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Fundraising Toolkit Case Study: San Francisco Cinematheque (San Francisco, CA)

17 Dec 2007 NAMACStaff
Author: 
Steven Jenkins

As told by Steven Jenkins, Executive Director.

Summary
The Cinematheque Gets a Two-year Grant from the Andy Warhol Foundation

Original Goal: $40,000
Amount actually raised: $50,000
Cash investment: $1,250
Staff time and value: 20 hrs./ $750
Total unpaid volunteer hours: 0

The rest of the story
After years of applying to The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts for support of San Francisco Cinematheque's public programs, and after years of receiving polite rejection letters, we finally earned the foundation's support in late 2003. We received a two-year grant totaling $50,000 ($10,000 more than we requested), with one-half delivered in late 2003 and the second half to be delivered in late 2004.

In preparation for sending the proposal—twhich requested support for a wide range of programming activities including film screenings, series and related publications—I visited the foundation's program director and a program officer so that I could speak with them in person about Cinematheque's recent and future activities. This personal touch seems to have helped enormously, as did the fact that I made a strong case for the national (not just local) relevance of Cinematheque's programs. This was key to attracting the support of a major foundation not based in the Bay Area.

What helped make this effort a success

  • The personal visit to the foundation's offices in New York.
  • The strong case made for national relevance (e.g. touring film programs, widely distributed publications).
  • A well-written and concise proposal that conveyed our array and depth of programming.
  • Diligence: applying year after year and keeping the foundation's officers informed of our activities.

Advice to colleagues

  • If you are locally based, try to make a case (if you truthfully can) for national relevance. This makes your organization more attractive to a major foundation not based in your area.
  • Be persistent without nagging. Keep yourself in front of the foundation through periodic updates of successful programs and challenges overcome. Now that they’ve funded us, I keep Warhol in the loop with copies of program calendars and publications that they help fund.

Some resources I find helpful:

 

For more information on this story contact stevenjenkins@sfcinematheque.org, ph. 415.552.1990

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