Fundraising & Decorative Samples
Fundraising can be the most challenging aspect of any project. CSS can guide you through the process.
After presenting an approved plan to your church or building committee, printed fundraising literature and boards that detail the goals of the project can help to communicate the vision. Direct mailings, telemarketing, auctions, church or community-sponsored social events, and Grants from private foundations can be a source of revenue.
Conrad Schmitt Studios can provide you with contact information and basic grant-writing guidance. In addition, many projects offer a number of items that could be identified with the donor’s name, such as the restoration of a stained glass window or the conservation of a mural or statue. Studio artisans and craftspeople can develop renderings and on-site samples to illustrate the proposed work. This often generates interest and financial support among potential donors.
Fundraising Boards
Fundraising is often the most challenging and time-consuming aspect of any project. Conrad Schmitt Studios is eager to share its experience in fundraising and help guide you through the process. After presenting an approved plan to your church or building committee, printed fundraising literature and boards that detail the goals of the project can help to communicate the vision. Direct mailings, telemarketing, auctions and church or community-sponsored social events are a few fundraising options.
Grants from private foundations may also be a source of revenue. The Studio can provide you with contact information and basic grant-writing guidance. In addition, many projects offer a number of items that could be identified with the donor’s name, such as the restoration of a stained glass window or the conservation of a mural or statue.
Studio artisans and craftspeople can develop art renderings and on-site samples to illustrate the proposed work. This often generates considerable interest among potential donors.
Fundraising Mailers
In addition to assisting fundraising efforts through presentations, samples and fundraising display boards, Conrad Schmitt Studios can create promotional print pieces in the form of large brochures, convenient to carry tri-fold pamphlets, DVDs and their accompanying disc packaging as well. The creation of illustrative literature, often coordinating with a display board can be of great assistance in generating enthusiasm and financial support from the community for a planned decoration, stained glass or restoration project. Our experience has shown that people respond to professionally produced pieces that provide a thorough, respectful presentation of the undertaking at hand.
The Studio provides support materials using in-house staff, working with you to select images and create a message that is informative and inspiring. They often contain elements of the history and stewardship that unite the community, as well as information regarding the benefits of the project. Visual images, such as renderings or samples, created by the Studio help illustrate the extent, style and quality of what is proposed.
The project display boards and handout materials are custom-designed and can be produced to your specifications. Postcards or booklets can be designed in a variety of formats. All materials carry a respectful tone that recognizes the fact that providing support for a project is a profound act of faith and stewardship.
Samples
Before an interior space is decorated or restored, it often is difficult to convey just how dramatic the improvement will be. A few will recognize the space as an unpolished jewel; but, many others may see only what is there. The decorative sample is a valuable tool for creating momentum for many projects. It allows everyone to share in the vision of what is possible.
When a decorative sample is commissioned, a representative section of the interior several feet wide and including a portion of the ceiling is decorated as an exact illustration of the finished restoration and decorative artwork. In the experience of Conrad Schmitt Studios, the subsequent unveiling of the sample is a privileged moment. People sometimes are emotionally moved and may step forward with donations. Inevitably, people are inspired.
For cases in which a historical paint analysis is conducted, the sample is often the first, exciting glimpse of the original decorative scheme. Other reasons for creating samples are more practical. They illustrate the quality, taste and expertise the artists will bring to the project; and, they expedite the entire restoration process by allowing design decisions regarding flooring, fabrics and other elements to be made early on.
For many projects, the greatest value of the sample is its power to generate enthusiasm and support. The importance of making a restoration happen can be deliberated for a day, a month, or a decade. But when a decorative sample is unveiled, seeing is believing, and the momentum begins.