Fundraising: The Living Room Tour

In 2006, PBS green lighted my production of “The Neon Man and Me,” to become a special. There was one stipulation. I had to raise the money myself. My first words were, “No problem.” I knew the living room tour was the perfect medium to help me raise the money.

After creating an Action Plan for both the creation of a documentary film and then the subsequent tour through living rooms I went to work. I found a film student off Craigslist who would shoot the film in exchange for exposure, and after learning how to edit the video myself, and making a 30 minute DVD, I set up the Living Room Tour for the documentary film entitled, “Glow.”.

The idea for my Living Room Tour for Glow was simple. I asked my local fans if anyone was interested in hosting the film in their house or apartment. Hosts would invite over 10-15 guests who would donate $10 - $25 to watch the film. After the film, I would discuss what I was doing, perform a selection from my show and provide a Q&A. Over the course of nine months, I ended up raising all the necessary funds. It wasn’t exactly easy. I was touring with the documentary film alongside my other tour. Every weekend for nearly nine months, I was taking the DVD into a new living room and watching it on a television with various hosts and their friends.

During that time, I also continued my media goals, landing my quest in the news very a number of times. As a result, PBS was so impressed with my desire to succeed, that they lowered the amount they were requiring me to raise.