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SOS

Save Our Scarecrow

In 2014, a group of video store clerks came together to form a nonprofit and take over stewardship of one of the most culturally significant video collections. None of us had any background in the nonprofit world, but for a decade we succeeded – largely on the dedication and sacrifice of our devoted staff and an unwavering support base. But in 10 years, many, many things have changed, threatening our ability to continue.

Sadly, all of our valiant efforts to keep things going at Scarecrow have stalled. Rentals and sales revenue, which were a huge part of what has sustained us, especially in those early years, are now 40% less than what they were in 2015. In the same timeframe, our major expenses have increased by 25%. The final tipping point has been a nationwide decrease in private and institutional funding along with delayed after-effects of the pandemic, and thus we find ourselves in a dire situation. Simply put, our fundraising is not keeping pace with our needs; and though we’ve already cut staff hours and reduced expenses, and our supporters have donated what they can in our spring drive, none of it is enough.

We’ve weathered the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic and the rise of streaming video, and we haven’t had to renew the SOS call – Save Our Scarecrow – from 10 years ago. This is it. This is the SOS.

Securing Scarecrow's Future

In order for us to meaningfully execute our long-term strategy and build for Scarecrow’s future, this campaign has a goal of raising $1.8 million before the end of the year. We know this is an unusually large ask and an ambitious goal. But we've crunched the numbers and this is what it will take to be able to:

  • Stay in our current location for as long as possible,
  • Provide our existing staff with a living wage,
  • Hire the permanent leadership we will need to break out of this cycle of scrambling just to keep our heads above water, and
  • Provide the working capital we would need to allow our new team time to stabilize our organization.

Our situation is urgent and the stakes have never been higher. If we are unable to raise this money, our ability to keep our doors open will be jeopardized, and we will be forced to move out of our space and go into “hibernation” while we plot a new future for Scarecrow. Keeping one of the world’s largest publicly-available video collections intact and accessible is our utmost priority, and though there are still some uncertainties on our path forward, we are not going away.

Brick and Mortar, Art and Culture

As a cultural museum and living archive, our space is the soul of our organization. It is a place of exploration and discovery of old worlds, new worlds and even into “infinity and beyond!” We hold the democratic ethos that ALL voices should be heard and have a place to live, which is why the journey through our aisles can take you to places you never would have imagined. Real-world experiences like this are becoming harder and harder to find, and we all must come together to fight to keep them around.

"I've been renting videos from Scarecrow for over 25 years, and that location on Roosevelt is so important and inspiring to me,” said Ken Jennings, host of Jeopardy! and a member of Scarecrow's Board of Directors. “Without a physical space, Scarecrow would become significantly less accessible to movie lovers young and old. Now is the time for us all to step up in a big way if we want this one-of-a-kind place to stick around."

We hope you will join us in our efforts to save one of the most important film and television archives alive so that the 148,000+ voices of which we are caretakers do not go silent. Please donate today.

With hope and commitment,

The Scarecrow Video Board of Directors

We can’t do it without you.

Scarecrow Video relies on the generous support of our members and donors. Please join us and become a Physical Media Champion today!

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