Forming a CTF crew is a great way to get involved with and support Crafting The Future.
Want to get more involved?
Crafting the Future encourages the community to form “Crews” that are committed to annual fundraising efforts and community building. Crews can be centered around a geographical region, an institution, a medium, an organization, or anything that can serve as an entry-point/mutual connection for groups of craft lovers to the CTF universe.
For example; Clay to Table is an online event including a diverse group of potters from across the United States and Canada, each bringing their unique talents to the table. As apart of their annual ceramics sale, each Potter donates one work of art to be included in a collection available to the public through Sweepstakes tickets. purchases. All proceeds from the Sweepstakes are donated to Crafting the Future, a nonprofit, 501c(3) tax-exempt institution. In 2022, Clay To Table raised $5740!
Another example; The Penland Crew has held many different online events like a Live Zoom Craft-A-Thon and the ever popular #Postmarked. #Postmarked reached out across the US inviting artists to create and donate postcard size artworks which were purchased at $30 each. Over 400 postcards were created and the Penland Crew was able to donate $12,000 to endow a scholarship!
The idea here is that we are building our community from the ground up by reaching out to like-minded individuals and asking for their help in our effort to provide equitable opportunities for BIPOC artists in the arts, and that the effort is sustained for as long as CTF is fulfilling its mission.
We’ve all felt that thing at some point, where you feel like its crazy to just sit in your studio toiling away while there is so much work to be done out in the world. By being in a CTF Crew you are able to ensure that some of your studio time is making a real impact!
We want to encourage people to fold the work that CTF is doing into their regular practice. In order to form a CTF Crew, one must:
Establish.
Appoint an organizer who will lead the crew and serve as the liaison between said crew and the CTF staff.
Assemble.
Get a group together; if someone wants to join a crew but is not a member, all they need to do is fill out a membership form on the CTF website. The more the merrier! Crew members are not required to meet in person (thus need not be in the same city).
Organize.
Conduct at least one fundraiser per year. This can take the form of an auction, sweepstakes, pop-up sale, or similar event and can be conducted entirely online or in person once it is safe to do so. If a crew wants to hold semi-annual or even monthly fundraisers, we are in full support, but only require one annually.
Be Open.
Be ready and willing to accept new crew members referred by CTF staff.
Align.
Use only text from the official CTF website, social media, or literature when promoting CTF. All other text should be approved by CTF staff to ensure mission alignment.
Collect.
Use the official CTF donation platform. This protects everyone involved and makes all donations tax deductible.