WHY FRACTURED ATLAS?

Fractured Atlas is a nationally recognized service organization benefiting the needs of arts groups as well as individual artists in all disciplines. Founded in 1998, their fiscal sponsorship will allow the documentary to receive tax-deductible donations through individuals, grants, and crowdfunding campaigns. All monetary donations to the project through Fractured Atlas, where no goods or services have been exchanged, are fully tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

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CAN I DONATE ONLINE?

 

Yes! The Fractured Atlas website can accept online donations by credit card through this link.

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Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Fractured Atlas takes an 8% fee (which is typical for such services), but it does not assess any additional fee to cover the credit card processing expense.

 

CAN I DONATE BY CASH OR CHECK?

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Checks are accepted, and should be made out to "Amsel: Illustrator of the Lost Art c/o FRACTURED ATLAS".

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Please mail to:

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c/o Adam McDaniel

CINEMALAD PRODUCTIONS
930 Ocean View Ave.

Unit D

Monrovia, CA 91016

USA

 

NOTE: Please do NOT make checks payable to Cinemalad Productions or Adam McDaniel. Fractured Atlas is our fiscal sponsor, and all financial contributions to the project should be through them. This ensures complete transparency, accurate tax filings, and that your donation is 501(c)(3) tax-deductible where applicable by law.

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WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO?

 

As grateful as I am for all the generous donations received thus far, the simple truth is that most of the project’s financing has come out of my own pocket. This documentary has been a longtime passion project, involving years of work and research. It also represents a significant monetary investment, as I’ve funded most of the production myself. (One of the major reasons why the documentary has taken me so long is because I need to work at “day jobs” to support it.)

 

Even when working on a razor-thin budget, anyone who has ever made a film independently can understand how “razor thin” is just a relative term. Personal projects can easily break personal bank accounts. You have to call in every possible favor from friends and family; you max out credit cards; withdraw from (or delay your investments in) retirement savings; put in overtime at your day job, etc., etc. You get the picture and the sob story.

 

Probably the most expensive part of the project involves travel. Many interview subjects live on the east coast, so arranging that involves airfare, ground transportation, hotel accommodations – you get the idea. Even with every cost-cutting measure in place (including calling personal favors and couch-crashing in friends' living rooms), a single trip of a few days can easily run into the thousands.

 

There are also operating and running costs, such as software licensing and subscriptions, as well as web site maintenance (I design and run the websites and social media entirely on my own), digital storage, equipment, mailings, and printings. The reward “perks” we offer, such as prints and postcards, also eat up a significant percentage of the donations we’ve received. There are professional services, too, that I've paid for, including legal and PR consultants.

 

Over the years, many others, including some animators, researchers, and transcribers, have worked for free on this project. Some have worked at either very discounted rates or for deferred pay. I’m grateful to every one of them for all their help and time on this project.

 

But there’s one important caveat I want to make clear: Never have I paid myself a salary.

 

This project has fiscal sponsorship for non-profit 501c3 status through Fractured Atlas, so every penny donated to the project is formally accounted for, and is itemized at tax time. Every expense I’ve personally made can only be reimbursed after I’ve submitted all the receipts and itemized costs. The film is still in the editing stages, and I’m looking to film even more interviews. We'll need all the help and resources we can get. Further animation, post production editing, color correcting, sound editing and mixing, clearances – all of these add up over time. Your continued support can help make it happen.

 

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CAN I MAKE A NONCASH DONATION?

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Any item or service can be donated in-kind. Donations of tangible goods are considered noncash donations by Fractured Atlas. They can accept almost any type of donated noncash item for the purposes of the project, and issue a receipt to the donor for the item. The notable exceptions are vehicle donations, airline miles, and airline tickets, as Fractured Atlas does not have the facilities to process such donations.

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Noncash donations will require a completed NONCASH DONATION LETTER in order to qualify as tax-deductible. Donors should complete this letter and send it either by email to richardamselproject@gmail.com, or by direct mail. Donation letters will be forwarded to the Fractured Atlas team for proper reporting and tax records.

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WHAT ABOUT DONATIONS OF SERVICES?

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We would strongly value any contributions of services toward our project, from those willing to donate their time, talents, and efforts. Please be aware, however, that such donations of services (such as pro-bono accounting/legal help) are considered in-kind donations by Fractured Atlas. These donations are undoubtedly valuable, but they are not tax deductible under the law, so Fractured Atlas cannot issue receipts for them.

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CAN I VOLUNTEER TO BE A PART OF THE PRODUCTION?

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Yes yes yes! We'd always value people's help!

 

Those looking for crewing or volunteer opportunities may inquire by email to richardamselproject@gmail.com.

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