August 18, 2005 | Read Time: 2 minutes
At a time when a growing number of public-television viewers are making their membership gifts online, WGBH, a Boston station, is turning to the Internet to raise money for a specific production — a documentary on the role of adoption in American society.
The Boston station has already received $400,000 from PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for the production, whose working title is “Adoption: An American Revolution,” and for related educational activities.
To raise $300,000 to $500,000 of the remaining $1.2-million needed, WGBH has created the Web site http://adoptionfilm.org.
Looking to individuals for small donations to support a production is a new approach for WGBH, says Jonathan C. Abbott, an executive vice president at the organization.
Typically, he says, public-broadcasting stations have sought money from foundations, companies, and major donors, as well as PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, to finance documentary projects.
“We’re usually coming to the viewing public with proof of performance — a history film, a science film, a public-affairs documentary — and saying, ‘This is our work, and we hope you’ll support the kind of work we’ll do like it in the future,’” says Mr. Abbott. “This is a chance to get to people early in the game.”
The organization decided to try the new fund-raising approach with this film because adoption is a subject of deep personal interest to those touched, says Mr. Abbott.
In ad dition, he says, there are more than 400,000 Web sites dedicated to adoption. WGBH has been asking adoption organizations, bulletin boards, and chat rooms to spread the word about the documentary project.
While adoption may be particularly well suited to the fund-raising approach, Mr. Abbott says he hopes that the organization will be able to apply some of the lessons it learns to future projects.
Says Mr. Abbott: “This may not be the last time we do it.”
To get there: Go to http://adoptionfilm.org.
