Fundraising Campaign
Indie Memphis Launches Fundraising Campaign With $20,000 Challenge Grant from ArtsMemphis through an anonymous donor.
Fueled by a $20,000 challenge grant from ArtsMemphis through an anonymous donor, Indie Memphis this week has launched a campaign to raise four times that amount by December 1, 2009.
"Our organization has set the ambitious goal of raising $80,000 by December to build a broad base of support for continued financial stability and long-term sustainability" said Erik Jambor, executive director of Indie Memphis, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. "Thanks to the tremendous support and generosity of ArtsMemphis, their anonymous donor and Craig Brewer, we already have taken a giant step toward our goal."
The challenge grant from ArtsMemphis applies to money pledged to Indie Memphis by June 30, and will allow the organization to reach half of its fundraising goals during the first month of the campaign.
"This is an outstanding opportunity for the community to get behind one of the most powerful artistic forces in our city: the Memphis independent film industry," said Susan Schadt, president and CEO of ArtsMemphis. "Indie Memphis masters the art of film by capturing the Memphis vibe in a very unique way. The spirit of Indie Memphis is a young, energetic one that gives our emerging leaders an outlet for expression and a reason to call Memphis home.
"Indie Memphis is making every effort to move forward in becoming a financially sound and sustainable organization. These endeavors deserve to be matched by the community that Indie Memphis supports and reflects in its work. The anonymous contribution through ArtsMemphis is just the first step in securing the future of a true Memphis treasure."
Jambor said the matching feature gives contributors a chance to double their impact.
"New members, sponsors and donors will see their contributions matched by this grant, allowing them to effectively double their support and help to ensure Indie Memphis' year-round programming and the success of the 12th annual Indie Memphis Film Festival," Jambor said.
Craig Brewer recently staged the World Premiere of "$5 Cover" at the Malco Paradiso as a fundraiser for Indie Memphis. The event, which was co-presented by Malco Theatres and the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission, resulted in four sold out screenings and was the most successful fundraiser in the 12-year history of the non-profit organization that annually holds the Indie Memphis Film Festival in Brewer's hometown. The week of benefit screenings, which drew in more than 1,500 attendees, also included premieres of the "$5 Cover"-related projects "Flipside Memphis," created by Live from Memphis and the Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau, and "$5 Cover Amplified," directed by Alan Spearman of The Commercial Appeal.
"Indie Memphis is the most taken-for-granted institution in Memphis. It provides a respectful and entertaining program to Memphians as well as a greatly needed opportunity for local artists to hone their craft," Brewer said. "I am a working professional because of the numerous opportunities Indie Memphis' festival afforded me over the years."
Through June 30, new memberships & donations will provide Indie Memphis with a dollar-for-dollar
match, thanks to a challenge grant from ArtsMemphis through an anonymous donor.
Click here to learn more about Indie Memphis memberships
or click here to make a tax-deductible donation.
