(Almost) 20 Questions
In our new series, (Almost) 20 Questions, we’re introducing you to people in the Kartemquin community — new and old! Up first is our brand new development team: Director of Development, Emily Long and Development Associate, Isabelle Martin.
Emily Long (she/her/hers) joins Kartemquin from Film at Lincoln Center (f/k/a Film Society at Lincoln Center), where she was the Assistant Director of Development from 2017 through 2021. In this role, Emily oversaw all institutional and government funding as well as the membership and patron programs, day-to-day department operations, and donor experiences at special events and festivals including the New York Film Festival and the Chaplin Award Gala.
Isabelle Martin (she/her/hers) comes to Kartemquin from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where she supported a diverse portfolio of institutional donors for the Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra.
Many people interested in working in a nonprofit want to avoid being a fundraiser. What draws you to fundraising? Why are you interested in this career?
Emily: I believe everyone who works at a nonprofit is a fundraiser on some level, so I guess that’s bad news for the folks who think otherwise! Everyone who has a relationship with someone in the community, whether they’re a one-time ticket buyer or a major, multi-year institutional donor, has the chance to impact someone who’s supporting the organization. I love being able to focus on that aspect of growing and building an organization.
Isabelle: I really like thinking about fundraising as an act of storytelling. I’m drawn to the idea that the fundraiser crafts a compelling narrative about an organization that really reaches people and convinces them to make a commitment to it.
What do you enjoy about fundraising?
Emily: Fundraising to me is really all about relationships, and giving people the chance to connect with a community or a cause they care about. In the best situation, donors are thanking us for getting them involved. I’ve always been interested in why certain works of art or ideas resonate at a particular time and place, and a good fundraiser is able to tap into that moment and use it to tell a larger story. Those storytelling, personal elements are really what drew me to the work.
Isabelle: I love being able to talk about and promote something I love and am passionate about with people who also share that passion. I’ve grown up in the arts, and working in fundraising in the arts offers so many opportunities to connect with people who are so excited about the work and want to support it because it’s so deeply meaningful to them.
What fundraising channels do you have the most expertise in?
Emily: I’ve done a lot of institutional fundraising, and also some grassroots corporate fundraising. Film at Lincoln Center is where I learned the most about individual giving, because they’re a membership-based organization and members are such a huge part of what they do every single day in the theaters. I’ve also done a lot of development operations work, which isn’t direct fundraising experience, but we’re all better at our jobs when systems are working and there are clear policies and procedures in place.
Isabelle: I joined the KTQ team from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where I worked in institutional giving, focusing on foundation and government relationships.
What are the top three characteristics of a great fundraiser?
Emily: In no particular order:
- You have to enjoy talking to people, and have empathy with their position and interests;
- You have to be a good persuasive writer who knows your audience;
- You have to sincerely care about the thing you’re raising money for.
Isabelle: Emily nailed it with her list! I don’t have anything to add!
What drew you to Kartemquin?
Emily: Kartemquin is a natural fit for me because of my early career working in media literacy and my passion for media as a tool for expression, social change and communication. It’s such a gift that we’re all walking around with video cameras in our pockets, all of the time, and I think the ability to tell a meaningful story is one of the most valuable skills a person can have. It also matters that everyone, regardless of their skin color, gender or income level, has the freedom and chance to tell their stories, and that those stories can do more than just preach to a choir. As an organization, Kartemquin is about so many things, but these pieces are just some of the things that made me want to be here.
Isabelle: I was initially drawn to KTQ as a small, deeply collaborative organization that focuses on investing in artists and supporting their role in the pursuit of social change. KTQ’s deepened commitment to supporting filmmakers of color is something that aligns very closely with my own personal and professional values.
There’s always rumblings that millennials don’t give as much as previous generations. Do you find truth in that? If so, what will it take to get millennials to give more?
