FRODO: I wish none of this had happened.
GANDALF: So do all who live to see such times.
But that is not for them to decide. All we have to
decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
--The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
The road to our future is rough but with your help we can make it through.
An epic journey requires the ability to keep one’s eye on the destination while negotiating the hurdles that come up along the way. We started our nonprofit adventure 10 years ago heading towards being a sustainable, accessible video collection with a nationwide reputation as one of the most significant film and television archives in the world. Along the way we encountered many, many challenges, but we are now facing one of our hardest.
Many of you may be aware of the pressures that nonprofit organizations are facing, and Scarecrow is no exception. COVID-related funding has expired. Traditional funding sources have become greatly reduced or redirected. Our rental revenue has not returned to pre-pandemic levels despite our expansion of the rental-by-mail program. Costs have increased unrelentingly over the last few years. With all these stressors, our predicament becomes clear.
Any business, including nonprofits, can only sustain so many hits before they reach their breaking point, and ours is fast approaching if we are not able to turn a corner soon.
There’s a lot happening in the world right now, but let’s not forget the things that are the most important to us including the organizations that do the hard work of safeguarding and making available the widest, most diverse range of voices, stories and perspectives – like Scarecrow Video.
Please consider helping us out in one of several ways:
- Donate to the future of Scarecrow – if you have never given before, a gift of $50 really helps us out, or if you have given, please consider giving a little more than your normal donation.
- Become a member and take advantage of some great perks.
- Rent movies or TV shows from Scarecrow.
- Build your collection by purchasing from Scarecrow instead of those other online retailers.
Scarecrow became a nonprofit when no one thought we could - let alone endure for 10 years. I believe we can get through this dark part of our journey, but only if you believe that you can make a difference!
