As I sit on the deck this early morning, before the house is awake, I reflect on the positives and negatives of crowd funding platforms. There are so many out there these days. Kickstarter - the most well-known. Go Fund Me. Indiegogo. And many more. Anyone, at any time, can begin a campaign to raise money. For any kind of project or cause. Sending a child to the Junior Olympics. Making a short film about a mysterious set of staircases. A new video game idea. And as I watch these campaigns (along with my own, for Found Space Theatre), and the videos and descriptions attached, I start to have my doubts about crowd funding platforms.
Fundraising is a tricky thing. Asking people for money is not anyone's most favorite past time. And yet, when you are working towards a dream, something you believe in with all of your heart, you WILL ask people for money. Their hard-earned, work 40 - 50 hours per week money. Because it is your dream. And it is a dream that you know in your heart that many people support, even if they are unable to give any of that hard-earned money, because times are tough and every dollar counts towards some bill or debt. And yet, we ask. And we ask.
Not to mention the fact that Eugene is already rich in Community Theatre. The established theatres in town sell out, get reviewed, and move on to the next production. But a theatre that is for women - there is no other theatre like this in Eugene or the surrounding area.
So, I do the thing I hate doing, but feel must be done. I push. I nudge. I promote. I wonder if people on Facebook are sick of seeing the pleas for donations. We are, at this moment, less than three days from the end of our Indiegogo Campaign. And I feel the pressure to somehow make it successful. We have had 15 generous friends and family members donate. And we still need more. Those 15 - the first to give to our campaign - hold a special place in my heart. The donors yet to come will hold a special place in my heart.
This theatre is not my dream alone. I have two partners in this venture - Judy and Carol. We all believe in this company with all of our hearts. The dream is big. I believe it will become a reality. And we need your help.
So I'm asking you to donate. Anything you can. $1, $10, $100, $1,000. Yes. I'm asking for part of your hard-earned money. You will see your donation pay off in ways you can not now imagine. Please, give what you can, and soon. Thank you. ~ Emily
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/two-mothers-speak
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