A few things that have happened since I posted on the difficulties of fundraising in these economically stressed times. (see blood out of a stone, for those who missed it).
Some good, some not so good. Flagler County, my home and home to the LEGACY JAZZ fest we've been trying to fundraise for earned a dubious distinction of the highest unemployment rate in the State, never mind those depressing FOR Sale signs that pepper every street in the same way seashells no longer pepper our beaches. Needless to say, the majority of the population are rather down on the whole thing, and everyone is feeling the pinch.
The good news is - people stil walk, talk, breathe, love and listen to music... Potentially good news - somewhere out there in the world, there are companies and people who are not down and out and who appreciate that the Arts canot hibernate through the tough times, the endangered arts can do so even less, and Jazz is endangered. So we are reaching out to the nation to find our knight in shining armor who will ride in on his white horse (first class, of course), and change the course of history - well, maybe not, but for some kid somewhere who just might be the next Miles, the NEFJA scholarship could make all the difference, and then - history it would be. 
So we went looking for our knight to the one place large enough and diverse enough - the Global Marketplace, AKA Ebay, and posted our title sponsorship for the Festival last night. Hopefully, someone somewhere will think it worth while to help us hold on to the legacy, to jazz, to the arts through the downturn. We hope no one thinks less of us for considering the Arts a necessity in our lives and the lives of our kids.
So go ahead, and click the icon, and pass it on to anyone you know who just might have the bucks and the passion.
For the other not for profits out there trying to fundraise, Ebay has unique tools specifically for not for profit organizations. Ebay's Giving Works will result in a nifty ribbon next to your listing and your organization's mission statememt appearing in each listing. Creating an account for a nonprofit is a pain in the butt, but doable, and allows your organization to sell on Ebay's Giving Works withought any fees - which is really cool! There are also some 60K organizations currently registered, and anyone can choose to donate a portion of the proceeds of their sale to a specific not for profit - selller's fees for the donated percentage will be "0". Mission Fish handles registrations and disbursement of funds that were donated to the organizations. All in all, takes a bit to get used to - but a great system!
Lastly, we decided that even if all we get is a dollar from each person that we know, even this little grass roots can beat the odds, and can collect enough to have music free to the public, and have enough for the scholarships. So here goes a little pitch to the AR community: click the button and drop a few cents in, or a buck - and pass it on to your friends, you never know whose education you will be contributing to:
"...hell, nobody knows where jazz is going to go. There may be a kid right now in Chitlin Switch, Georgia, who is going to come along and upset everybody." -Quincy Jones
;)
;)
