Fearless Gifting
In the midst of Fearless Collective’s inaugural Crowdfunder our Development Director, Cassie Denbow, shares thoughts on the act of giving and Fearless Collective’s gifting & fundraising philosophy.
At the Fearless Collective, we explore, among other things…. Fear.
Fear in public spaces,
at borders,
in homes,
and it’s hard to host conversations about the role of fear in so many physical aspects of our life, without eventually landing on an ever present facet of modern life, money.
How we make it, how we spend it, how we give it (and don’t) away.
Personally, growing up as a child in Cleveland, Ohio, money was the monster under the bed, as factories closed and our economy was faced with the prospects of a daunting transition.
Around the same time I turned eight.
That birthday, I received a half-used coloring book and a new box of crayons, a gift from a friend. Even as a child I realized the sincerity of this gift, it’s preciousness.
Giving gifts, despite all present distortion by “events” such as Black Friday, is an inherently human ritual. We give gifts with our time, acts of service, and material exchanges. And there is a fine dance between sincerity, perceived value, and the economics of exchange.
At Fearless Collective, we are experimenting with how fundraising and philanthropy sustains our work. We are developing giving avenues which of course, keep our work happening, but also make space for larger community conversations on values, philanthropy and the giving space in general. We are developing four main avenues of sustenance:
1. Fearless Feasts — modeled after giving circles, Fearless Feasts can be held by anyone around the world that wants to build community, engage in conversations on Fearless, and raise funds to help keep it going. We will be sharing more resources for those interested in hosting a fearless feast soon.
2. Fearless Patrons - for centuries those that could have patroned artists, amassing incredible private collections that now line museum walls around the world. We at Fearless are interested in flipping this model. When someone gives to us, instead of adding to private collections, they are commissioning public art works which adorn the walls of communities around the world; making beauty accessible for all.
Re-ocurring monthly patron membership: Donations no matter their size, are critical to allowing us to plan for the future of the collective. To become a monthly patron of Fearless’ work, click on the gold ‘Gift Now’ button on our website and help make sure we can work in more and more communities.
3. Fearless Merch — Our current kickstarter is also the first time our merchandise has been available for sale online. Carry communities around the world with you while making new art possible.
4. In Kind support — Whether you have a space that is perfect for a community workshop, a room the Fearless team could crash in while were in your city, some flyer miles that you just aren’t sure you’ll use, consider making or connecting us to an in-kind donation source. We are particularly in need of in-kind donations that off-set the cost of travel and mural supplies.
Fearless Collective’s sustenance is grounded in participative methods. Right now, we are running our first Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign because we have the team, experience, and vision to help our work expand across the region, and eventually around the world.
When you gift to Fearless you are gifting a wall transformed into a space of beauty for a community, a paint brush to an unrecognized hand, and an affirmation to the world. You are providing the vital support we need to make our programming with communities across the globe possible. As a Collective we think frequently about our offerings to the world. What can we give to others to help make it a more beautiful, vibrant place?
We believe:
- that everyone, everywhere, deserves access to beauty.
- that art can live in every space —on our streets, and in our houses, and on our skin, and on our clothes.
- that beauty is not a luxury but rather a necessity that makes a life full and we believe that dismissing beauty and art as necessities of life dismiss the creative forces that transform individuals, families, communities, and worlds.
- in making space, and finding openings; softness has a home here.
- That our 22nd century monuments should be to mothers, and best friends, trees, and flowers, and resplendent rivers. Not because these elements are missing in our future world but because of their abundance and because what we worship, we ultimately become.
