How to Host a Successful Fundraising Party for your Low-Budget Film

Guest post by Robbie Lemieux

I hate asking people for money.

Especially for a short film, and especially via online crowdfunding.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with crowdfunding, and plenty of filmmakers have a lot of success doing it. Personally, however, it makes me uncomfortable to send people a link and ask them to donate — and I know a lot of other filmmakers who feel the same way. I’d rather be there in person, and give the donor an immediate, tangible and worthwhile experience to thank them for their generosity.

So, I started hosting fundraising parties. My past three short films have been primarily funded out of pocket, with the rest of the budget raised from family and friends in person, through these parties. At the fundraiser for my latest film, The Woods, I ended up raising 1/4th of my production budget — just over $1000. I know that in this industry that isn’t considered a lot of money, but if your project is relatively low-budget and small-scale like mine was, fundraising parties can be an excellent funding solution.

Here are my to-dos and tips for organizing and hosting a successful fundraising party for your low-budget project. Quick disclaimer: please keep in mind that I am not a legal professional, so please do your own due diligence, and make sure you aren’t breaking any fundraising or finance laws where you live.

Set Goals, Then Envision Your Event

Begin by setting your fundraising goal. Be realistic about how many people you can expect to attend your event, and how much you can expect them to donate.

Imagine what your party will look like. Will it be an elegant soirée? A loud night at a pub? Keep in mind the core group of people that you can really count on to show up. What will appeal to them? Pick a date that seems like it will work for you guests.

Your fundraiser can serve another purpose beyond raising money: it can help build awareness and interest in the film. So while in your planning phase, imagine every opportunity you can take to allow people to engage with your project. More on that later!

Find the Right Venue

You don’t need the most extravagant venue for your fundraising party. Do you have a friend with a big living room? An apartment with a rooftop or party space that you can reserve?

Make sure your choice of venue won’t stress you out on the night of the party. I made the mistake of hosting my first fundraiser at a friend’s place, and I spent the entire time worrying that something would get damaged, or that their neighbors would complain and I would get them into trouble. You don’t want to be distracted at your party — your guests will notice.

An excellent option is renting a space. Call up some local bars to ask about their rental rates. Plenty of bars will be willing to offer you a space for cheap — or free — if you are going to be bringing in a whole bunch of patrons for them. For my last fundraiser, I was able to rent the entire second floor of a centralized bar in Manhattan for only $200. That included a private bartender and full bar, plus happy hour deals on drinks for my guests! Less than an hour into the event, as guests started showing up and donating, I had more than made up the $200 rental fee.

Who (and How Many) to Invite?

Base the number of people you invite to your venue. Are you hosting the event at someone’s home, and you know you can’t fit more than 30 people? Keep the guest list short and have everyone RSVP so that you are in control of the number of attendees. Are you hosting at a bar with tons of space? Invite everyone you’ve ever met! Encourage people to bring their friends too!

When writing your invitations or Facebook event page, consider framing the party as a networking event. That means the difference between saying “Hey come and give me money for my movie!” and “Come support this film, and meet other filmmakers too!” After encouraging my friends to bring their filmmaking friends with them, I was surprised to see that many people whom I had never met before showed up, merely because they wanted to meet other filmmakers, or were curious about the film itself. Which leads to…

Donations Only, Please

People are more likely to show up if they don’t feel pressured into giving money. Make your party a “suggested donations only” event. Your goal should be to get people into the room. You certainly don’t want to turn people off with a cover charge or by demanding a certain amount. You want to encourage people to come in and enjoy themselves, and feel appreciated — this will only make your guests feel more generous!

Suggest a $20 donation on your invitation — or whatever amount you think is reasonable. Remember, the guests will mostly be your friends, so judge for yourself what they are likely to be able to afford.

How to Collect

Inside the room, have a friend act as the designated “cash collector” and go around with a bucket to collect cash from those who are prepared to donate. Make it easy for your guests by allowing them to donate on their phones as well — whether through Paypal, Venmo (if you’re in the US), or some other popular e-transfer app.

Post signs around the event space listing the suggested donation amount as well as how you can be paid (including your Paypal or other e-transfer app info). That way, if people forget to donate when they first come in, there will be reminders throughout the night.

Invest in the Atmosphere

If you can host a party that seems like you put a lot of time into it, that looks all the better on you.

A little can go a very long way. My party for The Woods was appropriately forest-themed. For only $25, I bought 1500 feet of green streamers, leafy garlands, and other woodland decorations. The appointed “cash collector” for the evening even dressed up in a tree costume! This was just a fun thing to get people talking — plus, anytime someone asked how they could donate, they were simply told to “go find the money tree.”

Silly touches like this aren’t necessary, of course. The point is to make it seem like you put an effort into the event, because all of your guests are putting in an effort for you.

Plan Your “Main Event”

A good way to raise more money — and create some excitement at the party — is to plan a “main event.” While planning my latest fundraiser, one of my friends had the great idea to hold a live auction at the end of the night.

I asked some of my talented friends to donate their services, which were auctioned off by a friend of mine who’s a great MC. What we auctioned off that evening included: a custom hand-drawn portrait by an artist friend of mine, a batch of fresh brownies baked by my brother, a fancy dinner to be cooked by me, and more. The auction was a fun thing for the night to lead up to — and also turned out to be quite lucrative.

Leverage the Event to Build Your Following

Encourage guests to connect with the film online so the enthusiasm for your project doesn’t die out after the party.

Print out flyers to hand out to the guests, and scatter around the room for people to grab. Things you can include on the flyers: the title of the film, the official website, Instagram/Twitter/Facebook handle, a dedicated hashtag, a call-to-action like “Join our mailing list for updates” — plus, your Paypal or other e-transfer app information so that people can easily donate.

And Finally: Be a Good Host

Enlist some good friends to help you out at the party so that you aren’t spending your time running around collecting money, cleaning up, or whatever else.

Your guests are here for you, so make it a priority to be there for them. They will all want to know about your film — if they are generous enough to donate, be generous enough to share with them. Commit to spending some time talking to every guest, and thank them for being there to support you.

Recap

Your goal is to get people into the room. Once they’re inside, make them feel comfortable and appreciated. Don’t force money out of people, but make sure that they have plenty of opportunities to donate — whether by giving cash to a designated collector, donating online, or participating in a live auction or other “main event.”

Also, use your party as an opportunity to build interest in the film, and encourage guests to connect with the film online. Your fundraising event is more than just a way to raise money for your current project — it’s a way to build relationships with the people who may be watching and supporting your work in the future.

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About Robbie Lemieux

Robbie Lemieux is a film and video producer and director living and working in New York. His latest film, The Woods, premiered at the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival on October 13th.

You can connect with Robbie at: www.robbielemieux.com

or on Instagram at: @robbielemieux

You can also visit www.thewoodsfilm.com for more information about the short film mentioned in this post.