The first 15

I’m excited to announce that we are officially fundraising for Spirit of Tivaevae! Not only are we up and running with our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions, BUT we also have our first two donors!! Meitaki maata to Jennifer and Mary Ann for being our very first supporters!

Now. Let’s talk business. Our first fundraising goal is $15,000 USD. This isn’t our total budget — in fact, it doesn’t even cover the amount we have budgeted to complete filming! — however, I think it’s an achievable first step in making this film happen. Plus, going after a big goal is always less intimidating when you break it down into smaller steps and mini-goals.

Okay, but why is $15K your first fundraising goal?
Great question! $15K is going to allow us to complete a two important next steps.

1. We’ll be able to put firm dates on the calendar.

We’ve completed most of the research that we can do from the United States. Now, we need to get to filming and learning about tivaevae in the real world instead of via books and articles. We need to shoot (the fancy filmmaking term for this is “principle photography”)!

In order to shoot, we need book plane tickets for our travel crew. Our travel crew will consist of 3-4 people, including myself. Once we have our flights scheduled, we’ll be able to start setting up interviews! As you can imagine, it’s hard for people to commit to being part of our crew or to be an interviewee when all I can give them is a vague “we’d like to shoot in the fall…”

2. We’ll be able to start setting up details

With $15K, not only will we be able to book our travel details, but we’ll also be able to start setting up other shoot details. Things like equipment rentals, accommodations, van rental, hard drives, memory cards, etc.

How you can help

There are a 3 of ways you can help us hit The First 15!

1. Consider making a donation
Your donation is tax deductible thanks to our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions. Click here to learn how to make a donation, and to see some of the cool thank you gifts we have for you! We would love to have you as one of our supporters.

2. Tell your friends
Do you know someone who loves Cook Islands or Polynesian culture? Or maybe someone who loves sewing and quilting? Nice! Please send them here to join our newsletter, or invite them to follow us on Facebook.

3. Join our fundraising team
We’re looking for 3-4 people who are passionate and excited about the story of tivaevae to help us with fundraise outreach! If that’s you, please email me so we can set up a time to chat: melodieturori@gmail.com! 🙂

If you have questions about any of the above, leave a comment below or send an email.