is a worthwhile way to teach ownership and responsibility.Supporting blog posts -Using marching band fundraising to emphasize student ownershiphttp://blog.fansraise.com/using-marching-band-fundraising-to-emphasize-student-ownership”Do I need to involve my students/members in my crowdfunding campaign?”http://blog.fansraise.com/involving-students-in-crowdfunding-campaign