Emily: I don’t think it’s that simple. I’m technically a millennial. We care deeply about the world and want to give back, but we’re just starting to get to a place in our careers where we’re making some money but also want to have families and own homes. At the same time, we’re saddled with student debt, most of us graduated into a recession and now we’re stung by the pandemic. I think we want to see that our giving will make a difference, which is why I like to recommend people support local organizations doing work in their backyards — $25 goes a long way at the food pantry or animal shelter down the street. But we also need the economic freedom to give back.
Isabelle: I think a lot of it is about transparency and positioning — making sure an organization’s values and work are visible and impact-driven. People want to invest in causes they believe in. Also, the landscape of wealth looks incredibly different today than it did even 10–15 years ago, with the impacts of inflation, debt, and economic recessions, but every gift at every level is crucial and makes an impact.
What general fundraising advice or trends should creatives (filmmakers, artists, etc.) be most mindful of right now?
Emily: It’s important to be succinct and specific in your ask, and also be clear about how what you’re doing lines up with what a person is interested in supporting. For example, if you tell me you need x amount of dollars for x number of editing hours for a film about an issue that I care about, I’m much more likely to open my wallet. Don’t tell me you need $100,000 (which you should also know I don’t have) for something vague.
Isabelle: I would also add to plan ahead — deadlines are non-negotiable, and grant proposals take time to write! — and pay attention to the little details, like word or character count. It’s always painful when you’ve wordsmithed a response to exactly where you want it and then you hop into the portal and realize it exceeds the limit.
Tell me about an exciting fundraising campaign you’ve managed.
Emily: Fundraising at the New York Film Festival is such a rush. It’s 17 days of (more or less) the Cannes line-up debuting in the United States, but we don’t know until about a month before which films are definitely locked, or when they’re screening, or what talent is going to be available for what kind of fundraising opportunity. Every year we try to prep for every possibility, and I think we did a great job, but it always feels like a last-minute rush to make the most of what we have at our disposal. It’s a crazy time and I know I’m going to miss it!
Isabelle: I think I’m still riding the high from our recent Empowering Truth event! That was a lot of fun and an incredible wealth of hands-on experience, and it was really special to see how much people seemed to enjoy attending. As my first big KTQ project and the first major virtual event I’ve ever worked on, I think it was definitely a success.
What are you most excited about working at Kartemquin?
Emily: After so many years of being on the exhibition side of film, I’m really excited to witness what happens on the production side and do what I can to help films get made and support filmmakers in that way. It’s also a big deal for me to be back home in Chicago, and the Midwest, and champion those stories.
Isabelle: I think this is just a really extraordinary moment to be joining this team, in the midst of so much transformation and possibility. It feels like there’s incredible potential for growth both on the organizational level and in my own work, and I’m very excited for what the future brings.
Favorite Documentary?
Emily: Only one? THE MOLE AGENT and TIME have been tops for me. But there are so many, and all for different reasons.
Isabelle: I have seen some really incredible documentaries, but I think Twinsters (2015, dir. Sam Futerman and Ryan Miyamoto) is dearest to me, as a transracial adoptee.
Favorite Kartemquin Film or a Kartemquin Film you haven’t watched yet, but are excited to add to your queue?
Emily: LIFE ITSELF. I don’t know how I missed this when it came out!
Isabelle: I love Minding the Gap, and as a classically trained musician, I am definitely looking forward to watching For the Left Hand.
When you’re not planning a fundraising strategy, what do you like to do?
Emily: Weekends I try to go for at least one run along the lake, watch a couple of English Premier League games, do some baking, take the dog for a long walk and watch as many movies as I can fit in. I also love knitting, crossword puzzles and maybe a visit to a museum. I’m also a scuba diver, so the zoo and the aquarium are super calming for me.
Isabelle: I spend most of my free time these days reading, knitting, playing Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, and keeping up with my NHL teams. I also like taking walks, especially as the weather’s getting colder (winter is my favorite season), and trips to galleries and museums.
