The best way to raise money is to ask for it face to face. This is also the hardest thing for many of us to do. Beyond the actual dollars that are raised as a result of these efforts, the other inherent benefit of holding a fundraiser or doing direct mailings comes from the positive exposure an organization receives. In a time when so much of the public funding mechanisms for art and literature are being systematically dismantled, these projects state simply, yes we will continue to thrive. In order to survive today, literary arts organizations are moving towards collaborations when planning events.
Collaborations expand and reach diverse audiences, bring literary connections where none existed.
Suzanne Lummis of the Los Angeles Poetry Festival shares one particular example. We've done a lot with bookstores. Most recently we've supported the new large independent bookstore in the Los Feliz area, Skylight. They offered to buy our mailing list and instead of selling the list I suggested we'd give them an important section of it if they'd agree to keep our publication in their window for a period of time. In addition, they will soon schedule some festival-curated readings.