Group Therapy for Artists

May – June 2009

Part of our DIY Workshop Series

6:30pm-8:30pm every Thursday at 1254 Mission Street (@ 8th), San Francisco

A weekly series of free workshops and social gatherings targeted to the grassroots arts community – organizations and individuals alike – with the goal of strengthening community, building capacity, and letting off some steam!

Adventures in Fun*raising

Presented by Mary Fuller, Nonprofit Consultant

“Fundraising” is almost a dirty word in artist-run organizations, but it doesn’t have to be. This presentation/discussion-based workshop will:

•       Explore special fundraising needs of grassroots arts organizations

•       Address common obstacles faced by new fundraisers including mental blocks, attitudes about money, and resource constraints

•       Present case studies of successful (and unsuccessful) fundraising events and campaigns that match capacity, mission and money for an integrated approach to fundraising.

•       Engage participants in a small-group brainstorming exercise to help generate creative approaches to their next campaign.

This workshop will be crafted for folks involved in small arts organizations with a staff of 0-5 people who are relatively new to fundraising. Participants will leave with a handout full of tools and resources they can take back to their organizations. Groups of two or more from the same organization are encouraged to improve brainstorming exercise.

Mary Fuller is a Bay Area non-profit consultant who helps grassroots organizations raise money and awareness for their work, while making their work more efficient and strategic. She’s worked in various capacities at such superstar organizations as Creative Time in New York; Boston Cyberarts, The Theatre Offensive, and The Berwick Research Institute in Boston; and the San Francisco International Arts Festival, Independent Arts & Media, and Our Oakland: Eastside Stories in the Bay Area. Her fundraising philosophy hinges on the notion that donations are a radical act of civic engagement, free speech, and community building and that it should be educational, energizing, rewarding, and FUN! Mary got her Masters in Arts Administration from Boston University, and her BA in history and art history from Southwestern University. She is also a visual artist.

http://www.maustinfuller.com/