| Book Review: Shaking the Money Tree | | Print | |
| Written by Reviewed by Amanda Lynn Porter |
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Let's face it: Production classes need to be self-sufficient as school budgets are cut and arts programs are put on the back burner. Any way you can pick up a few extra dollars for your classroom or studio will not only save your job, but help boost your productions creatively. That’s why, this month, SVN brings you tips on budgeting, finding grants, and boosting donations using Morrie Warshawski's book, Shaking the Money Tree. Warshawski begins with a few professional development tips that will affect every aspect of your work and help you get the funding you need. By identifying core values, creating a personal mission statement, and setting goals, Morrie will help identify key areas of personal growth. Next, he identifies the "money map," where finding money is easy (not just for film and video!). By creating a fundraising plan, identifying appropriate funding sources, and asking for monetary assistance in the most effective way, you'll be loaded in no time. In Shaking the Money Tree, Warshawski also covers redesigning your production to make it more attractive to donors, researching for the right grants, how to write the perfect grant proposal, and getting money out of foundations and corporations. My favorite feature is the sidebars by experts in production and how to reach out to the community using social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook. "We funders ought to have a preliminary requirement that applicants attend your workshop before submitting their proposals." Morrie Warshawski is a noted writer and media consultant. He is the former Executive Director of Bay Area Video Coalition and The Media Project, Inc. His clients over the last 30 years include the American Film Institute, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, MacArthur Foundation, WGBH-TV, President’s Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and dozens of individual filmmakers. Warshawski has served on numerous grant panels, has written over 500 proposals, and is the author of The Fundraising Houseparty, and Shaking The Money Tree: How To Get Grants And Donations For Film And Video. After 30 years specializing in the nonprofit sector, Warshawski also works with nonprofits that are having difficulty achieving their goals.
Vital statistics Table of Contents: Chapter One: Laying the Foundation: Your Career Available from Michael Wiese Productions, or any bookseller.
Most recently, Amanda worked for Michael Moore on his latest documentary: Capitalism: A Love Story. You can read her new column, Amanda's Book Nook each month in School Video News. |