All Out for the Summer 2013 BA Everywhere Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign!
June 12, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
Important—and joyous—BA Everywhere events are planned this weekend, June 14-16, in cities across the country.
These events are occurring in the wake of shattering revelations of massive government surveillance, overseen and fiercely defended by the head of state, President Barack Obama, a constitutional law scholar. And they're taking place in the midst of an intensifying cauldron of contradictions marked by the struggles around Guantánamo, the trial of George Zimmerman for stalking and killing Trayvon Martin, the upcoming California prisoners' hunger strike, the upsurges in Turkey. In this context, these weekend picnics and fundraisers launching the summer of BA Everywhere—the campaign to raise big money to get word out on Bob Avakian's analysis of the SOURCE of these problems… and, even more, the SOLUTION to them—assumes an even greater import and urgency, as big questions are posed about the very nature of this society, with potential opportunities and challenges for the movement for revolution to advance at and through this juncture. The Revolution editorial "A Summer of Big Challenges and Intense Struggles" (June 16, 2013) offers orientation that is critical to this moment.
Launching the Summer 2013 BA Everywhere Campaign: Making a Difference, the events this coming weekend should be marked by the revolutionary élan (edge/flair) of what this campaign is all about: raising big funds to make BA a household name, and to spread the vision and work of BA—the film BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Bob Avakian Live, the book BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian, and his whole body of work representing a new synthesis of communism—among all strata of people so that BA becomes a point of reference in society. This campaign should draw forth broad numbers of people to be part of getting the word out about BA, and the ways should be provided for people of different strata and backgrounds, with different perspectives and thinking, "to find their own level" to engage, participate, and contribute.
The key initiative of the summer campaign coming off these weekend events is the online fundraising initiative—on the crowd-funding platform Indiegogo—to raise the seed money for the summer plans. And the aim through those summer plans is for even bigger fundraising efforts looking forward to the fall and winter. The objective of the Indiegogo campaign is to raise $20,000 ($20K)—reaching and involving newer and growing numbers of people, in the context of a widening and deepening societal engagement with BA.
Crowd-funding can be a very important way to reach and involve lots of people—to have a bigger societal impact through the fundraising itself, to build momentum, and to help forge and manifest a national social movement. While the "virtual" online aspect is really important, crowd-funding—and BA Everywhere—is ultimately about people. And what is critical throughout is what we do in "the real world," working with and involving people contributing at different levels and in different ways—and the synergy of all this with the online aspect.
Initial Work and Preparation
The success of the Indiegogo fundraising campaign requires some initial work and preparation to create the necessary buzz and momentum at its launch (when the online fundraising and its website go live). This is needed to get word of this Indiegogo campaign spreading far beyond "those we know"—the immediate social circles and those we happen to meet directly on the streets or in outings—so that the profile of this campaign is raised and its reach widened.
To facilitate this, the actual go-live launchdate for the online fundraising is scheduled for Thursday, June 20. Prior to that—starting now, through the June 14-16 weekend fundraising events, and the days after (June 17–20)—is a period of all-out preparation and mobilization, constituting a "soft-launch" for the Indiegogo campaign, working with and involving people towards a successful launch (go-live) on the 20th.
There are three inter-related aspects to this preparation:
- Mobilizing people. Those who have seen the film BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Bob Avakian Live—and have an appreciation of the difference it has made, and will make, and who feel "people need to see this"—are an embryonic solid core to be forged, led, and unleashed in this campaign as part of the summer plans, bearing testimony to the film and its impact, spreading the word widely in various ways (including online, in email and Twitter), and contributing funds. These hundreds, if not thousands, of people nationwide need to be mobilized with the launching of this campaign, providing necessary momentum in the beginning stages. Think of everybody who can and needs to be part of this and let them know of the Indiegogo campaign. There are those who have had a serious engagement with BA—those who have been part of other BA Everywhere initiatives like the BAsics bus tours, fundraising for the film of the April 11, 2011 event on Indiegogo, and the April 11 celebration itself, etc; and those who consider themselves part of the larger movement for revolution—who should be provided ways to contribute at different levels and in different ways.
