I'm running an IndieGoGo campaign to raise enough money to pay the performers doing tragedy at Stand Up Tragedy And also, if the target is reached, to fund some Getting Better Acquainted road trips.
The target is $3,500 dollars. This is a pretty small target compared to most of the campaigns you'll find on IndieGoG. I've reached $540 of the target do far. There are 12 days left till the deadline.
I'm doubtful I will hit it. It is still possible though. And whether the target is hit or not the money is very appreciated and will be put to good use. If you are reading this before March 1st then please contribute what you can.
So the reasons I think it isn't working well are:
1. UK culture is different from US culture. We aren't naturally predisposed to crowdfunding. It seems a bit unseemly. Talking about money. And asking for help and support. Aren't these things best fine through "proper" channels?
2. Many of my friends are not very tech savvy and spend little time online. They have also had a lot of practice at ignoring my communications because I communicate so much. Possibly too much. Many of them won't even know about the campaign, despite the emails and the social network promotion. Friends are the first and most important rung of the crowdfunding ladder and mine generally don't even know what a podcast is and check their emails very rarely (or at least respond to them rarely.)
3. People may think that since Stand Up Tragedy Tickets are £10 on the door that they have already given more than enough to the cause if they have attended or they are going to attend the live show. A point if view I do understand. They may even think, if they don't know me that well, that it is a bit of a con. It isn't. I don't set the ticket prices and I would never ask for money if I didn't need it. SUT may break even. It won't make a profit.
4. We are in the middle of tough finacial times. People are being cautious. Everyone is worse off than they were. Even if they were predisposed to funding independent arts (and many people aren't) they may feel this an inappropriate time to do so. People see art as less important in austerity.
All of the above may well be true but there is a 5th reason: my lack of ability to do the job of fundraising. I may feel like I am being brash and in people's faces with this campaign. But am I?
After talking to Liz I realise that I'm milder than most fundraisers. And sadly for my campaign that's the way it'll remain.
Here are some of the techniques Liz, who has years of fundraising experience and is more culturally in tune with both crowdfunding and podcast culture, suggested:
Sending targeted emails to key people. A key person is someone who has lots of social contacts and a history of contributing to things like this. I could only think if two potential key people. And one of them was taking to me. They are both American. But then she explained that it was all about the people those people might know. And then I could think of a few more. Not that I would feel comfortable directly approaching anyone about this. I don't like the idea of hassling individuals at all. I won't be contacting key people. But it's good to know how people do it.
She then said it was about making the communications clear and simple. Something that I have tried to do but since I often fail in my aims of clarity and brevity I've probably failed to achieve. She said I should make a template email and send that to my key people. Then they just have to fill it in and send it on to their contacts. The idea of this makes me feel a bit queasy. This sort of hard sell doesn't really fit with me. I prefer to respect peoples free will.
When I discussed the problem of my people not being online much she asked if my friends texted. My girlfriend who was also with us balked at this idea. I was more aware of it. I get texts from people telling me about their gigs quite often. It doesn't work on me but it doesn't piss me off. I've occasionally texted close friends about gigs myself. But the idea of texting people to ask them to fund my shows just doesn't work for me. Too intrusive. Too pressurised. I don't want people to feel obliged.
Later I mentioned that when payday comes I'll be contributing to the campaign Liz rolled her eyes and said I'd already paid with my time and effort. I said "Well actually I've already paid over 300 on publicity out of my own pockets, which I may or may not make back! But I can't ask people to give what they can and not give what I can myself."
And this is my biggest problem. I don't like or relate to money. I can't take it seriously. I can't hold it fully in my mind. I'm politically against it. I take it personally too because it's not about raising the money but about what the money can do. So friends aren't deciding not to give me money. They are deciding not to help a friend out. Which is the wrong way to look at it. And I struggle not to see it that way.
But me and my projects exist in the real world. And money is necessary.
If I was a different person I'd send a well written and calculated begging letter to all the richest people I know. I shouldn't care about hassling them. I believe in the redistribution of wealth but I don't want to ask for it.
I'd locate my key people and send them templates, try and get them to hassle their friends using my words.
I would text everyone I know and tell them about the campaign.
But I'm not that person. Which I'm a little bit glad of. And a little bit sad about. But there we have it.
The campaign offers perks. It isn't a begging thing. It's a chance for people to directly fund the arts. To cut out the gatekeepers and go directly from audience to artist. That's why it appealed to me. But it's still ultimately about money. And for many people money is too valuable to part with, even in small amounts, and for others, such as myself, money and art have no real relation to each other. It is hard to connect them up. Apart from of course they do relate very strongly because in this world money controls and influences and restricts and allows everything. And occasionally someone, rarely the artist, will make a lot of money from some art.
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