D-WORD ANNUAL CAMPAIGN 2022-2023
by The D-Word
Sandor Lau
Update 12-19-2022
WE HAVE SURPASSED OUR MATCH CHALLENGE!
We have $917.26 in matching challenge. Donors rose to meet the match.
$1,834.52 raised for The D-Word!
We can only continue the matching challenge if other challenger(s) step forward to match donors.
Please reach me through the D-Word to become a challenger and raise the stakes!
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I'm Sándor. Here's why I'm a volunteer ambassador at The D-Word.
For the last 15 years, I was trying to make my third feature documentary.
Then, in the depths of the pandemic, I found The D-Word and connected with a worldwide network of great people who have shown me everything I need to get this film funded, finished and distributed.
I'm asking you to join me in donating to keep this community free for everyone. Think of it as executive producing hundreds of films that D-Worders make because of they support they get from this community.
A few other donors and I are offering to match your gifts $1:1 so you can double your donation. This December only.
The D-Word is the longest-running peer-to-peer community for documentary film professionals from around the world. We have never charged a membership fee, but do ask annually for voluntary contributions to support our platform, programs, and people.
While this campaign has ended (thank you!), The D-Word does accept donations year-round at https://dword.wedid.it/
In honor of our 23 years and the approaching year of 2023, we are aiming to raise $23,000 in our annual fundraising campaign.
Do you know The D-Word because of our weekly Zoom F2Fs that have brought together our members over the past few years? Or are you a regular contributor or occasional lurker on our long-running online forum? Did you meet one of our hosts or Ambassadors at a film festival or industry event? Perhaps you finally checked us out after hearing about us from a colleague or friend, another organization, or even a random web search?
However you came across The D-Word, it is likely that you connected to it because of a specific person or group of people. While The D-Word is not a funder, a festival, a distributor, or a powerbroker in the industry, we ARE a community that can help our members better navigate those worlds through the power of sharing. As Oscar-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras has said of The D-Word, "It's a true lifeline for any documentary filmmaker."
We approach our annual campaign much like we approach our entire community. Even the seemingly smallest piece of advice can make someone feel like they can move forward with their projects in times of challenge. And even the smallest contribution to our campaign contributes to the larger fundraising goal.
The D-Word has never charged a fee to become a member of our community. Yet it is a goldmine of expertise, support, and community. All that we do is free to the documentary community and we want to keep it that way. However, we have very real expenses which is why we turn to our community for voluntary contributions once a year.
Your support helps us cover:
- Platform and design updates and upgrades for the online forum and database;
- Zoom and Otter.ai accounts for our weekly virtual F2Fs;
- Honoraria for guest speakers at our virtual F2Fs;
- ASL services when requested for our virtual F2Fs;
- Modest compensation for our program manager and hosts who put in many hours behind-the-scenes to keep The D-Word and its programs operational.
- The Art of Producing Documentaries with Alysa Nahmias and Heidi Reinberg
- Story Structure for Documentaries with Geoffrey Smith and Ove Rishøj Jensen
- Grant Writing for Documentaries with Tracy Heather Strain and Tracie Holder
- Film Festivals and Beyond with DOC NYC's Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen
- Centering Personal Narratives of BIPOC Communities with Jennifer Crystal Chien
- Navigating the PBS System with Keith Ochwat and Linda Midgett
- The Possibilities of YouTube with David Hoffman
- Educational Distribution for Docs with Rachel Gordon and James-Michael Boyer
- Netflix and the Streamers with Peter Hamilton
- Case studies of films such as Hidden Letters, The Territory, and Jimmy in Saigon
On our Forum, we provided coverage from IDFA, DOC NYC, and Double Exposure Film Festival. We organized or helped members organize in-person gatherings in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Oakland, and Amsterdam. We facilitated member connections to each other through virtual affinity and accountability groups. We launched our new YouTube channel where we have shared "D-Words of Wisdom," recordings of many of our F2Fs with guest experts. We put together a panel on mental health at Getting Real and worked with Film in Mind and Malikkah Rollins on the DocuMentality initiative aimed at normalizing the conversation around mental health in our field and working with partners to make it a priority for the field and those who entrust us with their stories.
Through our online and offline programs, The D-Word provides spaces for professional development, information sharing and relationship building, working towards greater sustainability and improved mental health for documentary professionals. We hope we can count on you to support our continued efforts in the new year. Thank you!
WAYS TO SUPPORT US
All contributions go through our fiscal sponsor (a 501c3 nonprofit) which means they may be tax-deductible for U.S. taxpayers.
1. Make a donation by credit card.
Note: If you are viewing this page on a computer or website, please select the yellow button that says "Support" (NOT the one at the very top that says "Donate" which is a test link for IDA).
If you are viewing this on a phone, select the button at the top that says "Donate."
Once you make your donation, you should receive an email confirmation of your donation. If you don't, please contact us and we can see if the transaction went through. It will show up on your credit card under the name of our fiscal sponsor, International Documentary Association.
2. Send a check or donor advised contribution to us via our fiscal sponsor, The IDA:
Make the check payable to our fiscal sponsor, but note it is intended for The D-Word in the memo line. Make sure it is postmarked for the year you want it to count towards in terms of taxes. Checks may be mailed to:
The International Documentary Association
3600 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1810
Los Angeles, CA 90010
If you need IDA's letter of determination, please contact us at [email protected] and we can send that to you.
3. Make a contribution by a wire transfer or ACH: If this is your preferred method of contribution, please contact us at [email protected] and we can provide the information.
$1,700 RAISED
$5,000 GOAL
| This Appeal | 19 | 34% |
| has ended. | Believers | Funded |