Have you ever been the one making the request for a donation?
There will come a time in your art career when you must ask for donations. Not just money, but also gifts of services or products.
You have to be very clear about what you want and how you might reward the gift in return. Here's how ...
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]]>You’re probably accustomed to people asking you to donate your art to this or that cause, but have you ever been on the other side?
Have you ever been the one making the request for a donation?
There will come a time in your art career when you must ask for donations. Not just money, but also gifts of services or products. Consider these donation requests.
- Food or beverages for an art opening
- A/V equipment so you can run video in an exhibition space
- Graphic design work
- Talents of another artist in a collaborative project
I encourage you to ask for such donations because you don’t get what you don’t ask for and asking builds your marketing muscle.
Just remember these two guidelines when you’re requesting donations.
1. Your purpose should be very clear.
Whether you make your request in an email, a letter, on the phone, or on a crowdfunding site, be prepared to address the following quickly and succinctly:
This is what I’m asking for, and this is why I’m asking you for it.
You can’t approach potential donors with the attitude that you’ll take whatever you can get. You must articulate a scenario of events that they can see themselves buying into.
Unclear appeals for donations are ineffective. If potential patrons have no idea what you’re asking for or if it’s too difficult for them to respond, the answer is almost guaranteed to be No.
2. The benefits to the donor must be equally clear.
The biggest question you must answer in your donation request is: What is the benefit to the donor?
In a guest post, Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson described how she raised money to enter and attend Michigan’s ArtPrize by pre-selling prints of sections of her work that would be on view.
This is an unambiguous transaction: “You give me this, and I’ll give you that.”
You must articulate what the donor is getting in return for the donation. It might be signage at an event, an ad on your blog, a private party, a piece of your art, or any combination of things.
As you work on your benefits, remember how you feel when someone asks you to donate your art and promises only “exposure” in return. Exposure isn’t bad, but it has to be the right kind of exposure to the right audience.
Why would someone want to do this for you? What do you have that you can give in return?
Make it a no-brainer for potential patrons to say Yes.
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]]>The post Are You Sending Wimpy Cover Letters? appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>Guest author: Debby L. Williams
When you respond to a call for entries or apply for a residency or grant, do you quickly jot off a few words for a cover letter or just slap a form letter on top of your submission?
After reading hundreds of cover letters (yes, committees do read them), I am certain that they are often written at the last minute. They lack substance. They’re, yes, wimpy.
I have received submissions with cover letters addressed to some unknown arts administrator in a different state! I assume this is the result of using the last cover letter and forgetting to change the name and address.
This error is unfortunate on many levels, not the least of which is that the artist insulted me by addressing me by the wrong name.
First Impressions Matter
The cover letter is a chance to introduce yourself, show that you are a well-educated and articulate person, and that you have a real interest in the project.
You might have a basic template for cover letters, but it must be personalized for each project.
Remember, you are making your first impression with the cover letter. Your cover letter should be neat, well organized, and professional. Proper grammar and correct spelling are always important.
Since you are applying for an artistic commission or opportunity, the aesthetics of your submission is crucial—it must be appropriately professional.
Missed Opportunity
But it is a huge missed opportunity if you are not taking advantage of the extra information you can convey in a letter.
You can make a positive impact on a committee by conveying in the cover letter that you are aware of the organization and how you, personally, are already connected to their project. If possible, include information about how you have an affinity or personal relationship to their organization, business, mission, or location.
Many committee members believe that if the artist already has a personal connection to the project, then they will be more committed to its success. A succinct statement telling them of your connection will also give them a bit of an insight to you.
Cover Letter Checklist
Use this list as a check against the content of your next cover letter.
- Correct date
- Your contact information: Name, Address, Phone(s), Email
- Salutation addressed to correct name and organization
- Evidence of awareness of organization and project
- Mention of any personal connection to organization, project, or location
- Signature
I hope it helps you to stop sending wimpy cover letters and start taking advantage of the opportunity to connect for a successful submission.
About Debby L. Williams
Debby L. Williams is the former Director of Oklahoma Art in Public Places. She’s been a curator, museum director, and arts administrator and is a master cake decorator. Seriously. And she seriously likes the word seriously. Debby is a former team member and partner for my live workshops.
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]]>The post Submit a Solid Art Proposal appeared first on Art Biz Success.
]]>1. If application guidelines exist, read them and follow the instructions.
Read them again and again, highlighting the important parts and making sure your project is a good fit. If you have questions, ask for clarification.
2. Understand your project fully.
Make sure you can do it and that you can articulate your abilities.
Is your budget complete and realistic? Do you need to hire additional help? What kind of a model would help readers visualize your project?
3. Always keep the end-users (audience, fans, . . . ) in mind.
Are they the public? The workers in a large corporation? Who will benefit from your project and are you addressing their concerns?
4. Aim for clarity.
Emphasize key points in the first paragraph and grab the imagination and attention of the reader.
5. If the organization offers help with proposal writing, take it!
Organizations love it when artists care enough to seek help and do it right. You will get to know the staff and will, as a result of your dialogue, submit a far better proposal than if you had done it alone.
6. Allow yourself plenty of time.
Do not write a proposal the night before it’s due. You must have time to change, rearrange, and edit your content.
7. Have at least one other person read your proposal.
This falls into the “duh” camp. Editors exist because everyone needs one. A non-biased set of eyes can see holes in your proposal that you can’t. It’s also helpful to read the proposal aloud.
8. Go back to the guidelines and make sure you have your supporting materials in order before you send it in.
The length should be within limits and, as a general rule, you shouldn’t submit anything that isn’t requested.
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