Make Music LA/Fundraising

Fundraising

Fundraising doesn’t necessarily mean asking for cash donations. As Neighborhood Council, that’s off limits in most cases. There are several ways to raise resources to create successful Make Music LA events.

More than likely your teammates will be volunteers like you and will not be looking for compensation for time spent on this project.

Early in the year it’s best to begin planning your event by developing a bare bones budget. You can also prepare for a pie-in-the-sky windfall that may or may not happen by creating a wish list. Preparing a budget early will help you to know which expenses to prioritize.

Some of those expenses might be for permits – in some cases the Council Office can help with reduced or waived fees. Partnering with the Council Office may also help with stage rental, tables, chairs, tent’s, and or booth canopies etc.

The truth is as a Neighborhood Council you can either participate and create an event or you are in a position to help stakeholders within your region should they ask for a partnership in creating an event through the proper channels –or through an Arts and Culture committee should you have one or through Outreach as examples.

One of the goals of Make Music LA is to nurture collaboration between neighborhoods and area business. Developing partnerships with local Chambers of Commerce and or the Business Improvement District is a win, win, proposition. Local businesses can expect to see foot traffic from event attendance. Pitch the increase in traffic to them as a reason to be a sponsor. The benefits for being a sponsor might include offering them the opportunity to have their logo on your promotional materials.

Community Benefits

• A community-driven event that is organized, mainly through committed volunteers, at the grassroots level to ensure that all voices from all communities are heard and given a voice.
• Local businesses (BID’s, Chambers of Commerce) attract customers by hosting musicians in front of shops and restaurants.
• Large cultural institutions can benefit by collaborating with small, community based organizations to broaden their programming and reach new audiences.
• Neighbors can turn ordinary sidewalks and streets into impromptu stages, dance floors, and social meeting points, and bring their community together.
• For the city as a whole, it’s a way to attract tourists from other parts of the state to come experience the city’s cultural richness.
• As programs take place in (hundreds) of public spaces at no charge, they reach everyone who uses these spaces – (hundreds of thousands) of individuals.
• Make Music LA is a part of the Make Music Alliance, a membership organization that supports Make Music organizers around the world. By being part of the Alliance Make Music LA can showcase the city’s local music scene through a nationwide listings platform and live-streaming performances on June 21st. Make Music Alliance also spearheads the overall PR effort for Make Music Day.

Nonprofit Sector

If you have a non-profit sector to your Neighborhood Council you will be able to look for local and state grants or other support that might fit. You can also search for foundational support if you are a 501 (c) 3 or have fiscal sponsorship.

Next Time

In the next installment we will talk about the Make Music LA team and what’s going on around the city as we prepare for June 21st.

I’ll get a jump on that by saying we have partnered with the Musicians Institute, Balanced Breakfast, Enter Talk Radio and the Alliance for Women Film Composers to present an evening of Sound Advice: The Art of Composing a Career in Music.

This panel discussion of how to craft your career is one that works for students preparing to go out into the world and for professionals who might want to consider another approach to an ever-changing industry. The event is free and open to everyone.

Please join us on Thursday, May 26th at 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm for this informative evening of Sound Advice. Please see below for more details.

Thursday, May 26
7:30 pm -9:30 pm
Musicians Institute
6752 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028