Shaking the Documentary Money Tree
I recently had lunch with the guru of documentary fundraising, Morrie Warshawski, who shared a story that could change your fundraising strategy.
Before I reveal his insider advice, I want to announce that my upcoming Inner Circle begins April 30, 2012. If you need guidance crafting your documentary, the Inner Circle is a great way to structure your film with big savings off my normal story consulting fees. Learn more at:
newdocediting.com/land/innercircle
Also, in my last newsletter I shared a glowing testimonial about the Inner Circle and mistakenly attributed it to Tom Parker, rather than Tom Duncan. My apologies to both Toms!
My lunch companion Morrie Warshawski is author of the popular guidebook Shaking the Money Tree (now in its third edition). Morrie told me the story of how his daughter Leah, a filmmaker working on a documentary situated in Rwanda, synched the deal with one of her film’s key investors.
First, Leah set up her fundraising campaign with all the right steps in Morrie’s fundraising strategy.
As some of my former Inner Circle filmmakers learned on a recent Mastermind call with Morrie, filmmakers should begin by articulating the vision and values that fuel their passion for filmmaking.
Asking for money then becomes infinitely easier and less personal. Rather than trying to get people to give money to you and your film project, you’re asking people to contribute to their own values!
His daughter Leah used this process, including a great Kickstarter campaign, to attract investors.
She then closed the deal with one investor by agreeing to his request to accompany her on the next shoot in Rwanda. The investor wasn’t allowed to touch the film gear, but he was treated to the experience of an artistic venture, a world in which he had never before been immersed.
To learn more about how you can tap into the wealth of value-based investing and philanthropy, check out Morrie’s book “Shaking the Money Tree” at www.warshawski.com.
And you can email him at morriewar@sbcglobal.net to learn about working with him directly.
On another note, you can save thirty percent on the Inner Circle with early bird registration. I look forward to helping six committed filmmakers craft a compelling documentary!
