Hamiltons for Handel

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising:
Hamiltons for Handel

2023-2024 Season Fundraising

This season is crucial for AMC as we build on the last two years’ successes and take our sound to the next level.  

To meet our anticipated expenses, we need to raise $25,000 for the season, in addition to grants and pledges already in hand. 

That means every volunteer chorister will need to participate in AMC fundraising activities throughout the season. Here are just some of the opportunities:

  • Publicizing concerts and doing pre-sale of tickets in your personal networks.
  • Making individual cash donations to our ongoing “Make Music Better” campaign.
  • Soliciting advertisers to place ads in concert programs and on the AMC website.
  • Soliciting sponsorships for individual musicians and events.
  • Participating in focused, small-amount peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns.

Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: “Hamiltons for Handel!”

In a “Peer-to-peer (P2P)” fundraising campaign, individuals who are already supporters of an organization reach out to other individuals to ask for donations.  P2P campaigns usually have a specific target for support and a fundraising goal, last only a few weeks, and ask for small amounts. The idea is that many of those asked will respond with that amount, and together the campaign goal is met.

Our first peer-to-peer campaign of the season targets AMC’s production costs for the second annual Messiah Sing-Along (MSA23) coming up on November 19.

MSA23 is sponsored by The Arts at Ascension, a partnership between AMC, Ascension Lutheran Church, and the Women’s Orchestra of Arizona (WOA). The event itself is free admission with a suggested donation; proceeds will be evenly split between AMC and WOA.

AMC covers soloists’ fees, program printing, chorus vocal score preparation, A/V fees at ALC, and several other details. We’re asking our supporters to give “Hamiltons for Handel” – i.e., a $10 bill. Cute, eh?  Here’s how it will work:

  • The campaign is live online now and will run through November 19.
  • The campaign fundraising goal is $2,500.
  • The appeal is for a single online $10 contribution per person (with the option to give more).
  • Board members and volunteer choristers will create and send an appeal to their friends, families, and social networks. Music staff members are welcome to take part.
  • Everyone should contact at least 10 potential donors by September 30.

Here’s How it Works

  • AMC choristers will contact friends, families, and networks and ask them to make a single online $10 contribution at this link: https://arizonamasterworks.com/go/hamiltons-for-handel/
  • Send your appeal via personal email or a post to your social media accounts to reach as many potential donors as possible.

How to Create Your Appeal

You’ll reach out to your network of friends, family, and contacts with your story about AMC, asking them to make a $10 donation to Hamiltons for Handel on the campaign website. 

Option 1:  Use the AMC standard appeal

Here’s an appeal you can copy and paste into your email or social media post:

Singing in the Arizona Masterworks Chorale (AMC) is an important part of my life. The Chorale’s mission is to inspire and enrich our community through the power of choral music, and it’s my personal joy to be a part.
 
Could you spare ten dollars to support our preparation for “Messiah Sing-Along 2023?”
 
We’re inviting everyone to come and sing along with the choruses in George Frederic Handel’s magnificent oratorio “Messiah” at the free, fun, family-friendly event. It’s led by AMC’s soloists and choristers and the Women’s Orchestra of Arizona. We’re sharing costs, which for AMC include soloist fees, program printing, and vocal score preparation.
 
The Messiah Sing-Along is at 3 p.m. on November 19 at Ascension Lutheran Church in Paradise Valley, and admission is free. During the event, we’ll ask for donations to support the 2023-24 seasons of the groups taking part.
 
All I’m asking is just a $10 donation to “Hamiltons for Handel” (the bill with Alexander Hamilton’s face on it, get it?) to help us prepare — though we’re grateful for any amount you can give.
 
Just go to this link to donate online:
 
Thanks for your generosity and support of AMC!
 

Option 2:  Create your own personal appeal

Your personal appeal is your story about what AMC means to you and why AMC is worthy of a donation.   A good story lets the person you’re appealing to know at least three things:

  1. WHY AMC as an organization is important to you and the community, and why Messiah Sing-Along 2023, the focus of this campaign, is special.

If your contact isn’t familiar with AMC, you can start with this: Our mission is to inspire and enrich our community through the power of choral music.  (See the “About AMC” page on our website for some specifics of the high-level mission statement.)

Then share what being a member of AMC means to you, personally, and why you’re excited about AMC and the Messiah Sing-Along.  Because you’re asking for support from someone who already knows you, sharing your personal story of inspiration and satisfaction as a chorister helps convince them to give.  (See this article about the importance of “Why”.)

  1. WHAT they will get out of donating to AMC. (Answering “What’s in it for me?”)

A friend or family member may donate simply as a favor to you.  But you can let them know that they’ll be publicly recognized as an AMC supporter (saying they’re “a patron of the arts” may be an exaggeration for a $10 gift but is nonetheless true).  And donations from them and others don’t help just AMC: they enhance the quality of life for all Arizonans by sustaining a vibrant and exciting arts and culture scene for all.

  1. HOW their donation will impact AMC and the community.

Because this is a campaign for a specific event, the Messiah Sing-Along, you can point out some of its unique features:  It’s the only free, public Messiah sing-along in the Phoenix area; it’s fun for the whole family whether anyone sings along or not; if someone wants to sing and doesn’t have a score, they can download one from AMC.  In addition, it boosts both AMC’s and WOA’s (the Women’s Orchestra of Arizona) public profile and encourages increased attendance at both our groups’ concerts.

A great thing about P2P campaigns is that they don’t have to rely on cutting and pasting a standard narrative.  Everyone can tell their personal story about their own why, what, and how.  You might send the same story to everyone on your list, or tailor your story to each recipient.   (That said, some text is provided below for reference as you craft your story.)

Finally: The Mechanics of Online Donations

Send Hamiltons for Handel appeals through email, social media, text, or owl if you’re so disposed.  Just ask potential donors to visit https://arizonamasterworks.com/go/hamiltons-for-handel/ to donate.

NOTE: You can set up your own personal donation page linked to the campaign, with your own text, graphics, and donation goal.  If you’re interested in doing so, please contact Bob Altizer for more info.

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