by Molaundo Jones, Social Media Specialist at Fractured Atlas Alexis Cubis and Rachel Palumbo on set Alex Cubis of Smarter Pictures and Rachel Palumbo of Creō Pictures have been members of Fractured Atlas since April 2018. They are the producers of Rocket Man, a film about an aspiring writer whose career is stagnant and his confrontation with an old friend who has become successful through unscrupulous means. How has Fractured Atlas benefitted your artistic practice? Fractured Atlas offered a legitimized process for raising funds for our film, Rocket Man. They were incredibly hands-on with ensuring that everything in our development phase was above board, including our email drafting, donation solicitation and marketing. How has Fractured Atlas benefitted your revenue/income generation? Fractured Atlas allowed us to seek tax-deductible donations, meaning contributors were more enthusiastic about supporting our film because it represented one part of a bigger community-driven project and ethos. https://vimeo.com/283325619 Which Fractured Atlas programs have you used? We used Artful.ly as well as Fundraising by Fractured Atlas, their 30-day crowdfunding campaign, both of which proved to be extremely user-friendly for us and our donors. Why do you think artists and organizations should become members of Fractured Atlas? Artists and organizations should become members of Fractured Atlas because it will provide them with a supportive team who can answer questions about the fundraising process and they will also become members of a broader community of like-minded creatives. . Rachel and Alex & the movie poster for Rocket Man Do you have any upcoming events that people should know about? Stay tuned for festival screenings and showcases of our film in 2019! What is your biggest accomplishment as a result of being a Fractured Atlas member? Successfully raising enough money to fund our film and complete it to the high standard that we had envisioned for it. Join Us: Click here to become become a member. Fractured Atlas on Social: Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter | Facebook

by Molaundo Jones, Social Media Specialist at Fractured Atlas Stacy Goldate and Craig A. Colton are the creators of A Greater Society, a documentary designed to inspire greater civic engagement and voter turnout. The Los Angeles-based duo have been members of Fractured Atlas since 2014 and their documentary features residents of Broward County, Florida, a retirement community that mobilized during the 2014 midterm elections.

by Molaundo Jones, Social Media Specialist at Fractured Atlas Aisha Jordan, creator of Hashtag The Show Aisha Jordan is creator of #HashtagTheShow, a sketch comedy web series acted out in live action “hashtags.” The series offers cultural commentary on society from the point of view of people of color.

by Molaundo Jones, Social Media Specialist at Fractured Atlas Ryan Gilliam, founding member and Executive Director of Fourth Arts Block NYC Ryan Gilliam is the Executive Director of Fourth Arts Block (FABnyc). FABnyc’s mission is to strengthen the cultural vitality of the Lower East Side. Through programs and collaborations with local cultural organizations, artists, and neighborhood nonprofits, FABnyc explores how arts and culture can advance community health, inclusiveness, and equity.

by Molaundo Jones, Social Media Specialist at Fractured Atlas André M. Zachery is the artistic director of Renegade Performance Group (RPG), a Brooklyn-based dance company. RPG has been a member of Fractured Atlas since September 2009.

From time to time, we feature a fiscally sponsored project who has been successful at using our program to advance their art/cause/career. Today, we’re featuring Lynne Childress of Building Better People. First off, tell us a bit about Building Better People. Who are you? What is your mission? Who would you consider to be your primary audience? Building Better People Productions is a professional theater company for young audiences based in Annapolis, Maryland. Our mission is to produce theater and classes that promote empathy, understanding, and kindness to kids and their families, and encourage the best in all humans. That’s where the name “Building Better People” comes from: we think that teaching character development helps make all of us better, from the ground up. Everything we do is geared towards kids and also their families. We do shows for the public, as well as shows that tour schools.

by Colleen Hughes, Program Associate at Fractured Atlas After November 8, 2016, there were a lot of feelings circulating through the American arts sector: fear, confusion, anger, disappointment, sadness, lostness. Many people, myself included, were asking, “Where does my art and my identity as an artist fit into a USA run by our 45th president?” Well, luckily, Beth Pickens’s newest book, Your Art Will Save Your Life, is here to answer that question. I first discovered Pickens when I heard about her FREE Making Art During Fascism pamphlet, and once I learned of her book, I knew it would be an impactful one. Pickens is part counselor, part consultant for artists in Los Angeles. She began working on Your Art Will Save Your Life after November 8, 2016, as a way to support and encourage artists to keep doing what we do best: make art!

Twenty years ago, most thriving small businesses and nonprofits had one fabulous public relations person, one techie sorting out what emails and websites were all about, and one executive director who could solicit fundraising dollars by hosting a cocktail event. Fast forward to 2018, and everything is about real time, instant gratification and, more importantly, appreciation. Fractured Atlas has partnered with JMT Media to learn more about how for-profit entities can connect with the nonprofit sectors through visibility, partnerships, and strategic outreach.

Individual donor prospecting can be as easy as getting better acquainted with people you already know. Fundraising to support your work as an artist can be intimidating, especially if you’re thinking strictly in terms of who you know and whether you’re comfortable asking them for money (or in some cases, asking them for money yet again). But the truth is that you can do it! For decades, individual artists have raised the funds to make their careers as artists, and if you think and talk about yourself as a professional, we believe that you can, too. Of course, there are some best practices to consider as you formulate your plan for ensuring that you can sustainably bring your art to your community now and in the future.

When preparing a grant application, it can seem counterintuitive to think of the funder you’re applying to as a resource. However, no one can answer questions about an application better than the institution that made it! Calling the funder is one of the most effective tools in your grant-writing toolbox.