This initial mobilization of those we already know is critical to the success of this crowd-funding campaign which, in line with the overall objectives of BA Everywhere and the larger movement for revolution of which it is a part, rests on being able to reach—and involve—newer people in increasing waves, on the street, in the projects, the playhouses and progressive resorts, and online.
- Lining up donors. Mobilizing people for this Indiegogo campaign includes lining up a range, diversity and breadth of initial donors ($1 to $10K+ donations), with some bigger donors ($500+ donations) who can provide the initial momentum required to launch this on the right scale. The process to secure such donations should be initiated immediately, including setting up meetings with such prospective donors. These bigger pledges can be committed and publicized as "matching" funds for what is raised at mass outings during the first weekend of the Indiegogo campaign (June 22 weekend) in the neighborhoods—through penny jars, yard and bake sales and other forms. Throughout the summer, and BA Everywhere overall, there needs to be a mutually reinforcing relationship between advances—in engagement, participation, involvement and contribution—among the bedrock section of the masses of people, those this system has cast off, AND among the middle and wealthier strata.
- Buzz/momentum at launch. The go-live date for the Indiegogo campaign, Thursday, June 20, should be marked by email and Twitter feeds spreading the word, online donations among those previously lined up and newer folks, and comments and testimonials posted online. The following weekend should be marked by mass outings to the neighborhoods of the oppressed as well as to the neighborhoods of the middle and wealthier strata, to places they congregate and visit—from basketball courts to progressive theaters. Word needs to get out very broadly online and on the street, generating some buzz and initial excitement and momentum—with significant fundraising in quantity ($ terms), and in the number/breadth of donors. This should complement the Days of Solidarity with the Struggle to End Prison Torture! called for that June 21-23 weekend.
In the Coming Days
The proposed "soft-launch"/"rolling start" should give time and space to prepare better conditions for generating the required momentum at go-live of the Indiegogo campaign. This weekend's events and the days after are significant in this regard—and some concrete ways to facilitate this preparation are the following:
- Make people aware. Formally, and informally, talk with people about the Indiegogo campaign, generate excitement and momentum for it, mobilize and organize people to be part of it—contributing to the fundraising, lining up donors big and small, and spreading it by creating buzz and momentum among friends, family, colleagues, etc. A new postcard will be available soon, with more specific info about the Indiegogo campaign and a QR code.
- Get video/audio/written testimonials. A simple form for a testimonial can be "I Donated to BA Everywhere, and You Should Too." If people wish, they can speak to what moves them about BA, responses to BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS!/BAsics, from their own perspectives. These testimonials are a very important contribution, and they will be posted online throughout the campaign, individually and in collage. The testimonials going into and coming off the premieres of BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! in March are really powerful and give a glimpse of the impact such statements can have. Both video and audio testimonials are needed. If necessary, there are artistic ways to film testimonials so people's identities are not necessarily obvious. Be creative—for example, shorties coming together and saying as a group "Donate Now to BA Everywhere" can be a powerful visual. This is a crucial and much-needed way for people to contribute, so ensure that there is sufficient logistical/technical preparation for gathering testimony of good sound/image quality. Send testimonies to revolution.reports@yahoo.com and baeverywhere@gmail.com.
- Learn. Get people's thinking/ideas and learn how to make this campaign successful, and how they can contribute. Send in their—and your—thinking/ideas on all this. This will be "a summer of experimentation and learning." For example, ask youth and others about social media and how best to spread the word—and involve them in the process.
- Plan collective forms. These can include a range from house parties to specific outings to a museum, a barbecue, or all kinds of other places. This also brings to the fore the concept of building community—an aspect of BA Everywhere. At house parties, clips of the film can be shown, provoking discussion, debate and engagement, and funds raised (including through auctions and raffles of donated items and artworks). Do people know artists who would potentially do fundraising performances, small and big, or local progressive authors who would do readings as fundraisers?
- Sign up people. To the BA Everywhere Twitter account so they can follow and spread it. To the local BA Everywhere committees and its specific initiatives.
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