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.
